ADELE: A Needful Bride
SERIES: Brides of Needful Texas #8
GENRE: Inspirational Historical Romance
RELEASE DATE: December 17, 2020
PAGES: 158
Adele Fortuna is not happy with her father’s plans to foist her and her sisters off on Needful husbands, but what choice does she have. Since her mother’s death, she has managed to keep the household together, but with steadily decreasing funds, something has to be done. If Adele can find a well to do husband in the dusty town of Needful, Texas, perhaps her sisters will not have to suffer the indignities of being sold to the highest bidder.
Despite her father’s desperate play, Adele knows that he only wants his children to have a safe home where they will be provided for once he is gone.
Can a young woman’s determination to marry well bring more hope and happiness to Needful, or will all dreams be dashed in the harsh light of the real world?
Adele is my first read by Danni Roan, to my recollection and while I’m at a slight disadvantage coming in on book 8 of a series it worked well as a standalone. You’ll meet other characters throughout, though, who’ve already had their stories told so you may find that you want to go back and catch up 🙂
My favorite character, hands down, was Olive. Even though she’s a relatively minor, background character in this book she made an impression on me in those few scenes she graces. Maybe because she reminded me a bit of my grandmother, maybe because she was all about matchmaking, or maybe because she seemed to be the most dimensional character in this particular story. Whatever it was, she caught my attention and I really liked her & wouldn’t have minded seeing more of her.
Adele is a strong woman in many ways, putting the needs of her sisters ahead of her own happiness. This leads to a marriage of convenience which is one of my favorite tropes because it brings so much wonderful opportunity for lots of swoony tension & pent-up longing. (Also why friends-to-more is a fave too… but I digress.) Unfortunately, I missed that sort of tension in Adele. And I honestly stayed frustrated with Beau & had a difficult time engaging with him until nearly the very end. However, I did appreciate the emphasis on the characters realizing their dependence on God and coming to see themselves – and each other – as God sees them. It may not have been all swoons and sparks but it was a gentle love story with a sweet message. The epilogue was an important addition to this story, as well, and satisfied some of the loose ends I needed to see tied up.
Bottom Line: Adele, the latest installment in the Brides of Needful Texas western romance series by Danni Roan, is set in a town with plenty of supporting characters to love, too, even if you haven’t read the previous books. The tender faith message doesn’t overpower the story but definitely can’t be separated from it either – it is central to the direction that this marriage of convenience goes and to the characters’ growth as well. I did feel that too much time was spent on scenes or dialogue that didn’t necessarily advance the story while other things felt glossed over too quickly, which left me not feeling fully connected to the plot or the characters. But overall, this is a sweet book and an enjoyable way to pass an evening.
(I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book which I read via Kindle Unlimited. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.)
My Rating: 3.5 / enjoyed it!
KissingBook Level: 3 / may forget to breathe on occasion
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Also available to read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited
Danni Roan, a Christian author, has always been a storyteller and that unique talent has translated well into the western romance genre. Danni’s characters are real, genuine and come alive on the page.
Danni has a Bachelors of Missiology and a Masters in Teaching English as a Second Language (ESL). Danni has taught English and ESL, for over fifteen years both overseas and at home in the United States. These skills and her experience with people from all over the world have given a special flavor to her writing which only adds to the authenticity of her characters.
Danni lives with her every-day-hero of more than twenty-seven years in a thirty-six-foot camper that they are using to tour the United States, adding new life to the setting and drama of her books. She is very proud of their son who is studying at the University of Florida. You can follow Danni’s adventures on her blog as well as reading about them in her work.
Originally hailing from Pennsylvania Danni feels a connection to the land and loved riding over the verdant hills of western PA on horseback throughout her youth.
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