Loving Liza Jane

Little Hickman Creek #1

by Sharlene MacLaren

When Liza Jane Merriwether rode into the town of Little Hickman Creek, her first thought was, "Oh, Lord, what have I done?" Kentucky was much different than what she was used to back East, but she knew God had led her here for a reason. Soon, the new schoolteacher is beloved by all–including Benjamin Broughton, a handsome widower with two young children. Despite his protectiveness and the fact that Ben has rescued Liza from several scrapes, her contract implicitly states that she is to have "no improper contact with the opposite sex." Liza has a lot to learn about God and His plan for her life.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, Christian, Historical, Historical Romance, Fiction

351 pages, Paperback

First published March 12, 2007

About the author

After 31 years of teaching second and fourth grades, Shar decided to say, "Bye-bye, Students!" and "Hello, Writing World!" and it's been an interesting, exciting, challenging, and inspiring adventure. One thing she knows for certain—God dropped a seed of passion for writing in her heart back in the summer of 2000, and He's been growing it ever since. She signed on with Whitaker House Publishers in early 2006 and in December of that same year released Through Every Storm, a general fiction title that finaled in the American Christian Fiction Writers Book-of-the-Year. Another general fiction title, Long Journey Home, hit shelves in 2008. (It is her pleasure to announce that both of these titles are also available in SPANISH.)

Sharlene’s beloved, bestselling “Little Hickman Creek Series” released in 2007-08. This 3-book series set in 1895 KENTUCKY won the “Road to Romance” Reviewers’ Choice Award and a third place standing in the Inspirational Readers’ Choice Contest in 2008 and 2009. Also, in 2009, her historical series, “The Daughters of Jacob Kane”, began hitting bookshelves in stores countrywide. In late summer of 2010, Tender Vow, another general fiction stand-alone, will release, and following that, a 1920s 3-book set called “River of Hope”. The first in that series, River Song, should become available in the spring of 2011. Yep, you guessed it – Shar is BUSY!!!

Shar has done numerous book-signings across the country, appeared on many national television and radio shows, and participated in countless interviews. She has been married to the love of her life since December of 1975, has two wonderful daughters and two handsome sons-in-law. The joys of her life, however, are her adorable grandchildren. Besides her involvement in music at her local church, Shar has been a speaker for the local MOPS organization, is involved in KIDS’ HOPE, USA, a mentoring program for at-risk children, counsels young women in the international APPLES OF GOLD program, and attends two bi-weekly Bible studies. She and her darling husband, Cecil, live in Spring Lake, Michigan with Peyton, their loveable collie, and Mocha, their big, lazy cat.

Reviews

[Katie (hiding in the pages) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my favorite type of book--historical, fiction, with a touch of romance.

[Trinity Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never read any of Sharlene MacLaren’s book, but I really enjoyed this first one. “Loving Liza Jane” is full of fun. Loving Liza Jane, the first installment in MacLaren's Little Hickman Creek Series. These books were written in 2007, but still are fantastic and super books to have. Suspense, loss and overall joy.
Eliza Jane Meriwether was raised by her Aunt and Uncle, but felt God calling her to a different place to live and start her life. The place she felt called to was Little Hickman Creek, Kentucky.
Eliza is a school teacher at her first assignment. In this school the children or lack of materials have already had three teachers leave.
Ben Broughton, a fascinating, good-looking widower having troubles running his farm and raise his two daughters, seven year old Lili and fifteen month-old Maggie. He is a spiritual man, who's accepted the death of his wife and not allowing his loss to make him a bitter man.
This book has lots of good clean romance, combines lots of scripture and Eliza has incredible determined character, which is really fun to read about.
ELiza Jane holds to the strict rule that a single teacher shouldn’t entertain or become friends with a bachelor and Ben needs help desperately so he looks to a mail-order bride ad. Altogether these elements really make a fantastic story.
I highly recommend this book to be one for reading and keeping in your favorites. Really loved the story and characters.

Thank you to Whitaker House for providing this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

[Loraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liza Jane Merriwether has come to Little Hickman Creek, Kentucky from Boston to serve as the school teacher at their one-room schoolhouse in 1895. Set in a small western town, Liza is straight out of teacher's college and is little prepared for small town Kentucky and some rambunctious and dangerous older students. But she falls in love with Little Hickman Creek and it's residents, almost all of her students, and especially the handsome young windower who lives next door.

This is a sweet historical romance that is filled with wonderful Biblical quotes that are woven into the story line in a beautiful and meaningful way. I picked this book to fill a challenge, but am so glad that after almost 7 years on my Kindle that I didn't miss it. I look forward to reading the rest of this sweet historical series.

[Jennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this trilogy out of order. This is the first book of the three. Liza Jane arrives in Kentucky as the new schoolhouse. She meets Ben whose wife died in childbirth 14 months ago. There’s an immediate spark and at the end of the book they do decide to get married. The book is interesting because of the one room schoolhouse. Liza has problems with some older boys, but the book has a happy ending.

