The Endearment

Enjoyably sweet, though the hero miffed me a little bit with how much trouble he had getting over the heroine's past and forgiving her, especially because I didn't think she had anything she needed to apologize for about it in the first place.

It's more of a 4.5 than a 4. I loved both the characters and was impressed at the journeys Spencer set them on. Lying, selfish, impulsive Anna Reardon grows one way while patient, hard-working, honest Karl Lindstrom grows yet another. Their paths mirrored each other as we got to see the many surprising layers of Karl and Anna.

It flirted with a five-star rating. It's a character-focused and character-driven story, which I just adore, but it still had its moments of too transparent plot machinations that popped the magic bubble and reminded me I was reading a book.

This is a fairly sweet romance novel. Anna and her brother want a safe place and someone who will care for and protect them, so they do the whole mail-order bride scheme basically, with James finding an advertisement in the newspaper for a man in Minnesota seeking a wife. James and Anna live in wrenching poverty in Boston and see this as a golden ticket, almost.

Sounds like a decent enough plot, and the story itself went fairly well. I enjoyed the way the author described living in the Minnesota woods in the 1850's, where conveniences were far and few between. It is quite a shock for Anna and her brother, but Karl is willing to forgive the initial deception. He has a wife to keep house for him AND a young man (13-14 years old) to help show more him around with the grueling work of being a settler. The author described building a cabin as well as other difficulties which these people took for granted but would make many people today squirm. I found this more interesting than the romance aspect, tbh.

There are arguments, and the revelation of a vital deception (no, Anna did not reveal all her secrets at once) but the ending is clichedly happy as one would expect from a typical romance novel. 3.5/5 stars. show less

Set in 1854, lonely, 25 year old Swedish immigrant, Karl Lindstrom, decides to arrange a marriage with a mail-order bride from Boston. He believes he is getting a woman his age who knows how to run a farm and help him with his homestead. He's both devastated and surprised when illiterate 17 year-old orphan Anna shows up. She doesn't know the slightest thing about farm work or anything else about making a home. Plus, she arrives with her twelve year old brother whom Karl knew nothing about. Karl finds himself in the position of either having to marry Anna or send her and her brother away with no place to go.

Anna is both a young woman who is experienced in some ways but immature in others. She's a flawed character that grows with the show more story. I liked how much detail Spencer added with Karl’s Swedish background and love of his adopted home. The main character's vastly different backgrounds made for an interesting blend. They both balance each other out and provide something the other needs. Even though the Karl could be a bit overbearing in his judgment at times, I still liked him.

The romance in this book was as sweet and "endearing" as we've come to expect in other LaVyrle Spencer books. The Endearment had great characters, an interesting story, and sweet historical romance. show less

This is one of my all time favorites. Anna knows she should have been honest with Carl but she also knows if she had, he wouldn't have wanted her. He was her last hope, her last chance to change things for her and her brother. Carl isn't happy that Anna wasn't what he expected but she's here and well, there's just something to be said for not being alone anymore. Definitely read this.

While not my favorite work by Spencer, I still enjoyed this volume immensely. Her characters are rich, her setting detailed, and the relationship sweet.

I liked how detailed Spencer got with Karl’s Swedish background and his love of his rugged home. I got a real sense for how comfortable he felt in this wild land and how dedicated he was to building a home for himself and a family. His strong sense of family and personal sense of honor also defined who he was and shaped how he viewed and interacted with the world.

Annie and James, in contrast, come from a much different life and environment. What they had to do to survive and endure comes through with sad, vibrant detail. Annie, especially, made my heart ache. So much trauma and pain show more scarred her ability to trust and her self-image. How that affected her relationship with Karl really became the soul of the book and main relationship.

The romance in this book was as sweet and endearing as Spencer’s previous works. The main lead’s opposing backgrounds made for an interesting blend. They both balance each other out and provide something the other needs. Karl gave Annie and James a new home and opportunity in life. Annie mellowed Karl out and made him see that there are other walks of life, more trauma in the world than he may have experienced.

The only fault I can find does irritate me a ton, so it seems to have more weight than it would for someone else. At times, Karl’s sense of honor and right went over the boundaries of such, going into self-righteous territory. Holier-than-though could be used to describe his actions and attitudes towards Annie and her situation.

Now she does hide much and does lie to him more than once. So a bit of distrust and his attitude could be explained. But, a bit more understanding after he learns her full story would have helped to save his characterization for me. From other reviews I’ve come across, I’m not the only one who feels this way.

Great characters, story, and romance make this a great historical romance. Even though the main male lead can be overbearing in his judgment at times, I still liked him and rooted for him. So still a solid 4 stars and recommended for lovers of historical fiction and of Spencer’s books, especially. show less

From the streets of 19th-century Boston to the harsh frontier--she wove a web of deception to ensnare her man!
Lovely, fiery-tempered Anna Reardon was forced to lie to get out of the street urchin's life that shamed her ... to become Karl Lindstrom's mail-order bride in the beautiful, treacherous Minnesota wilderness.
Karl forgave Anna for her deceptions--but there was still one shameful, burning secret that she had to hide from him, knowing its revelation would destroy the love that had become her very life!