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Customer Reviews for B & H Publishing Group The River Rose: A Water Wheel Novel, Large Print Edition
B & H Publishing Group The River Rose: A Water Wheel Novel, Large Print Edition
Life on the Mississippi in the 1850s is filled with dreams---and disappointments! In The River Rose, widow Jeanne Bettencourt struggles to provide for her young daughter. Things begin to look up when she unexpectedly inherits a steamboat. But there's another claim on the estate! Can faith help Jeanne navigate the swirling waters of her feelings?
Average Customer Rating:
(12 Reviews) 12
Rating Snapshot (12 reviews)
5 stars
7
4 stars
5
3 stars
0
2 stars
0
1 star
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12 out of 12100%customers would recommend this product to a friend.
Customer Reviews for The River Rose: A Water Wheel Novel, Large Print Edition
Review 1 for The River Rose: A Water Wheel Novel, Large Print Edition
Overall Rating:
A Great Tale by Gilbert Morris
Date:October 24, 2012
Quality:
4
out of
5
Value:
4
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
4
out of
5
Jeanne is a struggling young widow, with a daughter named Marvel. Jeanne suddenly finds herself the heir to a boat called the Helena Rose. But another heir also surfaces, Clint Hardin, a man of many surprises with the voice of an angel.
Can Jeanne and Clint learn to share a riverboat, and perhaps more?
Can Jeanne and Clint learn to share a riverboat, and perhaps more?
My daughter finally talked me into reading one of her favorite authors, Gilbert Morris. There were some great characters, and some cute child characters. Things kept happening, which kept the story moving.
I really liked how Clint built a great relationship with Marvel, Jeanne's daughter. Jeanne was a very strong character, who was just so protective of her daughter and wanted the best for her.
Out of the side characters I just thought that the Doctor was well built, and was a kind man who encouraged Clint in his journey towards faith.
Out of the side characters I just thought that the Doctor was well built, and was a kind man who encouraged Clint in his journey towards faith.
I really liked the scenes towards the end of the book, there was a phenomenal courtroom scene that was just brilliant! That was one great lawyer!
Overall, this was a great book that moved at a steady pace. With plenty of action, especially at the end. This is a stand alone book, though second in a series, the characters of this book have no connection to the characters in the first book. The only connection to the first book is a similar circumstance with a riverboat. So don't be afraid to pick this one right up :) The characters were good and I thought that the characters were very likable, especially Jeanne, because she went through a lot! An enjoyable read.
I received this ebook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thanks!
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Review 2 for The River Rose: A Water Wheel Novel, Large Print Edition
Overall Rating:
1841 Memphis, TN.
Date:August 17, 2012
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
4
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
Mature reading audience.
1851, Memphis, TN. After being widowed, Jeanne Bettencourt struggled to make ends meet for her and her six-year-old daughter, Marvel, as a chambermaid at the Gayoso House Hotel. Jeanne was always leery and alert when working in the rooms of the men staying at the hotel. Even her daughter was aware that “she didn’t like men very much.” The real issue is that she didn’t trust them.
Her life was about to change for the better when a distant, unknown Hardin relative passed away and she became a half-heir to his estate–a paddle wheeler steamboat. She grew up on one, so she was elated. However, the other half-heir was Clint Hardin, a tough man who had his way with women. Being a Christian woman, Jeanne was uncomfortable “living” on the boat with him, but both needed money, so they made a business arrangement where she would pilot the boat and he would keep up the mechanical end. Though courting wealthy plantation owner, Mr. George Masters, Jeanne began her new life as a steamer pilot. Masters wasn’t happy with the arrangement, but she needed income.
The River Rose, by Gilbert Morris, was an entertaining and great historical book! I found that the descriptive events of the daily trappings of the river, the gathering of supplies, the procuring of new customers and cargo, the bantering from the male pilots, the noise and filth of the docks, and the keeping of the logs during the eight-day trips made for an interesting read. I loved the bantering of being nicknamed the ‘petticoat’ pilot. The author fires up the ante with Clint falling for Jeanne and an unexpected shock waiting for Jeanne at the end of their fourth run.
