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Customer Reviews for Revell Love Surrendered, A : book 3: A Novel - eBook

Revell Love Surrendered, A : book 3: A Novel - eBook

Orphaned in Iowa, Annie Kennedy moves to Boston to stay with her spinster aunt. She longs for romance to fill the void left by her parents' death. But when she falls hard for Steven O'Connor, the man who broke an engagement to her sister, Annie is worried. Will he break her heart too when he discovers who she really is?
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4.7
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41 out of 4493%customers would recommend this product to a friend.
Customer Reviews for Love Surrendered, A : book 3: A Novel - eBook
Review 1 for Love Surrendered, A : book 3: A Novel - eBook
Overall Rating: 
3 out of 5
3 out of 5

profanity used in this book

Date:April 20, 2013
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yaya
Age:45-54
Gender:female
Quality: 
3 out of 5
3 out of 5
Value: 
3 out of 5
3 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
2 out of 5
2 out of 5
this author has such great stories, I do not see why she has the need to use cuss words in her books. Totally disappointed to see it.
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Review 2 for Love Surrendered, A : book 3: A Novel - eBook
Overall Rating: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

Beatuiful story

Date:March 29, 2013
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anb123
Quality: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Value: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
A wonderful finish to Julie Lessman's last book in the Winds of Change Series! Beautifully written story fantatasic finish with many plottwists!!
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Review 3 for Love Surrendered, A : book 3: A Novel - eBook
Overall Rating: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

Surrender to Love, Hope & Faith

Date:April 24, 2013
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EMarie
Age:18-24
Gender:female
Quality: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Value: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Annie Kennedy moves to Boston after the death of her father. Feeling empty inside and abandoned by God, Annie forsakes her faith and her usual ‘good girlness’ and falls into the company of the wrong crowd. But it’s because of her new ways that she meets Steven O’Connor, a man who had also fallen away but is, very slowly, finding his way back to what is right.
In the very last book of the O’Connor Saga and the Winds of Change series, A Love Surrendered by Julie Lessman, we learn what it means to surrender our hearts to God and read a story about finding a love that’s pure and faithful.
Annie Kennedy never thought she’d meet Steven O’Connor, her sister’s ex-fiance, while backed up against a wall by two scoundrels on a dark street. While he does save her life, Annie is not only embarrassed but she soon finds that Steven O’Connor treats her like she is a child who doesn’t know what she’s doing. He keeps insisting that she’s a good girl, that she shouldn’t hang around with the people she now calls her friends. Maybe he’s right, maybe she should do as he says, but living with her innocent little sister Glory and an aunt who is strict and somewhat cold, Annie can’t seem to stop seeing the people Steven insists are bad for her.
Steven has made some huge mistakes in his life. But he’s getting himself back on track…sort of. While he’s not as wild as he used to be with the drinking and the women, he still can’t seem to get away from the friends who still are. But then he meets Annie and he sees in her the definition of innocence and purity. So why is she hanging out with the crowd he used to go with? The people who can only lead her to trouble and destroy that sweetness that he finds so attractive? It’s girls like her that he ruins. So, while he wants to help her, get her back to where she belongs and away from the people and the places that will eventually hurt her, he also knows he has to keep his distance. Or he may end up hurting her worse than any of those people she calls her friends would.
Julie Lessman, you’ve done it again!! I absolutely adored Steven and Annie’s story! Beautifully written, filled with family drama, passionate romance and overwhelming heartbreak, A Love Surrendered almost beat A Heart Revealed on my Favorite-Julie-Lessman-Novel-List.
In the beginning Annie’s faith had suffered because of the loss of her father, but when she gets it back it guides her through her journey with her frustrating aunt, her struggling surrender to God and her feelings for Steven. Julie Lessman shows us once again that God is always at the center of every epic love story. I loved how Annie’s faith helped Steven open his eyes and his heart to God. Julie Lessman knows how to weave a story of faith and love, intertwining the two with such clarity and skill that they become one and the same. There cannot be love without faith, there cannot be faith without love. Both Annie and Steven discover that a love surrendered to God is the greatest love there is.
This book made me laugh out loud, grin from ear to ear during the beautifully written, heartwarming love scenes and had me in tears at the very end. I can’t believe it’s time to say goodbye to the O’Connor family! Julie Lessman brought these characters to life, she made me love them. It’s like saying goodbye to my own family. I’m going to miss them so, so much!!
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Review 4 for Love Surrendered, A : book 3: A Novel - eBook
Overall Rating: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

