🏡🏞️🛤️ “Where the Road Bends” (2022) 🛤️🏞️🏡 – Book Review

MY REVIEW

 

Paperback: 304 pages

Publisher: Revell (June 7, 2022)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0800739744

ISBN-13: 978-0800739744

⬅️ Click Photo for Purchase Information

 

“As Norah King surveys her family land in Iowa in 1880, she is acutely aware that it is all she has left, and she will do everything in her power to save it--even if that means marrying a man she hardly knows. Days before her wedding, Norah discovers an injured man on her property. Her sense of duty compels her to take him in and nurse him back to health. Little does she realize just how much this act of kindness will complicate her life and threaten the future she's planned.

 

Norah's care does more than aid Quincy Barnes's recovery--it awakens his heart to possibilities. Penniless and homeless, he knows the most honorable thing he can do is head on down the road and leave Norah to marry her intended. But walking away from the first person to believe in him proves much harder than he imagined.”

 

Thank you in advance to the publisher, Revell, for providing an advanced review copy through Library Thing. A positive review was not required nor requested, and all words are my own.

While this is the author’s fifth (5^th) book out, it is the second one I’ve read. 

 

Last year A Lady in Attendance came out, and I was absolutely delighted with that book. So much so that I bought and have The Hope of Azure Springs; Yours Truly, Thomas; and A Life Once Dreamed, in my TBR stack. 

 

An interesting note – readers of Fordham’s books will find a The Hope of Azure Springs and Yours Truly, Thomas reference in this book. In fact, Yours Truly, Thomas takes place in Azure Springs as well. While all five of her books are standalone reads – I would be VERY interested in reading The Hope of Azure Springs and Yours Truly, Thomas in connection to this one. 

 

That said …

 

I honestly giggled at the covers of the books. The first one has a headless woman, the last four (Yours Truly, Thomas; A Life Once Dreamed; and A Lady in Attendance) along with this one all show the back of a woman’s (presumably one of the main characters) head. And, they all have their hair in a bun. Obviously, there is SOME kind of theme here. And, it is rather amusing.

 

The main characters of this one are: 

 

🏡Quincy

🏡Norah

🏡Mrs. Dover

🏡Alice

🏡Sam

🏡Nels

 

Jake and Percy have a minor role, but their presence and actions make a HUGE impact in the story. Though to be honest, Quincy stole this and carried it from his first appearance until the very end. 

 

Quincy and Norah’s are the only POVs that narrate the book in third person. 

 

There are some themes and elements that particular readers might have an issue with: working girls (prostitutes), physical abuse, reference to cursing (no bad words are used), coarse manners, and some impropriety (for the time period). Though, some of it was dearly refreshing, honest, and lively – most of it from Quincy himself. A rogue, but loveable. 

 

Unlike most books – this doesn’t have a prologue to introduce readers to the story or backstory. Fordham jumps right into 1880 Blackwell, Iowa for chapter 1. 

 

True to the times, Norah is facing a marriage of convenience or losing her land. So, she takes up Jake Granger on his offer – he’s the only one showing interest. He’ll take on her debt and give her his name. He gets a good deal – a wife and property. 

 

But, Norah’s life changes on a routine look at her property – vultures – which usually means something or someone is dying or has died. There, she finds Quincy, almost dead. 

 

One of the “it shouldn’t be funny but it is scenes” is when Norah tells the scavenging birds “Go find another meal … I’m taking him home. You can’t have him!”. This line will come back again in the book, as will Norah taking Quincy’s shirt off of him. 

 Despite the impropriety and how bad he smells (rotten carcass which she is sorry she mentions), Norah manages to get the brute home and taken care of. In fact, he was almost too much work for her to drag in.

 

Quincy tells Norah how he got to be on her land – boxing, which is a dirty way to make a living. His story reminded me of a scene from Far and Away when Tom Cruise’s character (Joseph) throws a match to save Nicole Kidman’s character (Shannon) thus leaving them homeless and penniless as a result.

 

Quincy, while recuperating, becomes Norah’s ear. He also gets introduced to a “rooster alarm” due to sleeping on the mattress on the floor. That was another “it shouldn’t be funny” moments as well. 

 

The only problem – Jake doesn’t know the man is there. Only the doctor does. Jake visits to let Norah know what is going to happen. She wants to tell Jake, but doesn’t. She also doesn’t want him to force Quincy to leave. But, the scandal isn’t something Norah can afford – due to her father’s gambling problem, the town looks down on her as it is. 