[Janell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully written Christian Story. Most Christian love stories are predictable but I think there are many lessons concerning Gods love and His devotion to us which are portrayed in each story. I have learned different Godly ways to handle different circumstances through reading these books. These are books parents should introduce to their children especially girls. To show pride in yourself and honor your body by keeping it pure for marriage is very special and to allow God to guide you in your life leads to so much more happiness.

[Angel **Book Junkie** · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Three Star Read for Me.
This was a typical christian romance about a lady who travels to become a teacher for some bad kids. The kids turn out to be good and love the teacher. That is all...

On a side note while it was a three star read for me..The author herself deserves 5 because her writing skills are impecable.

[Lark · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read another historical fiction christian romance (June was a really stressful month, ok?). This book was the same exact story line as "Christy" by Catherine Marshall only not as well executed. But it was a great read for me at the time.

[Carol Preston · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great read, really enjoyed this story

[SK · Rating 3 out of 5]

Twenty-one-year-old Eliza Jane Merriweather, known as Liza Jane rode into the town of Little Hickman Creek after a grueling, dirty, dusty, hot, and bumpy trip toward her God-directed destination. The train trip was eye-opening, but the open rig ride pulled by a team of draft horses was body-crushing. She clings to the knowledge that God called her to Kentucky, after all she was called to teacher. Upon her first sight of Little Hickman Creek, her worst fears are confirmed, this was indeed “an uncivilized place” as Aunt Hettie said.
Liza Jane had requested that she not be required to “live-in,” but on her arrival, she finds her lodgings are not ready. This sets the stage for her meeting Ben Broughton, a widow with two children seven-year-old Lili and fifteen-month-old Maggie. Ben “promised” his grands old house, as well as repairs to that house. For me, the child Lili really pulls you into the story. It was easy sympathize with the Broughton family’s struggles (farm, home, children). LJ is also draw to the family, but that brings conflict because of the no fraternization with the opposite sex in her contract. Ben feels he needs help if he is to take care of his family and his farm. He prays for answers, but then after seeing an ad for “Christian mail-order brides,” writes requesting a bride. Jon, the soon to be pastor and his best friend questions the wisdom of seeking a “mail-order bride. Liza also is dubious about the rightness of seeking out a bride that Ben has never met. This sets up future conflicts.
Liza Jane experiences the normal struggles of a beginning teacher, which are exacerbated because of the one-room-school situation. She appears to be gaining the trust of all except for two notoriously hostile students, one of which puts her in danger more than once. You have a number of “cross-purpose” incidents between Liza Jane, Ben, and Jon.
This book started very slow for me and did not pick up at all until I was at least 20% into the book. Although I found the Broughton family appealing, the book continued to drag at times, as well as being rather predictable as to how the story would evolve. This book was just a 3.5 for me and I do not see it compelling enough to re-read.

[Jessi Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I honestly thought this book would be pretty boring, and there were moments where it was, but the love story in this book totally captured my heart strings! I cried and gasped at the situations that came up in this book. I loved the Christian embellishments the writer put into the book, and the faith of the characters is so moving. I loved this book more than I thought I would. Beautifully written for its time and I will definitely look into more ofSharlene MacLaren’s work!

[Aria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t ever read Christian books as an adult, but this is a delightful, cute read with a well-rounded little town that is slightly predictable but a nice break from serious reading. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters’ interactions and would recommend it to anyone who is a religious Christian or people who don’t mind the religious additions and just like the innocent romance aspect of certain books.

[Jodi Woody · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one had been hanging out on my kindle for literally years. It was a good, clean, romance. I enjoyed it and will probably end up finishing the Little Hickman Creek series. I give it four stars. No swearing or sexual content, there is two violent scenes, though nothing graphic. I can recommend for teens and up.

[Phylisha Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of a three part series. They worked well together and I enjoyed all three books! NOTE: Single women had a rough row to hoe during that time frame. Womens options were to get married, teach, remain single, create their own buisiness or go into the oldest profession. I recomend these books because they make you think!

[Shaun Hammonds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivating to the end!

It’s been years since a book took me captive and held me to the very end! Loving Liza Jane is a wonderful story of Love and patience wrapped in God’s promises and grace.

[Dona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Glad I was able to get the first book of the series to see how these great stories all wove togethere

[annabelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

**3.75 STARS
A fairly good Christian fiction read. I plan on buying the other two books in the series so I can continue on with this series.

[Jenn H · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Nancy Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was repetitive but I cared about the characters and their story.

[Lys Schrader · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a sweet little love story. It was a simple and lighthearted read and I enjoyed it.

[Lisa Downard · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a sweet, fun, exciting story...of something different...

This book dovetails nicely into the next book in the trilogy...

GREAT story!!!

[Delia · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Liza Jane Merriwether takes on the teaching post in Little Hickman Creek, Kentucky, she has no idea what she's getting into. Her first sight of the ramshackle little town is almost enough to send her hightailing it back home. But despite her youth, beauty, and diminutive stature - she's physically smaller and not much older than some of her students - Liza Jane is determined, headstrong and feisty. She came to Little Hickman to teach, and teach she will.