Though I did not care for Clint’s lifestyle before working on the steamer, he endeared himself to me as he was so gentle and caring for Marvel. He thoroughly loved the little girl. All the other characters who worked the steamer each had their own little quirks, but I really enjoyed Ezra Givens. He seemed gruff and crusty hard, but he was really a softy on the inside. He’d been working the steamer with the previous owner, and remained as part of the ‘inheritance.’
Jeanne’s thankfulness to God for the small things in life as a chambermaid, and the circumstances that followed her after receiving the steamer, were a light to those around her, and was instrumental for steering her through her daughter’s illness and the shocking news and trial upon returning from her river trip. Her care for Roberty came from a heart willing to help this homeless child.
Having read other books by Mr. Morris, I knew I’d find an excellent read with detailed descriptions of every episode. He accomplished it once again. You will be amazed at how his writing will stay with you, as he has a way of gleaning and sharing historical information that sticks with you.
There was one thing that somewhat frustrated me. The title of the boat on the cover didn’t match the name on the boat in the book. I kept waiting for it to be renamed. Not sure if that was intentional or an oversight. Though Jeanne had been raised on a steamer, I found it hard to imagine a single woman working on a steamer with all men, except for her daughter, in that time era.
The River Rose is Book 2 in a three-book series. However, The River Rose is a stand-alone novel with zero overlap in characters or plot lines between the books. They are a series in the sense that all three books take place on Mississippi River paddle wheelers during the 1850s.
I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from B&H Publishing Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
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Review 3 for The River Rose: A Water Wheel Novel, Large Print Edition
Overall Rating:
The River Rose
Date:August 9, 2012
Doris Bookman
Location:Portsmouth, VA
Age:Over 65
Gender:female
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
Great book!!Easy read. Exciting story line about the Mississippi River and the paddlewheel boats. Great love story, too.
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Review 4 for The River Rose: A Water Wheel Novel, Large Print Edition
Overall Rating:
A great read from a gifted author
Date:August 3, 2012
PJsDolls
Location:Fresno, CA
Age:55-65
Gender:female
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
I absolutely love to read. But one of my pet peeves is to start reading a book and not be able to get truly interested until about chapter 5 or 6 because of all the “introductory” material. Gilbert Morris has a history (no pun intended—he writes historical fiction) of writing books that grab you on page one. This book is no different. From the moment I picked it up, I was hooked. The characters were fascinating, the setting was charming, and the story line was well thought out and very intriguingly written.
The River Rose is book #2 of the Water Wheel Series. I was a bit concerned about reading it since I haven’t read book #1 as of yet. But even though it was part of a series, it was entirely enjoyable as a stand-alone novel. Usually when I read a novel that’s part of a series (not book #1), I can always tell when the author is “catching the reader up” with what they missed in book #1. In this case, the book was so seamlessly written that I didn’t get that sense at all.
This book is particularly written for the Christian Historical Fiction audience with a good amount of romance as well. However, I believe that it would appeal to the non-Christian audience as well. The Christian aspect of the book doesn’t feel like it’s crammed down your throat, but instead is very tastefully written. I would highly recommend this book to any of my friends. It’s a keeper!!
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Review 5 for The River Rose: A Water Wheel Novel, Large Print Edition
Overall Rating:
I always enjoy anything Gilbert Morris writes
Date:July 27, 2012
grannyd
Location:Garland,TX
Age:Over 65
Gender:female
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
This book was great, held my interest all way thru, good clean reading, with Christian values evident.
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Review 6 for The River Rose: A Water Wheel Novel, Large Print Edition
Overall Rating:
Faith challenged on riverboat adventure
Date:July 23, 2012
Quality:
4
out of
5
Value:
4
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
4
out of
5
The River Rose takes readers back to the riverboat days of the mid-1800s, where sternwheelers made regular runs on the Mississippi and Arkansas rivers. Jeanne Bettencourt, an impoverished single mother, works as a maid in a fine Memphis hotel. Her six-year-old daughter, Marvel, is the joy of her simple life.