A Love Surrendered-A Great Way to End the Series!

Date:April 23, 2013
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AngiOakley
Quality: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Value: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
A Love Surrendered, the third and final book in the Winds of Change series, is the story of Annie Kennedy. After the death of their parents, Annie and her little sister move to Boston to live with their spinster aunt. Stepping away from her faith, Annie seeks romance and adventure to fill the void. She falls in with the wrong crowd...and at the same time, falls for Steven O'Conner, the man with which her older sister, Maggie, was once engaged.
Steven O'Conner, believes Annie to be just an innocent kid from the midwest. And he wants her to stay that way, doing his best to protect her from men like he once was. As their paths continue to cross, however, Steven begins to find himself slowly falling in love with her. But something from his past stops him dead in his tracks and threatens to tear them apart.
In true Julie Lessman fashion, she waits til the end to throw a twist into the story that you don't see coming. And she shows that even though we may lose our way, we can always come back to our loving Heavenly Father.
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Review 5 for Love Surrendered, A : book 3: A Novel - eBook
Overall Rating: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

Fun read!

Date:March 17, 2013
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Darla
Quality: 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Value: 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
This story was a fun read. Mrs. Lessman knows how to tell a story and the twists and turns will keep you wanting more. Would recommend this book for everyone.
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Review 6 for Love Surrendered, A : book 3: A Novel - eBook
Overall Rating: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

A divinely perfect conclusion!

Date:January 8, 2013
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Dolly
Location:New Mexico
Age:45-54
Gender:female
Quality: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Value: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to the O’Connor family, but neither could I wait to read this conclusion of Julie's two amazing series! Annie’s story tugged at my heart from page one. She’d been dealt a rough hand in many ways – losing first her mother then her father, being moved in with a cold, spinster aunt, as well as, being uprooted from all that was familiar. The depth of love she showed to her little sister deeply warmed my heart. Plus, I totally adored Annie’s spunk & that she wasn’t afraid to stand up to Steven despite the longings of her heart. She remained strong, determined, & faithful even when facing self-sacrificing, heartbreaking decisions & brought joy & warmth to two lonely, hurting souls. Julie expertly separated fleshly desires from the desire to be a better person in Steven’s journey. Sean’s tough but loving talks with his kid brother brought me to tears, & every scene with Emma and Sean made me sigh with deep heart contentment. I loved all of the O’Connor couples, but Emma & Sean remain my very favorite. The way Julie brought Faith back to the forefront in this book felt like a sweet friend’s “goodbye hug,” & the epilogue was absolute, divine, soul-satisfying perfection! Sigh ♥
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Review 7 for Love Surrendered, A : book 3: A Novel - eBook
Overall Rating: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

Date:December 5, 2012
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Lyssa
Location:McKinney, TX
Age:18-24
Gender:female
Quality: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Value: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
I have followed the O'Connors since day one.... Each character has enriched my life in a way I never thought literary fiction ever could. Each O'Connor portrays the struggles that most- if not all- of us go through. And, at the end of each book, I took away some of the best inspiration I have ever found. I found myself laughing, crying, rejoicing, and admonishing the O'Connors as they grew up, made mistakes, discovered what real love is, and found happiness in the midst of turmoil. But, this last book of the series is hands down my favorite because it's real, genuine situations without the shallow, sugar-coated characters that seem to traipse across our "literature" today. They make mistakes, but they discover a power that is greater than all of it. I definitely recommend this series to all of my friends and to you guys, as well!
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Review 8 for Love Surrendered, A : book 3: A Novel - eBook
Overall Rating: 
2 out of 5
2 out of 5

I don't get the high praise!!!