Widower Ben Broughton struggles to keep his farm going while raising two young children alone. In addition, he's promised to fix up his late grandfather's old cabin for the new teacher. When she arrives to find that task undone, Ben is promptly introduced to the spitfire side of the young schoolmarm.

Liza quickly settles into her newly refurbished cabin and her position. Despite social and economic problems that adversely affect some of her pupils, she quickly gains their trust and respect through a process of trial-and-error and a trail of pitfalls, mistakes, and hard won successes.

Meanwhile, Ben despairs of being a single father and orders a mail-order bride, only to find himself falling hard for the feisty school teacher who has already captured the heart of his seven-year-old daughter. When Liza appears to take an interest in the young minister who is Ben's close friend, he discovers just how much he cares. Can he find a way to win her? And what will he do when the bride he ordered arrives on the scene?

Loving Liza Jane is the first of Sharlene MacLaren's Little Hickman Creek series. The book is a genuine treat. It's witty, fun, passionate and heartwarming, all in one well-crafted bundle, with a town full of characters real enough to walk off the page. Certain of them have stories just aching to be told. Bring it on, Shar! Next stop, Little Hickman, Kentucky ...

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eliza Jane Merriwether is excited about her new job as a schoolteacher in Little Hickman Creek, Kentucky. But when she first rides into the tiny, dirty town, she can't help but second guess her decision to relocate. Firmly believing that God wants her there, the little firecracker warms the heart of even the hardest citizen.

Benjamin Broughton is a widower raising two daughters alone, and not doing so well at it, to his thinking. He feels he's failing at raising his girls, and the thought that if he only had a wife to help him comes to mind daily. When the new schoolteacher moves in to his grandfather's house on his property, he keeps an eye on her - simply being a good neighbor. But when his feelings for her become more than neighborly, will the mail order bride he ordered take obligatory precedence in his emotions, or will Liza be the future Mrs. Broughton?

Liza showed remarkable gumption when she learned the town ran off three teachers in as many years, but she stuck to her guns, and her faith even when it seemed like coming, (and staying) seemed like the worst decision possible. The characters really stick with you, and makes you want to know more about each one of them. A very interesting story that kept my interest from the first page.

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liza is the new teacher for Little Hickman, the fourth one in four years. Each one being made to leave due to the actions of some of the students. She doesn't have fear because she is confident that she will succeed where the others hadn't. There are some rules of etiquette Liza must follow,one of those are no contact with the opposite sex.

Ben is a widow, with two small children to look after. He is in need of a wife to take care of these young children of his so he can tend to his fields and other work. When he sees an advertising for mail order brides he wonders if this is something he should go for. But would he be able to marry some he doesn't even know or met? And does he want to now that the pretty new school teacher has caught his eye?


This story has much more between the pages then the blurb lets up. The banter between Liza and Ben is great, he is rather a charming fellow. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the trilogy.

[Elizabeth Huss · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I've read from author Sharlene MacLaren. I really enjoyed the setting of a small town in Kentucky, in the late nineteenth century. The main characters Liza and Ben were clearly described and I could picture them very easily as I read. I appreciated the Bible verses scattered throughout the book as well as the humor of the characters. If you're worried about a 'preachy' tone--this book doesn't have that.

If you're looking for a pleasant read with characters who are dealing with issues that people have been dealing with since time immemorial, then this novel would likely appeal to you. This is the first book in MacLaren's Little Hickman Creek series. The second one picks up right after the action ends in the first. Searching for a wholesome escape? Little Hickman Creek, KY is a welcoming place to visit.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a fast read. I liked that it was edifying. It did not have trash which I don't like in novels and hence why I read Christian novels that are safe from trash. Sometimes there is hell, fire and damnation in these books which I do not like. This one talked mildly about God to give encouragement for those who believe in faith, prayer, etc.

[Cathy Caffas kowalkowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sharlene MacLaren is one of my favorite authors. She has taken genres that have normally turned me off (Historical fiction AND Christian romance) and revolutionized them for me. The characters of that genre are usually contrived and dry but hers are genuine and substantial. Her books have themes like classic literature. Real life lessons that are deep and meaty, not simple and juvenile.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would give this book 3 1/2 stars if I could. It was light at sweet. I wish the author had gone deeper into the characters' psyche, which is why I gave it 3 stars. For example, the character of Clement remains one-dimensional throughout the story.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Light, fun reading. I was edified by the Christian themes in this book, and loved the historical, one-roomed schoolhouse connection to teaching. Now I'm off to read the second book in this series because I've grown to care about these characters.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last three teachers lasted only a year. Will Liza Jane be different? This was an absolutely delightful story, filled with memorable characters and descriptions that brought rural Kentucky to life. I'm so glad there are more books in the series.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is not very well-written or historically accurate. Features a Girl Ahead of Her Time™, complete with overalls and pants. Also, the main characters have serious issues in the way they discern God's Will. 2 1/2 stars.