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Customer Reviews for Summerside Press From This Day Forward
Summerside Press From This Day Forward
Penniless, pregnant, and newly widowed immigrant Rachel Gordon doesn't believe her situation could get any worse...until she meets her new neighbors.
Shortly after the War of 1812, Rachel and her husband set out from England for a plantation in South Carolina, which he had purchased sight unseen. However, while en route, Tom Gordon fell overboard and drowned, leaving Rachel, frightened and alone, to make a home for her and her newborn. Can a battle-scarred American physician who comes to her rescue also heal her wounded heart?
Average Customer Rating:
(8 Reviews) 8
Rating Snapshot (8 reviews)
5 stars
3
4 stars
4
3 stars
1
2 stars
0
1 star
0
8 out of 8100%customers would recommend this product to a friend.
Customer Reviews for From This Day Forward
Review 1 for From This Day Forward
Overall Rating:
Riveting Novel, but Lacking Historical Elements
Date:December 13, 2012
I really, really wanted to give this book more than 3 stars, but in good conscience, I just couldn't. The story on it's own was riveting beyond belief, but I struggled to believe it was a historical novel, especially one set in the early 1800's. Sure, they had no electricity, they farmed their land, they got hot in the summertime because of no air conditioning, but nothing really transported me almost 200 years back in time. I was also easily bored with all the wishy-washy mentions of Rachel returning to England, as well as Nathan thinking that was the best plan for her, too. One other thing that just niggled at me was the overuse of the word "pivot." I know that's small, but when a word that's not used often in every-day conversation is used so much in the span of 300 pages, it becomes noticeable.
Truly, though, I loved the story itself--a stubborn woman with almost nothing to her name determined to make a life for herself and her newborn daughter. Throw in a couple of surprise young'uns that were spitfires at first, then sweethearts shortly thereafter, along with a half-way decent mystery, and it was a mostly pleasing read. However, when I read a historical novel, I long for it to take me back to that distant time and place so I can feel apart of it. That was missing here, and it was too difficult to overlook.
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Review 2 for From This Day Forward
Overall Rating:
Date:December 5, 2012
Lacey
Location:NB Canada
Age:55-65
Gender:female
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
A very heart warming story that wil restore your faith in mankind!
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Review 3 for From This Day Forward
Overall Rating:
Delightful Read
Date:March 31, 2012
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
From This Day Forward by Margaret Daley is a delightful tale of Rachel Gordon, a young English woman who has arrived in Charleston, South Carolina shortly after the War of 1812. While en-route to her plantation, she meets with an accident and goes into premature labor. Nathan Stuart happens along the road and comes to her rescue.
Rachel has no desire to be beholding to any man, but seems to have no choice in the matter. Nathan refuses to take her to her new home, unless she agrees for him to help.
Nathan fights his own bitter memories as a former physician. He feels the need to help widow Rachel, but doesn't want to get emotionally involved either.
Conflict and misunderstanding abound as these two try to eek out a living on Rachel's farm. Both desire for it to be a short-term relationship, until Rachel can be on her own. Will they learn to compromise and work together, or continue to be in turmoil?
I found Margaret's book to be a wonderfully woven tale that kept me hooked to each word. I highly recommend this book.
* This book was provided free for review by the author and Summerside Press.
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Review 4 for From This Day Forward
Overall Rating:
Wonderful Historical Read!
Date:January 9, 2012
Quality:
4
out of
5
Value:
4
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
4
out of
5
Margaret Daley takes us on a journey to historical Charleston, South Carolina, during the aftermath of the war of 1812, a still somewhat savage land, fraught with outlaws, alligators, and the daily fight for survival. Our heroine, Rachel Gordon, is on her way to Charleston from England with her husband, to settle in their new plantation home, when he falls overboard in a drunken stupor, leaving Rachel to fend for herself in a strange new land; pregnant and alone. There she is met with disappointment, finding only a run down farm near a swamp and her handsome, new neighbor Nathan Stuart.
Nathan Stuart, once a doctor, has given up the profession and has become a self-imposed loner, still deeply affected by the ravages of war. He offers to help Rachel work the farm, and the suspense begins! A dead body is discovered in the farmhouse, someone is stealing things off of her farm...add a couple of alligator attacks in the mix, and you have a wonderful southern romance/suspense novel sure to keep you turning the pages.