Jeanne grew up aboard a steamboat on the river, where her father served as pilot. He taught her how to pilot also. When she inherits half-interest in a riverboat, she attempts to become the first woman boat pilot and partners with co-heir Clint Hardin to run freight on their Helena Rose.
Clint, as hard as his name implies, has been a boxer and a womanizer. Jeanne feels uneasy about their relationship, but agrees they could make a good business team. Clint, along with the rest of their scanty crew, adores Marvel and watches over her.
A wealthy plantation owner Jeanne knew from the hotel courts her, but she’s not certain whether he is the man for her. Troubles still try to swamp Jeanne—including prejudice, life-threatening illness, and an evil man from her past returning with threats and attempts to rob, rape, and murder. Then she must testify at the trial.
Will the new life she’s formed be torn away? Will the new love she’s discovered be able to survive? Perhaps returning to the faith she once cherished will sustain her through life’s difficulties.
Gilbert Morris has written dozens of historical novels. This is the second of his Water Wheel series, but the story stands alone. He says, “As in all my books, I want my readers to see how vital it is to serve God no matter how difficult that might be.”
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Review 7 for The River Rose: A Water Wheel Novel, Large Print Edition
Overall Rating:
Date:July 22, 2012
luvs2read
Location:Seattle, WA
Age:55-65
Gender:female
Quality:
4
out of
5
Value:
4
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
In a Gilbert Morris novel, romance on the river between two unlikely people thrown together by unexpected circumstance seems predictable, but the journey to that inevitable end flows along as smoothly as the Arkansas River plied by the Helena Rose paddle wheeler of the story. As in any river journey, there are a few unexpected turns in the tale, which also offers historical insight into both the charm and the challenges of Southern life in the mid-1800s.
I admire Jeanne Bettencourt, the hardy heroine who embraces her role as the only female river boat captain in the area because she recognizes a great opportunity has been handed to her and is undeterred by those who think the proper place for a woman is in the home raising children.
Jeanne’s daughter, Marvel, endears herself both to the reader and to the entire crew of the ship, which binds this varied group together over their common love of the little girl, creating a “family” that none of them had before.
I found that the dispatching of an unexpected character toward the end of the book was unbelievable on several levels, as if Morris was trying to tidy up loose ends with a limited page count, but the action does pave the way for a lovely ending.
I found this book quite enjoyable and am eager to read the other books in the Water Wheel series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from B&H Publishing Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.
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Review 8 for The River Rose: A Water Wheel Novel, Large Print Edition
Overall Rating:
A Rose Among Thorns
Date:July 5, 2012
Amanda B
Location:Iowa
Age:18-24
Gender:female
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
What happens when you toss together a middle-class ladies’ man and a dirt-poor chambermaid, telling them that a distant mutual cousin has left them in his will? Sprinkle in some spicy love triangles and tantalizing plot turns and you have the recipe for Gilbert Morris’ latest novel "The River Rose!"
We enter our story in the bitter winter of 1855, Memphis, Tennessee. The elements are harsher than usual this year, but perhaps even harsher are the winds of circumstance howling in the rosy face of widow, Jeanne Bettencourt. And quite a rose she is – delicate, yet determined; painstakingly honest and a diligent worker; penniless, yet somehow supremely confident. “You’re not like the other chambermaids,” she is often told by hotel patrons who are interested in much more than her room-cleaning abilities. And they’re right. Something about her grace and intelligence seems bizarrely out of place with her lowly lot in life.
But Jeanne’s purity of heart and nearly eternal optimism keep her from paying undue attention to her poverty. Despite the hard times, she is content with the Lord as her strength and trusts Him completely to provide for her and her frail, but joyful six-year-old daughter.
