ON TOUR: The Blue Hour

On Tour: March and April 2017

THE BLUE HOUR

A Novel

by

Vicky Righettini

Sometimes the world is kind enough to give you a second chance
to live the life you've always wanted...but only if you're brave
enough to take the chance.
     (from back of book)
 

In this epic tale of love, loss, and redemption, the year is 1861, a time when women are expected to be married by a certain age. At 26, spinster Emily Wainwright has no reason to believe her sheltered life will ever change — until the charming Samuel Todd unexpectedly crosses her path.
Samuel yearns to homestead and start a family in Oregon, but he first needs to find a wife. Blinded by Samuel’s good looks, and grasping at her final chance to have a husband and children, Emily accepts his marriage proposal. However, Samuel is not the man she thought he was, and her marriage becomes a cold, cruel prison, offering her no solace amidst the hardships of farm life.
When Samuel dies and a second chance at love and happiness arrives in the form of farmhand Cole Walker, Emily must overcome her bitter past—or risk losing Cole and the life she has always dreamed of having.

• Paperback: 560 pages
• Publisher: Mill City Press, Inc. (November 17, 2015)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1634138295
• ISBN-13: 978-1634138291

About Vicki Righettini

Vicki Righettini is an award-winning, nationally produced playwright, and her recently-published historical novel, The Blue Hour, was a badge winner and Pitch Perfect Pick at Underground Books. Originally from Los Angeles, Vicki lived in Oregon for over twenty years, where she developed an abiding love of the land and the Oregon way of life. Before turning to full-time writing, she worked for forty years as a singer/actress and performing arts instructor. Her blog, Between a Book and a Hard Place, focuses on the ups and downs of the creative process (http://www.vickirighettini.com). Vicki lives in San Diego with her software-developer, Jeopardy!-champion husband, and the world’s shyest cat.
Facebook: http://bit.ly/2h2UZGy
Twitter: https://twitter.com/VRighettini

Buy Blue Hour by Vicki Righettini

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MY THOUGHTS

I love books about the pioneers, especially the women, but this wasn't just about one of the many trips across the Oregon Trail.  It was about a young woman and her dreams.  She was a spinster at the young age of 26, past her time to be married.  It starts with a young woman, Emily Wainwright, who lives a life of luxury in Springfield, Illinois.  That changes. She has dreams of love and following her man to the ends of the earth, if that's what it took.  She left the life of luxury for a life of pure survival.  She never had any idea, just like she didn't have any idea of what kind of man she had married.  This was all against her parent's wishes, but she dreamed and she was bound and determined to follow that dream.  Emily was smart but quite unaware of the "real" world.   She is smart but somehow she goes and does before she clearly thinks it out.  The red flags are flying high but she doesn't see them.  Such as the man she married, Samuel.  Good looking, but not the man he is showing outwardly to Emily.  Her father see through him but that doesn't stop Emily.  Now it's done.  She is married and off on a wagon train to the Oregon Trail.  I just wanted to reach out a shake her and tell her to wake up.  This is a mistake.   Emily is strong but the trail is hard and is wearing thin on everyone.  Her husband is out for the land, not only what he can get but what his new wife can get.  She is only there for being the dutiful wife.  There is no equal footing between them.  She doesn't know about how to survive out on the trail but she slowly learns.  She has to.  The author gives you characters that have so many personalities and add to the story.  The author gives a lot of history throughout the book.  After about the first five pages, I felt like I was Emily's friend and was going off to parts unknown with her.    I believe if I had been with her, I may not have been able to control myself concerning her "less than a man husband".

She endures not only the Oregon Trail but her mean husband. She continues using her herbs that she had learned about before she set out on this journey. She helped many with those herbs.   She does survive but doesn't reach the end of the Oregon Trail.  They leave the wagon train and starts a homestead.   She thought being out on the trail was a fight for survival.  It wasn't anything like what she would face under the roof of a ruthless, hateful man.  The true man had slowly emerged.  She was married and held those vows.  Until.....

Will Emily find love, true love?  She's wanted a family, but will that ever happen? How much more can she or will she take from Samuel?  Will she even survive?   

I couldn't put this book down.  It had me running through emotions like crazy.  Sadness, happiness, frustration, love and wanting to be strong like Emily.  Any human being, man or woman would have given up long ago, but she wouldn't or should I say, couldn't let herself do that.  

This isn't your ordinary book about the pioneers.  This is about one strong, determined woman who wouldn't give up no matter what.   You have to read this book and find out what happened to Emily and Samuel after they started homesteading.  You won't be sorry!

My only complaint is that the book ended.

I was given a copy of this book from the author and  Virtual Author Book Tours and voluntarily decided to review it.

I would give this book a SOLID 5 STARS.


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