Date:November 19, 2012
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Tracy
Location:South Carolina
Age:35-44
Gender:female
Quality: 
2 out of 5
2 out of 5
Value: 
2 out of 5
2 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
1 out of 5
1 out of 5
Maybe I am unique, but I do not understand all the 4 and 5 stars for this book! I don't know if Christian women are craving Christian fiction where the characters don't seem so perfect or what, but I think her characters are almost so flawed that I don't even like them. I have read many of her books on the O'Connors, and while I have liked some of them, this last one kind of turned my stomach!! I thought when I finished that the men in these books almost seem "bipolar" or something! They literally go from one extreme to another, and Patrick is the absolute worst! I think he keeps his whole family on pins and needles w/ his uncontrollable outbursts!!! He is HORRIBLE at times to the foster child, Gabe, that is living w/ them. I also felt very frustrated that every woman in this book has to either lie or manipulate her husband to try to get what she wants. I do not think is a good example of a Christian marriage. I also was not a fan of all the secrets kept in this book to people they supposedly "loved." For example, a four or five month pregnancy, forging your husband's name on adoption papers, secret tutoring for months w/ your ex-fiance, constantly working late w/a good looking single woman that on some level you are attracted to, miscarriages, dating your sister's ex-boyfriend w/o telling her, dating your sister's ex-boyfriend w/o telling him who you are, and if I recall, in one of the other books Collin kept his an illegitimate son a secret from Faith, after hiring the child's mother, an ex-girlfriend, and spending lots of his evenings w/ them. These are huge secrets/deceptions for so-called Christians to keep from people they love. I also did not like that there was another love triangle w/ two sisters. In this instance, I know I would not want to spend my life married to a man who was sexually intimate w/ my sister for years. This is a guy who constantly describes himself as not being able to get enough of Annie's sister, Maggie, and much of that is about sex! Marriage can be hard enough at times, w/o bringing your sister into your marriage bed. My toughest struggle when my husband and I got married was knowing I wasn't his "first", and he, therefore, had a basis for comparison. I can't imagine knowing that basis was my very own sister!!! There is definitely a twist in the end that I don't want to entirely give away, but when Steven finally decides that Annie is the one for him, Maggie shows back up. Well, there is an interesting turn of events, but that very night, Steven ends up "making out" w/ Maggie briefly in the car before he comes to his senses! Ultimately, he is not someone I would want for a husband, and I had a hard time wanting him for Annie. Also, I think Ms Lessman has a tendency to wrap up huge crises way too quickly, whether it be an illegitimate child, a huge secret w/in a marriage, or a spouse or fiance that is now in the way! I can't speak for others, but this book and these characters were annoying this time around for me. I don't think I'd read anymore books about them if there were any. I've definitely had enough! Sorry!
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Review 9 for Love Surrendered, A : book 3: A Novel - eBook
Overall Rating: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

A great ending to the series

Date:November 15, 2012
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CynthiaKay29
Age:25-34
Gender:female
Quality: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Value: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
I enjoyed this book....it was a lovely ending to the story of Patrick and Marcy and the story of their family....An excellent read...
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Review 10 for Love Surrendered, A : book 3: A Novel - eBook
Overall Rating: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

Hoping for more books about the O'Connors!