So when Jeanne’s breaking-even lifestyle is interrupted with news that she is part heir to a gorgeous steamboat, it’s obvious that the boat is a gift from above. But she still has a choice to make: sell the boat and buy a cracker box house of her own with the money, or live on board and begin making a living with the steamer through freight runs. To Clint Hardin, her buff and charming co-heir, the decision is simple. Why settle for a mediocre life when you have a chance at the extraordinary?
Neither Jeanne nor Clint could guess that God has much greater plans ahead than either of them ever thought possible for their lives. In the process, the unlikely business duo must each face their own past and decide whether or not they will allow it to affect their future.
All in all, "The River Rose" was a pretty nice read. I'll give this historical romance four shiny steamboats out of five.
I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from B&H Publishing Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
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Review 9 for The River Rose: A Water Wheel Novel, Large Print Edition
Overall Rating:
Date:July 3, 2012
Jeanette Johnson
Gender:female
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
This was another great book by Gilbert Morris. Always enjoy reading his books.
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Review 10 for The River Rose: A Water Wheel Novel, Large Print Edition
Overall Rating:
History, Steamboats, Adventure and Romance
Date:July 3, 2012
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
Gilbert Morris in his new book, “The River Rose” Book Two in The Water Wheel series published by B&H Publishing Group takes us into the lives of Jeanne Bettencourt and Clint Hardin.
From the back cover: “I Know you don’t like men very much, mama.” She didn’t actively dislike all men, of course. But she didn’t trust them.
Life hasn’t been easy for Jeanne Bettencourt, a young widow struggling to provide for her six-year-old daughter. But hope arrives in the form of the Helena Rose, a steamboat she unexpectedly inherits from a distant, departed relative. Jeanne’s father had captained a similar vessel and taught her how to pilot a steamer; this could be her ticket to a renewed livelihood, one of comfort and security, for her and for her daughter.
Unfortunately, there is another heir to the Helena Rose – a tough man named Clint Hardin. Jeanne, a Christian woman, feels that she can’t possible “live” with a man on the boat. But both are desperate for work, so they agree to an uneasy compromise to keep their relationship on a strict business basis.
As they begin their successful partnership on the Mississippi and Arkansas Rivers, the slowly softening Clint becomes attracted to Jeanne – who is now being courted by a wealthy plantation owner. With her family and future at stake, the desires of Jeanne’s heart are becoming duly complex. Only faith can steer her through what happens next.
On my to do list is to take a steamboat cruise on the Mississippi. The pacing is slow, there is the sound of the paddlewheel and there is the feeling of romance as you cruise by the cities and states of the South on the Big Muddy. Until that time I’ll have to settle for reading about it and Gilbert Morris has done it again this time putting us on a steamboat on both the Mississippi and Arkansas Rivers. What more can we ask for? “The River Rose” gives us much, much more. It is a book of romance as Jeanne meets Clint and they fall in love. It is an adventure novel as the duo try to make the steamboat work to make a living and a future for themselves. Gilbert Morris is an expert at bringing historical events to life while weaving in the fictional aspects of the story in a seamless flowing pattern. He makes you care for all the people involved and takes you along for the journey. This is also just plain fun and exciting as well.
If, like me, you have read everything ever written by Gilbert Morris then you are going to love this book. If this is your first reading of anything by Gilbert Morris you are going to love this book. “The River Rose” is a very fulfilling read and I look forward to the next book in the series.
If you missed the interview for “Honor In The Dust”, a different series from Gilbert Morris, and would like to listen to it and/or interviews with other authors and professionals please go to Kingdom Highlights where they are available On Demand.
To listen to 24 hours non-stop, commercial free Christian music please visit our internet radio station Kingdom Airwaves
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from B&H Publishing Group . I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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Review 11 for The River Rose: A Water Wheel Novel, Large Print Edition
Overall Rating:
The River Rose: A Water Wheel Novel by Gilbert Mor
Date:June 28, 2012
Sid Frost
Location:Georgetown, Texas
Age:Over 65
Gender:male
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
This story begins in Memphis, December 18, 1854. It is about what happens when Jeanne Bettencourt and Clint Hardin each inherit half the riverboat Helena Rose.