 

Quincy leaves, promising to pay her back. While the two have connected – Norah is engaged, and Quincy has nothing to offer. 

 

About 60 pages later, in chapter five (5), it has been two years since the day Quincy left. He’s in Longfield – successful – owning the hotel, café, and a store. He’s wondering about Norah.

 

In addition, one of his employees – Sam – is sweet on the café’s cook, Alice. The problem – Sam is shy and Quincy keeps going through cooks because they all get married and quit. This was another funny moment, and I felt so sorry for him.

 

Quincy gets a letter from the “dead letter office” (where have some readers seen this before …) – Norah never got the letter. Mrs. Dover, his employee and “adopted” mom, tells him he has to go so he can make peace with it. He leaves for Blackwell. 

 

But, what he finds is not what he thought. Norah isn’t married, Jake owns the land, and he’s married someone else (Mary Beth). Quincy learns Norah is no longer in Blackwell – she’s in Warner Crossing at the Whetted Whistle. She’s now one of “Percy’s Girls”.

 

Quincy also ends up meeting Nels Anderson, an 8/9 year-old street urchin and gives him money to get to his hotel. Getting Norah from Percy is a challenge, but Quincy comes away with her.

 

He takes her to Longfield to recover physically and mentally – and to give her a roof over her head. While not forced to “work” – Norah has been abused and broken. She needs time and patience to heal, something Quincy is all too happy to provide. Though, he has yet to tell her why he was coming to see her. 

 

Quincy hires Nels for “chores” and gives him a wage and a room. One of the chores – watching Norah. The little guy takes to her, and she to him – she even begins schooling him, something he is interested in. 

 

[A proud moment for him is a bit sad – he’s happy that he’s not even 10 and writing his name, something some of us have done since about 3/4, or younger.]

 

Within days of her arrival, Norah is taking in a baseball game and even joking with Alice. 

 

Quincy wants to court Norah, yet he also wants to make things right to her. 

 

While going through their daily lives, Norah is also wondering when Percy is coming for her; and Quincy is wondering how Norah will react when she learns the truth of his success. 

 

While alternating between predictable and unpredictable in certain “arcs”, this had a slight suspense to it. Fordham kept it going for well over 70 pages. It had a rather satisfying end – though, I didn’t quite expect it (the happily ever after – yes; where – no). 

 

This was definitely hard to put down. I need not say that short chapters tend to keep me reading well past my bedtime, because they do. This was definitely engaging. The author’s descriptive pose had me feeling like I was right there with the characters. There were times I was bogged down by some of the small talk, especially the baseball games though. 

 

The plot, for the most part; is a WONDERFUL tale of redemption, second chances, and true love. It was gritty, realistic, dramatic, funny, heart-breaking, and full of heart.

 

I truly identified with Norah losing her home and everything that went with it. I’m being forced to pack up and move where I am currently living with no other “home” to go to. I will be able to store my stuff, unlike Norah. I couldn’t imagine losing treasures like Norah did. I truly felt for her and it literally broke my heart. I have to admit – one spoiler – the book from Quincy was so sweet. It really made me cry. 

 

I would’ve liked more of Jake and Mary Beth’s story – how they met, and their background together. Though, honestly, I think he was a cad for doing what he did to Norah and wanted to see him get his comeuppance. 

 

While this didn’t blow me away like A Lady in Attendance, I can’t be too disappointed with it. And, I am eager to see what the author has going for her next release. 

 

Fans of the author will no doubt enjoy this read.

 

While distributed by a primarily Christian/faith-themed publisher, there are few elements of faith or Christianity in the book. There are a few references – Quincy reading the bible, some references to God. It is a clean read with the main romance towards the last third (⅓) of the book. 

 

 

 

RATING:

 

 

4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ /5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Goodreads

 

4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ /5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Bookbub

 

4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ /5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Personal Rating (see rating explanation in this blog: https://readingexcursions.blogspot.com/2020/01/rating-system-2020-changes.html)

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rachel Fordham is the author of A Lady in Attendance, A Life Once Dreamed, The Hope of Azure Springs, and Yours Truly, Thomas. Fans expect stories with heart and she delivers, diving deep into the human experience and tugging at reader emotions. She loves connecting with people, traveling to new places, and daydreaming about future projects that will have sigh-worthy endings and memorable characters. She is a busy mom, raising both biological and foster children (a cause she feels passionate about). She lives with her husband and children on an island in the state of Washington. Learn more at www.rachelfordham.com.

 

 

You can find her on the following social media accounts:

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Website: https://rachelfordham.com/

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