Kathy Reviews: Romancing Olive by Holly Bush

ASIN #: B0068RPKZ4

File Size: 456 KB

Copyright: November 1, 2011

Publisher: BookBaby

Book Summary:

(Taken from Goodreads)

In 1891, spinster librarian, Olive Wilkins, is shocked to learn of her brother's violent death at a saloon gaming table and her sister-in-law's subsequent murder, traveling far from her staid life to rescue her niece and nephew, now orphans. She arrives to find the circumstances of her brother's life deplorable and her long held beliefs of family and tradition, shaken.

Accustomed to the sophistication of Philadelphia, Olive arrives in Spencer, Ohio, a rough and tumble world she is not familiar with, facing two traumatized children. Her niece and nephew, Mary and John, have been living with a neighboring farmer, widower Jacob Butler, the father of three young children of his own and a man still in pain from the recent loss of his wife.

Real danger threatens Olive and Mary and John while Jacob and his own brood battle the day-to-day struggles for survival. Will Olive and Jacob find the strength to fight their battles alone or together? Will love conquer the bitterness of loss and broken dreams?

Kathy's Review:

If you've read any of my reviews, you probably know that I am not kind to authors who misuse the English language. Particular pet peeves of mine are mixing "your" and "you're," "its" and "it's." This author committed both of these crimes on multiple occasions.

However, that is truly the only thing I have to say negative about Romancing Olive. OK, one more thing. I don't really care for the title. The story is about so much more than just the romance part. Oh, and the fact that Olive says "fiddle dee dee" that bugged me. Now I'm done. All good things to say from here on in.

Set in Spencer, Ohio in the year 1891, this is a touching story about children who have lost both their parents in a brutal fashion, and are left traumatized and in the hands of their neighbor, a poor, widowed farmer who has children of his own to raise, and has lost his wife when she gave birth to a special needs child. Enter Olive, an oft-described spinster of thirty-five (yikes, I'm thirty-six! You can be a spinster at my age???), the aunt to the two orphaned children, who comes to take them back to her home in Philadelphia. After seeing the condition and well-being of the children, Olive stays at the insistence of Jacob Butler, in his house, which is scandalous for this time period, especially for a proper woman like Olive.

As she becomes attached to the children, and struggles with her feelings toward Jacob, Olive goes through a transformation. She decides to let go of the confines of her past lifestyle and live life to the fullest. This means letting her hair down (literally), taking a turn on the dance floor, and giving in to her romantic feelings about Jacob. Her spinster BFF, Theda, comes to town to visit and is shocked by her friend's metamorphosis. While she sees how much happier Olive is, Theda can't break free of her own lifestyle, and returns to Philadelphia.

This is a sweet story that I fully enjoyed reading. It shows that there are bonds that go beyond blood, and traditional notions of family. That even among the bleakest of conditions, children are resilient and can overcome so much with the love and support of an adult. And that even if you have completely given up on love, love might just come and find you.


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