A Hope Undaunted (Winds of Change Series #1)

BE CAREFUL

Don't fall too much in love with the series. The next book is $9.99.

5 out of 7 people found this review helpful.

Great Christian Historical Romance

The 1920s are drawing to a close, and feisty Katie O'Connor is the epitome of the new woman--smart and sassy with goals for her future that include the perfect husband and a challenging career in law. Her boyfriend Jack fits all of her criteria for a husband--good-looking, well-connected, wealthy, and head-over-heels in love with her. But when she is forced to spend the summer of 1929 with Cluny McGee, the bane of her childhood existence, Katie comes face to face with a choice. Will she follow her well-laid plans to marry Jack? Or will she fall for the man she swore to despise forever?

If anyone has read The Daughters of Boston Series by Julie Lessman, then you know exactly what your getting when you opened up Hope Undaunted. You getting a great historical story, with a sweet love story that pushes the passion meter to the very edge when it comes to Christian romances. Julie Lessman loves to push things to the edge but she also knows when to pull back and go on with the story.

I am a huge Julie Lessman fan so I was not dissappointed when I got my hands on a copy of Hope Undaunted I have been waiting for Katie's story for some time now. The Daughters of Boston series and The Wings of Change series really go together though they can be read as stand alone but if you want the real feel for the O'Conner family its just best to read them all.

In A Passion Denied (Daugthers of Boston book three) you meet this spunky street kid Cluny McGee. He is about fourteen and loves to pick on Katie O'Conner who is ten yrs old. Katie is a very feisty outspoken child and gives Cluny a run for his money and you always knew in the back of your mind that some day when her story was written that Cluny had to be in it somewhere.

When Julie Lessman decided to make Katie O'Conner a woman who wanted to be a lawyer to pave the way for more women's rights since it is at the end of the 1920's. I knew it was going to be interesting, I could see that spunky girl of ten becoming a spunky young woman with ambition. What I didn't see coming was Cluny "Luke" McGee being a lawyer. That one really surprised me though he is working with The Boston Children's Aid Society which doesn't surprise me since he was once a street kid himself. There are some great side characters as always. Parker who is the director of the BCAS, Betty who is the secretary and Bobbie Sue who is a volunteer. They all make for a great story and I am not giving anything away, so you must read it for yourself.

And Julie Lessman can't go with out making us squirm wondering which man is Katie going to choose, she is very good at making you think its not going to be the one you want. The one thing that is never a surprise is a great historical romances full of family, compassion, and love.

I am a huge fan of the 1920-30's so I can't wait to find out what else will happen with the next two books in the series. We still have the two O'Conner brothers and I am really curious what is going to happen next though I know I will never want the O'Conner family to come to a end.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good Inspirational romance that really and truly engages you into not just the main characters lives but the whole O'Conner family. Its a great romance for everyone.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Hooray for more of the O'Connor Family Saga

I was so excited when Julie announced Katie's story and the continuation of the O'Connor family, and I was not disappointed! As always, I love how easily I got drawn into A Heart Undaunted, surprised by plot twists and both new and previous characters to love. In fact, sorry Mitch Dennehy, you were my favorite, but Luke has won his way into my heart. A Heart Undaunted is definitely a keeper on the bookshelf to be enjoyed and recommended again and again!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

okish

too stretched out.....i give it a C,,,,, as in A-F

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

A Great Story!

Katie O'Connor has a lot of growing up to do, but first she makes some unwise decisions that nearly cost her to lose what she really wants. She has a lot in common with Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind. She's spoiled, selfish at times, and goes after what she wants with a vengeance. Cluny McGee, or Luke as he's called, was a poor orphan who grew up on the streets and now wants to save the world, even if it means sacrificing his life to do it. They are complete opposites and attract like magnets.

Julie Lessman writes with passion and she creates characters with real life issues and baggage. Just when you think everything is going to work out, she throws in another twist to the story and things get worse. The story is fun, entertaining, but also has a moral and spiritual plot when Katie and Luke learn life's lessons and face things they have no control over. Katie must decide if she's going to choose her family's faith, and Luke must allow himself time to grieve and heal. It's a great story.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Gripping Novel I Couldn't Put Down

I was thrilled to receive a review copy of this moving, heart warming epic story. I had read all three books in her Daughters of Boston series and couldn't wait to read this first book in the Winds of Change series. The author's character descriptions, with their reactions to each other and their situations, made me feel as if I were watching them on a big screen, taking in every detail, hook, line and sinker.

Katie O'Connor is the main character, and is the youngest and feistiest of the O'Connor sisters. It's the roaring twenties and Katie has big plans to marry rich, go to law school and be the first woman to gain a seat in Congress. She wants to be in a position of influence to change the plight of women and children.

Jack, Katie's boyfriend, adores her and fits all the criteria for her plan beautifully; that is, until Katie is forced to work with Luke McGee during the summer of 1929. Sparks start to fly between them on all fronts, even as they butt heads at work. They'd known each other as kids. Luke was mean then, and it didn't appear he changed much. Why did Luke bother her so much now? Couldn't she let her childhood memories go?