Date:November 5, 2012
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DDVRRS
Location:Des Moines, IA
Age:45-54
Gender:female
Quality: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Value: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
I have really loved the the two series Julie Lessman has written about Patrick & Marcy O'Connor and their six children along with their families (Daughters of Boston and Winds of Change). I just finished "A Love Surrendered" and was on a rollercoaster of emotions - especially through the final chapters! I love the way the book ended, but I just wanted to keep on reading more!
I know Julie has a book coming out about Patrick & Marcy's relationship in just a few days. However, since "Love Surrendered" ended with a new daughter - Gabrielle - in the O'Connor family, I was hoping that Julie might have at least one more story in her about the O'Connors to write - possibly even more as those grandchildren start growing up! I contacted Julie through her website a few days ago and she responded the very next day saying that down the road she has every intention to write additional stories centered on Gabe and all the O'Connor grandchildren. If so, they can't come fast enough for me! Once I start reading one of her books, I can hardly put it down!
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Review 11 for Love Surrendered, A : book 3: A Novel - eBook
Overall Rating: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

Another Masterpiece!

Date:October 30, 2012
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Susan Anne Mason
Location:Ontario, Canada
Age:45-54
Gender:female
Quality: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Value: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Once again with “A Love Surrendered”, Julie Lessman does not disappoint! Her final book in the O’Connor saga (other than the pre-quel coming out Nov. 9th) is a beautiful blend of family moments mixed with the budding romance between Steven O’Connor and Annie Kennedy—a romance that seemed doomed because Steven thinks Annie is way too young and because she is the sister of his first love, Maggie, a girl he ruined.
But despite her youth, Annie’s beauty, both physical and spiritual, captures Steven’s heart. Wracked with guilt over his unsavory past, Steven feels he can’t risk ruining Annie’s innocence. Loving Annie makes him yearn to be a better man and her strong faith stirs Steven’s desire to develop a real relationship with God. Watching Steven become the man he’s meant to be is a real treat.
With true story-telling mastery, Julie spins some amazing twists and turns in the story and finally leaves us with a happily ever after for the entire O’Connor clan.
Julie’s characters are so true to life, they leave you wanting to be part of their world, to be able to join them for an O’Connor family dinner. Steven’s story of love, healing and redemption will stay in your heart long after the last page is turned!
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Review 12 for Love Surrendered, A : book 3: A Novel - eBook
Overall Rating: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

Satisfying end to the series

Date:October 29, 2012
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Jocelyn Green, author of Faith Deployed
Location:Cedar Falls, IA
Age:25-34
Gender:female
Quality: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Value: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Julie Lessman has crafted a stellar final novel in the six-book saga of the O'Connor family of Boston. With incredible skill and heart, she not only weaves the story of the two main characters in this inspirational romance, but she deftly ties up the plot lines of every other couple in the family for a wholly satisfying end to the series. I am pretty sure I cried at the end because it was just so beautiful. The author proves once again in this novel that she is a consistently strong writer with creative plotting, jump-off-the-page characters, and solid biblical truth in the context of real-life struggles.
~Jocelyn Green, author of Wedded to War
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Review 13 for Love Surrendered, A : book 3: A Novel - eBook
Overall Rating: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

A Love Surrendered

Date:October 29, 2012
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MaureenT
Location:Syracuse NY
Gender:female
Quality: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Value: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
A book I was enjoying so much, I didn't want it to end. The third book in this amazing series, and there is enough information presented to read it alone, but don't deny yourself and read the other two!
Annie [Susannah] as she now wants to be called, and now wants to leave her good girl image behind in Iowa. She wants to experience Boston like her sister Maggie did. She has made some very worldly friends, and ends up being rescued from one of her bad choices by FBI Agent Steven O'Connor. She becomes smitten with him, only to find out he is Maggie's former beau.
Loved looking at Prohibition time Boston, a glimpse of Speakeasies and bootlegging.
Enjoy your time visiting with the O'Connor family, yes they are still at it. Such love and fun, and now getting bigger, and above all a Great Love of God. They have such a faith centered life, and share it! I get such a warm feeling spending time in Marcy and Patrick's home, and how they love each and everyone in their family. There interaction at times is hysterical...they know each other so well.
I fear this is the last book in this series, and hope it isn't true! Be sure to savor this one!
I received this book from the Publisher Revell and their Blogger Program, and was not required to give a positive review.
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Review 14 for Love Surrendered, A : book 3: A Novel - eBook
Overall Rating: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