This is the first time I have read any of Margaret Daley's novels, and I enjoyed it very much, especially since I live close to Charleston, SC. Ms. Daley's research is impeccable, and her characters very realistic. She deals with some heavy issues...post traumatic stress disorder, spousal abuse, and pregnancy before marriage to name a few, but does so with discretion. I am looking forward to reading more of this author's books. Nicely done!
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Review 5 for From This Day Forward
Overall Rating:
A beautiful story of love and redemption.
Date:December 6, 2011
Monday, December 5, 2011
Margaret Daley's From This Day Forward
Margaret Daley's From This Day Forward
A beautiful story of love and redemption. Rachel Gordon goes forward in her life with gentleness and care. How we treat others definitely matters.
~*~
Through the pine trees Rachel glimpsed a red brick house much like Pinecrest except that this place exuded warmth. A profusion of flowers softened the exterior and welcomed visitors. Rachel immediately thought of her family estate in England. The beat of her heart slowed to a throbbing ache. She missed her sister and two brothers. She missed her parents and wished she were going to her mother for advice about babies, not a woman who was practically a stranger.
~*~ From This Day Forward, page 82.
Through the pine trees Rachel glimpsed a red brick house much like Pinecrest except that this place exuded warmth. A profusion of flowers softened the exterior and welcomed visitors. Rachel immediately thought of her family estate in England. The beat of her heart slowed to a throbbing ache. She missed her sister and two brothers. She missed her parents and wished she were going to her mother for advice about babies, not a woman who was practically a stranger.
~*~ From This Day Forward, page 82.
Historical Fiction
Join Rachel Gordon as she presses forward after arriving on the shores of Charleston, South Carolina, in the Spring of 1816, expectant with child and only one direction to go: Forward. There is no other choice as her husband purchased what he believed to be a plantation, sight unseen using all their resources. She is newly widowed while coming to an unfamiliar land, now totally in charge of obtaining transportation and moving supplies needed for her journey to her new home with her young maid, Maddy.
~*~
The wind picked up, whipping strands of her long brown hair that had escaped its coiffure about her face and threatening to whisk away her bonnet. Lightning zigzagged across the sky, followed by thunder. Maddy jumped in her seat. The gelding's ears flattened.
The wind picked up, whipping strands of her long brown hair that had escaped its coiffure about her face and threatening to whisk away her bonnet. Lightning zigzagged across the sky, followed by thunder. Maddy jumped in her seat. The gelding's ears flattened.
A chill embedded itself deep in Rachel. She arched her back to ease the pang still plaguing her. Suddenly lightning struck a tree nearby, its flash a beacon in the growing darkness. A crack as the pine split into two pieces echoed through the forest. Immediately afterward, a boom of thunder cleaved the air. Maddy shrieked. The horse increased its pace while a few more splotches of water splashed Rachel. Then all at once rain fell in gray sheets.
The gelding lurched forward even faster. Rachel grasped the reins, trying to maintain control. She pulled on the leather straps to slow the horse. Nothing. He kept galloping down the road, oblivious to his surroundings, as though the hounds of hell were nipping at his hooves.
Rachel glanced from one side to the other but saw little except a wall of gray and green. Another peal of thunder spurred her horse into a dead run. The jostling motion bounced her around, nearly throwing her off the seat. A scream from Maddy competed with the din of the storm.
The cart hit another rut in the road. Rachel flew from the seat, the reins wrenched from her hands. The impact with the ground jarred her, knocking the breath from her lungs. Rain pelted her face as she sucked in oxygen-rich air. Stunned, Rachel closed her eyes against the continual downpour. Everything seemed to come to a standstill, as though her body went numb....
"Help!" Maddy's cries sounded above the rumble of the storm.
~*~ From This Day Forward, pages 9,10.
~*~ From This Day Forward, pages 9,10.
I give this novel a 5-star rating! It is very well written, detailed in every way while incorporating the times. Rachel opening her arms and sheltering others, goes beyond what she has ever experienced. From being served to serving, Rachel uses her skills and determination to begin anew. It is necessary for her to learn to receive help from others when she previously was the one giving aid. She must earn an income, care for her infant, begin settling her home, learn how to cook and tend the land. Quite an undertaking all at once. There is a lot of action in this book! The interweaving of characters within the story helps in healing the past as consistency and truthfulness build trust. This is not "a figure it out ahead" read, but expanded stories of daily life. I finished this novel in two days while traveling. This is a wholesome book for all ages.