Luke says, "You know, Katie, you've always been a cold and callous little thing, but I actually believed it was just a front. You know, a thin coat of steel to protect your fragile little heart? But I was wrong. Seems that steel is as thick as that stubborn head of yours when it comes to making life decisions.You're a cold, cold woman, Katie O'Connor.your 'plan' is your god, and God help anybody who gets in your way."

"Katie couldn't believe his words. .I want to be a lawyer, mother- to blaze the way for women who think they need a man to take care of them, women like Mrs. Rhodes at church-everyone knows that tyrant she lives with beats her. But will she leave? Not on her life. And in the end, it will probably cost her hers...Was it wrong to have a plan? She had her plan! God was some fairy tale for weak people, right?"

I thoroughly enjoyed every second I spent reading this novel. I got caught up in the characters and their drama. I couldn't believe Katie and the lengths she would go to, to maintain the forward progression of her plan. And, the fight inside her heart to do what was right was a constant challenge. I got a kick out of the family gatherings, filled with games, conflict, resolve, love and great fun. I felt as if I were in the middle of it all. I smiled big at the satisfying ending and a book filled with an array of colorful characters and their situations. Julie included the entire O'Connor clan I got to know in her other books, with a few additions. Julie is a master story teller. I love how she naturally wove their struggle with God and His direction for their lives. It wasn't preachy but realistic. Julie's writing touches all the reader's senses and pulls on your heart strings, as she makes you feel like you really know and care about this family. This book's a keeper. I'll definitely be reading this book again, you will too!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

It just kept going.

This book was tedious and talked too much about eyebrows.

I nearly hated the first third of this book. I couldn't stand

I nearly hated the first third of this book. I couldn't stand the way the author repeated the same phrase over and over, like, "he put a hand to his eyes," "she covered her eyes with her hand." And that was basically the only action any of the characters did to show emotion, whether they were angry, sad, or ashamed. On top of that, there was a kissing or making-out scene in just about every chapter. Drama, drama, drama. But--with how I have to finish a book once I start it--I continued.
And so, in the beginning of the second third of the novel, I skimmed the prose for the main motions of the characters so I would know what was going on, but also I wouldn't have to take in all those annoyingly repetitious details. By the end of the second third of the book, I slowed down and actually started to read it again; gone was the phrase "hand to his eyes." (Finally.)
By the last third, I was interested in the story and could hardly put it down. I seriously would have given this novel 2 less stars if not for the end. The characters seemed to come alive for me in this finale of drama, heartbreak, and romance, and something surprising resulted. Despite how I felt about the beginning and middle of the story, I was drawn in and my emotions were tested. I actually cried...more than once.
In the end, I went with a four-star rating because I wanted more by the closing of the final chapter, and I felt like Luke and Katie kind of left me behind, wishing it wasn't over yet. One thing I want to say, though, is that I was pretty confused about the extra characters. With so many family members and their family members to take in, and with me just now being introduced to the O'Connor's, I had a feeling of being left behind in a whole different way.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested, and I would tell them to hang in there and keep reading. The end is so worth it.

Highly Recommended

A Must read!!!

I decided to try this author since this book was offered for fre

I decided to try this author since this book was offered for free. At first I found it very engaging and delightful reading. Even though I had not read any other stories about this family, it could be read first. I think that is a sign of a good author when their books can stand alone and you don't have to read all of the ones in a series. Unfortunately, I began to get very annoyed with Katie and the love choices and decisions she was making. (I don't want to give anything away). I felt the book starts out strong and then falls flat. Would not read any others of hers.

Excellent

Enjoyed this book very much.

Amazing!

Could put it down! Loved it, even bought the next one already!

Hard One

Received this as a free book and just couldn't get into it.

I Couldn't Finish It

I honestly wanted to get into this book, and it's pretty rare that I don't finish a book once I start it, but this one just got to be too much. The author's attempt to develop tension between the main character and her love interest just becomes too overwrought and drawn-out. Sorry, but I gave up after the fourth time they kissed and then ran away from each other.

Loved it

A.mazing how it took me in and kept me thrre
I have the others in the series on my wish list

Great

Great

Addicting!

This story is romantic and hard to put down! On the long side, but it's better that way! Highly recommend it

WOW!

My FAVORITE author, Julie Lessman! If you are a hopeless romantic and love seeing God work in peoples lives to bring them to a personal relationship with Himself and to each other, you MUST check out her books! She knows how to hook, and reel you into the books, so you develop a sense of belonging with the characters.

Stunned

Totally unexpected but wonderful story none the less

Beyond my Expectations

I don¿t know if there is enough I can say about Katie O¿Connor... her sarcastic wit, her independent streak and her strength are all enhanced by the roaring 20¿s time period surrounding her. I was tickled to find out that Katie was going to have to deal with Luke ¿Cluny¿ McGee again after meeting him in A Passion Denied. I could tell that there was a spark of something between those two, but seeing it ignite like it does, in a stomach swirling, heart racing tug of war (or wills) was far beyond my expectations. A new series, but the same characters you love, written by one of my favourite authors of all time! You won¿t be disappointed.