historical romance at its best

Date:October 27, 2012
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Sandra Lee Smith
Location:Tempe, AZ
Age:Over 65
Gender:female
Quality: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Value: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
I so love the fact that I can read more about the O'Connor family. I love this series. Steven's story is wonderful. What is so fun about reading Steven's story is we keep caught up on all the O'Connor's we've read about in past books. Julie Lessman has a gift of writing an exciting story with twists that keep me turning the pages. I'm so hoping she will find a way to keep us in tune with this delightful and heartwarming family. Thanks to her publisher who supplied me with a copy to review. I will buy more for friends because these books are that good.
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Review 15 for Love Surrendered, A : book 3: A Novel - eBook
Overall Rating: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

A Page Turner!

Date:October 25, 2012
Customer Avatar
Faye
Age:18-24
Gender:female
Quality: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Value: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
I did not want this story to end!
A Love Surrendered grabbed me right from the start, drawing me to Annie's plight. I loved how she was a brand new character, which was a kind of break in pattern from the other books in the series.
I just loved this book, the pages turned rapidly and the the time flew by, yet at the same time I was dreading reaching the end, not only of the book, but the final chapter in the O'Connor family saga! I don't know what I'll do now that all the O'Connor's are married!
I loved how in this book I got to see much more of Steven, whom I have always kind of never got to know in the other books, and finally get to see what makes him tick. And Annie, was a sweetheart from the start. So for me it was great watching Annie and Steven, and getting to know them better :) I also loved catching up with the other O'Connors from the previous books.
In all this was a wonderful conclusion, that was everything that I'd hoped it would be and more! A Love Surrendered is fraught with drama and sparkles of humor and wit, that took me through a host of emotions. Personally, I think that this book isn't one that you can just pick up without reading the previous books, mainly because who would want to miss a single moment with the O'Connors? I certainly wouldn't!
But A Love Surrendered has it all, romance, drama, history, smiles, wit, laughs, and characters that you can't help but cheer for. I can't wait to see what Ms. Lessman will come up with next!
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
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Review 16 for Love Surrendered, A : book 3: A Novel - eBook
Overall Rating: 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5

A good series finale - for mature readers

Date:October 24, 2012
Customer Avatar
Suzanne Wesley
Location:Terre Haute, IN
Age:35-44
Gender:female
Quality: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Value: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
3 out of 5
3 out of 5
A Love Surrendered is Book three in a series started in 2010 by Julie Lessman. It had been so long since I had read book one that I had forgotten I had read it until I was well into the book. (Though once I did figure that out I realized that the cover was designed similarly, and I had recognized the author's name when asked to review it by the publisher.) The book tackles some very tough topics for a Christian novel to handle, the biggest being sensuality. I don't consider myself a prude, but even I was a little overwhelmed by the amount of sensuality in this novel. Beyond the attraction felt and resisted by the unmarried hero and heroine, there are several married couples - most of whom are the parents or brothers and sisters of the hero and have been featured in the earlier two books - and all seem to be trying to get pregnant or use their sensuality to manipulate their spouse in some fashion at some point in the book. I get that sensuality was a major theme being tackled in the book, but with so many couples it was a little much even for me. I definitely wouldn't recommend it as suitable reading for teenagers.
However, the book is very well written and the characters are enjoyable. Additional insight is given to being a single person during the prohibition era. I do feel you would want to read books one and two to get the best amount of enjoyment from the series. The number of characters was a little hard to keep track of since I hadn't read book two and book one was read too long ago. If I'd read them back to back I feel it would have been easier to keep track of the many characters.
I would only recommend this book to readers who aren't overly sensitive to reading sensual situations. It will likely appeal more to female readers, though the issue is tackled from the male perspective in a few cases during the book.
* Available October 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
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Review 17 for Love Surrendered, A : book 3: A Novel - eBook
Overall Rating: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