Jeanne, a widow with a six-year old daughter, Marvel, was working as a chambermaid in a hotel, and just barely making enough money to get by. Her parents died in a tornado that destroyed their steamboat before Marvel was born and her soldier husband was assumed dead.
Clint was a machinist, singer, and boxer. He had seen Jeanne and Marvel when he sang for a town Christmas festival, but was surprised to see her again in the lawyer's office when they learned a distant relative of theirs had died and left them the cargo steamboat.
With Jeanne's experience as a pilot on her parent's boat and Clint's experience as a machinist, they go into business together delivering mail and carrying cargo. The business becomes successful quickly, partly because of help from a gentleman friend of Jeanne's, George Masters, a frequent guest at the hotel. The rest of the crew consists of Ezra who had worked on the boat for the previous owner, Vince, a friend of Clint's and Roberty, an orphan boy Jeanne rescued from a beating. A stipulation of the will was that they had to also take the dog, Leo, which they all loved.
There were many complications in the story which made reading even more interesting. At one point, when I thought the story had reached a satisfactory ending, another major problem popped up. It was difficult to put the book down because I wanted to find out what would happen next.
This is a Christian novel and there are references to God, the Bible, and Christian life. I appreciated the way this was handled and I liked that one of the main characters was further along in spiritual development than the other. This allowed the reader to observe the growth and, yes, there were a few tears along the way.
Overall, an excellent read and I highly recommend it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from B&H Publishing Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255. The book was then donated to my church library.
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Review 12 for The River Rose: A Water Wheel Novel, Large Print Edition
Overall Rating:
Excellent Historical Novel!!
Date:June 18, 2012
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
Wow! If there was one name in Christian fiction that most people have heard of, I think it would have to be this author here.
Gilbert Morris has been one of my heroes and I first got started reading Christian fiction with his Winslow series, and boy it took me a while to finish:) Would you know it? I started reading one of his books and found out it was part of a series. By the time a person is done reading the whole Winslow series, you will have gotten a whole history lesson from the beginning of America. You may think I am kidding but I am dead serious.
So, when I heard about a new series he had started, I knew I had to get them. I was very excited to actually be part of his blog tour for The River Rose. This is part of the Water Wheel series but they are pretty much stand-alone novels. The only thing that links them is the paddle wheeler aspect. The River Rose is the second one and after finishing it I have high hopes for the third installment in the series.
The plot of this book was very intriguing. A widow with a little girl, a boxer who has an amazing singing voice, and a wealthy plantation owner all mix for a delightful cast of characters. What happens when the widow and the boxer have to work together after they inherit a paddle wheeler? A lot of fun, tough times, and some romance thrown in! Jeanne was my favorite out of them all. She is so proud and stubborn at first but slowly changes throughout the book. Marvel is her cute little six year old who is ill. She is such a sweetheart though! So many times I just wanted to hug her! I kind of went back and forth on Clint. He is quite the gentleman but at times it didn't mix with his seeing other women, etc.
One of my favorite parts is when Marvel is so sick and Clint sings to her, Ave Maria;) I don't want it to be a spoiler but that part will about make you cry. This book runs you through the gamut of emotions including sadness, a victory dance, and joy. And Morris takes you through twists and turns as well. You think everything is wrapped up nicely and someone shows up who throws a big wrench in the plans.
Overall an excellent book with a 5 star that showcases the writing skill of author Gilbert Morris. There is a lot of history included in this book like many of his previous ones. I found the history of the paddle wheeler on the Mississippi river quite interesting. This book just makes me wish for the simpler life but also makes me glad I don't have to live without the simple amenites. Can't wait for the next book in this series!
This is an author that you will really want to stay up with. Whether you catch him on his blog, Facebook or Twitter, you won't want to miss his updates. While you are at it, check out the next series he is working on set in the Oklahoma territory. It is called Western Justice and features western lawmen. Already have the first one on my wish list!
I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from B&H Publishing Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.
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