From This Day Forward became available in September 2011 from Summerside Press as part of their new American Tapestry line. You may read the complete first chapter at Margaret Daley's Web site. I received this book from the author in exchange for my review in my own words.
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Review 6 for From This Day Forward
Overall Rating:
Dramatic from beginning to end!
Date:November 28, 2011
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
4
out of
5
Margaret Daley has successfully filled her debut historical with the emotion, suspense, and action her fans have come to love and expect. The 1816 inspirational romance begins with a dramatic situation and doesn’t let up as the tension builds toward a climatic end.
As a Canadian, I was particularly interested in the way Daley handled the War of 1812 and whether it would stir patriotism to such an extent as to colour the effect of the story itself.
I needn’t have worried. Daley is a professional - an expert at the writing craft. Her English heroine, Rachel Gordon and hero, Nathan Stuart each carried a full arsenal of internal conflict and used them with equal effectiveness. The result is a book which can be read in the romantic and inspirational spirit it was written without the reader worrying about choosing sides.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After choosing love over family, Englishwoman Rachel Gordon was banished from the ancestral home. In a new land with nothing save for a maid, her baby and what she carries in a cart, newly widowed Rachel faces her own shortcomings. Raised in the nobility without a thought to where her food came from, Rachel must now provide nourishment for three. She has her husband’s gun for protection, but not the skills to fire it. And the hazards of the new land include creatures she never imagined she’d encounter, never mind have to defend herself against. Oh, for the safety of an English manor.
After choosing love over family, Englishwoman Rachel Gordon was banished from the ancestral home. In a new land with nothing save for a maid, her baby and what she carries in a cart, newly widowed Rachel faces her own shortcomings. Raised in the nobility without a thought to where her food came from, Rachel must now provide nourishment for three. She has her husband’s gun for protection, but not the skills to fire it. And the hazards of the new land include creatures she never imagined she’d encounter, never mind have to defend herself against. Oh, for the safety of an English manor.
Doctor Nathan Stuart is still suffering the effects of the war, both from the men he was unable to save as well as those whose lives he was forced to take before they took his. Yet he can’t help feeling remorse for breaking the Hippocratic oath. What good is a man if he can’t stand on his word? Flowing on Nathan’s internal conflict is the demoralizing relationship with his grandfather – a man whose hatred of anything English overrides everything.
With a cast like this, readers who love Daley’s novels for what she puts in them will take away a satisfaction of knowing another time hurdle has been breached.
Look out history – Margaret Daley has you in her sights.
With a cast like this, readers who love Daley’s novels for what she puts in them will take away a satisfaction of knowing another time hurdle has been breached.
Look out history – Margaret Daley has you in her sights.
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Review 7 for From This Day Forward
Overall Rating:
Riveting Human Drama
Date:October 25, 2011
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
4
out of
5
The riveting human drama in ‘From This Day Forward’ held me captive from the first page. The story starts off like a clap of thunder, spooking the heroine’s horse and throwing her into premature labor. From the start my emotions were engaged as newly widowed Rachel Gordon from England arrives in Charleston. Alone, with little money, a young maid, and now a baby daughter, Rachel needs help to start over in this new land—a land that only recently fought a war to gain independence from her homeland, England.
Nathan Stuart, the doctor who finds Rachel on that stormy night brings her child safely into the world, setting up a tender love story. It’s just the book I love to read—one that has layers of relationships, love growing between new friends, the orphans that mysteriously show up on Rachel’s life become important to her, and of course the growing romance between Rachel and Nathan.
This book has enough twists and turns in it to satisfy those who love a good romantic suspense. I highly recommend it.
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Review 8 for From This Day Forward
Overall Rating:
Fast-paced Historical Romance
Date:September 28, 2011
L Bliss
Location:Ruckersville, VA
Age:45-54
Gender:female
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
4
out of
5
Margaret Daley is well known for her suspense novels through Love Inspired, so it is not by accident that her first historical novel would likewise be a ride of suspense and intrigue throughout. She does not disappoint as the reader is led on a series of events through the eyes of both the heroine, Rachel, and the reluctant but oftentimes heroic doctor Nathan Stuart. While they struggle through events that seem to pepper them constantly (and at a more rapid clip that nearly begs for some time to allow the reader to catch a breath), they also struggle with themselves. This is the author's first venture into historical writing, and despite the few modern phrases , she has entered it at a fast gallop that will leave you hanging on for dear life until the end.
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