A lovely ending to a highly entertaining series

Date:October 23, 2012
Customer Avatar
Helen Wakefield
Location:Australia
Age:25-34
Gender:female
Quality: 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Value: 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Five of the six O'Connor children are happily married. So what about Steven? A former frat boy who partied with the best of them, Steven is now a hard nosed prohibition agent. And after breaking things off with his first love, Maggie, three years later he's still staying away from women.
And then Annie shows up. She's got her head in the clouds thinking about getting her first kiss. But when she hits the Boston social scene, she isn't exactly prepared for the attention she draws. Turns out, neither is Steven. He makes it his mission to keep guys only out for one thing away from Annie - including himself.
Annie is a sweet heroine - but not so sweet that she's going to take any nonsense from the dashing Steven O'Connor. In the previous books, Steven remained somewhat of a mystery so I really enjoyed getting to know him in this book. He isn't quite as arrogant as his sister's husbands - which I liked - but he's still got that Irish temper. At times he was such a typical sleazy jerk that I wanted to slap him silly. But Annie did that for me :)
A Love Surrendered was a little softer in tone than most of Julie's other books. I felt this was appropriate with the series being wrapped up and everyone's stories coming to an end, and by no means did this book disappoint. It certainly wasn't devoid of drama and gasp-inducing plot twists - and of course, plenty of Julie's signature passion!
A Love Surrendered left me with the warm and fuzzies and a longing to be an O'Connor, even if just for one day! It was a bittersweet end - I was so happy for the happily-ever-afters for all the family, but also so sad to be saying goodbye to them. At the end I could barely read from the tears spilling from my eyes. A totally wonderful way to end what has been a highly entertaining and endearing series.
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Review 18 for Love Surrendered, A : book 3: A Novel - eBook
Overall Rating: 
3 out of 5
3 out of 5

Great writer, but too sensual

Date:October 18, 2012
Customer Avatar
Julieanne Miller
Location:Oregon
Age:35-44
Gender:female
Quality: 
3 out of 5
3 out of 5
Value: 
3 out of 5
3 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
3 out of 5
3 out of 5
This is a complicated story with many characters, each one with their own story; it takes place in 1932. The main character, Annie, is the almost 18-year-old child, now orphaned, of a pastor and his wife who raised her to be a “good girl” in a very small rural town in Iowa. She has an older sister, Maggie, whom she greatly admires and wants to emulate, but Maggie has more or less disappeared from her life, having moved first to Boston and then to California. But Maggie’s experiences have intrigued Annie, and she desires nothing more than to see the sights and to experience the excitement that Maggie wrote of in letters to Annie over the past several years - experiences which deal with situations and people the like of which Annie has never experienced before and wants very much to try out in her “new life” now living in Boston. She and her baby sister, Glory, have come to live with their Aunt Eleanor, a spinster, a seemingly strict and unfeeling woman who seems much older and old-fashioned.
In her adventures in her new life, Annie becomes part of a very “fast” crowd and soon meets a man, Steven, to whom she becomes quickly attracted---and then realizes he is the very man her sister, Maggie, wrote often about in past years and was very much in love with; they had broken up when Maggie moved to California. Annie is protected a number of times by Steven (a Federal Prohibition Officer), who rescues her from various potentially serious situations, until she finally comes to her senses, with the help of a new friend, Faith, and decides to live her life the way God would have her live it. It turns out that Faith is Steven’s sister!
**This story is filled with many descriptions of lustful behavior on the parts of both married and unmarried couples, and great emotional detail of what happens when lust becomes uncontrollable in people’s lives. Annie is torn but in love, and it is difficult for her to control her emotions. Steven is nearly uncontrollable.
This story opens up people’s lives to reveal some of their very real problems, both in marriage and out, and is a lesson on learning to live and behave in God’s way and with His direction. It is a story of learning how to forgive past mistakes and how to allow God’s leading to direct every avenue of one’s life.
Annie “accidently” becomes involved with Steven’s family, a large family of sisters and brothers and parents and grandchildren, who are close and often together, and mostly who adhere to Biblical principles. She learns from them and comes to love them quickly as they are the family she longs for. She and Steven have a difficult relationship, due to their different personalities and levels of commitment to God’s teachings, and also, their history of him having been involved with her older sister. This is a very complicated but intriguing story. A mystery almost to the very end!
**While in today's day and age, this romance book would seem harmless in many's eyes, two of us who read A Love Surrendered felt it went far beyond what a Christian has the freedom to be reading for entertainment. There were many instances of lustful situations, some described more than they should be. This isn't a book I'd want my 15-year-old daughter to read - and yet, there were many biblical, godly messages woven in this book. However, we can learn those godly messages without reading sensual material.
I purpose as a Christian woman to read books that enhance my spiritual walk with the Lord, not books that cause me to compromise my faith because of what I read and imagine. A touch of romance is understandable in books, but lengthy, descriptive passages can easily get out of hand and become arousing to the reader. I prefer to read books that are not sensual like this, so I'm sorry to say that I cannot recommend this book for the Christian reader or for the teen of a parent whose goal is to raise children that are innocent without being naive.
+2points
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Review 19 for Love Surrendered, A : book 3: A Novel - eBook
Overall Rating: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

Um… WOW?!? Heaven, help me….

Date:October 16, 2012
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JesuSaves
Location:Canada
Age:Under 18
Gender:female
Quality: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Value: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
I wrote this review when I just finished reading A.L.S and let’s just get one important thing out: Julie Lessman has got incomparable, amazing talent. Hallelujah. Amen. And Praise the Lord.
I am SO glad she took on this writing journey and so not exaggerating when I say that I’m lost for words right now.
WOW! People, if y’all haven’t any one of her books, what are you waiting for? They’re more than just mere works; they truly have deeply blessed me. Each one of them.
I laughed. I wiped away tears upon tears of mine (I’m afraid PLENTY of tissues will be needed for this one which – in my opinion, is not only the best in the series but also one of the best of 2012!) The drama got me reacting out loud and oh how my heart melted.
The beloved, sweet O’Connors…. *snif!* How I love thee!
I just can’t wait to see what God has in store for Julie! All the glory be unto God for this author. She’s got so much talent that I can even hear that NYT list calling her name.
Write on, Ms Lessman… write on!
*Satisfied Sigh*
This is my honest review. So many thanks to the author and the publisher for a copy of the book.
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Review 20 for Love Surrendered, A : book 3: A Novel - eBook
Overall Rating: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

Julie Lessman creates perfection!

Date:October 16, 2012
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Passion4Heart
Age:18-24
Gender:female
Quality: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Value: 
5 out of 5
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Meets Expectations: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Once again I am amazed by Miss Julie Lessman's work! A Love Surrendered is a pure delight- Passionately pure!
All of her books are known for the passion for romance and the passion for God and A Love Surrendered does not disappoint! I was so excited to read her latest work and even remembering it, I'm glad I didn't hesitate to do so. She has created, once again, pure passionate perfection!
Steven O'Connor's need for his lost childhood innocence is met with Annie Kennedy's obvious overabundance of the same. This book was a pleasure to read and the message was so powerful. Staying pure is so important, but with that lesson rarely taught these days, I found it refreshing to see in this story. I give Julie Lessman two thumbs up for her stand on abstinence. Annie's exciting and fresh way of looking at it will surely inspire many of us to want to do the same!
When I read a book from Julie Lessman I expect plenty of passion, but also a love for God that I rarely see in other books. A Love Surrendered did not disappoint here! Annie had a faith that gave me chills. Her character made me get excited about God, which is much needed in my generation!
If you've never read anything from this author and are looking for good passionate Christian fiction...don't hesitate to read Julie Lessman's books!
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