When Tomorrow Comes

Canadian West #6

by Janette Oke

Christine is recovering from a broken heart and finds solace in helping her adored brother Henry settle into married life. The "call of the North" tugs at her, making one young man's interest in her doubly attractive--but also filling her with uncertainty. Is Christine willing to give up her dreams of living in the North and let God help her choose a lifelong love?

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

388 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Janette Oke is a Canadian author known for her inspirational fiction, often set in a pioneer era and focused on female protagonists. Her debut novel, Love Comes Softly (1979), became the foundation for a successful series, followed by over 75 other novels. The first book in her Canadian West series, When Calls the Heart (1983), inspired the popular television series of the same name.
Born in Champion, Alberta, to farmers Fred and Amy (née Ruggles) Steeves during the Great Depression, Oke went on to graduate from Mountain View Bible College in Didsbury, Alberta, where she met her future husband, Edward Oke, who later became the president of the college. The couple has four children, including a daughter who has collaborated with Janette on several books.
A committed Evangelical Christian, Oke has authored numerous works exploring themes of faith. She has received various accolades for her contributions to Christian fiction, including the 1992 President's Award from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association and the 1999 CBA Life Impact Award.

Reviews

[Elentarien · Rating 2 out of 5]

While over all I LOVED the Canadian West series, I have to say this conclusion to it was just plain annoying.

Christine, while a 'nice girl', I did not find particularly remarkable as a character. There was nothing 'wrong' with her, exactly - except her obsession with the North (and this was dealt with, so I'm not complaining), but it rather felt that she moved through the entire story fairly woodenly. She didn't know what she wanted, she didn't know what to do with herself. She responded as things came up, but there was no real passion or 'life' in what she did.

I also felt the 'romance' (or lack there of) was really rushed and 'last minute'. I felt bad for the guy she met earlier in the book - who seemed like a nice guy and was willing to wait until she was ready - but she didn't even bother responding to him. Then she's moving on with someone she doesn't even really seem to care about. There was no real 'love' there, just a sort of 'well, I may as well go with it' sort of feeling.

While the story was good. . .I just felt that the main character was rather lifeless and the whole thing ended very unsatisfactorily. A disappointing end to an otherwise fabulous series.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's one a.m. and I'm pacing across the floor crying. But it's not my usual "happily every after" tears, I'm crying because the book is over and she ended up with the wrong guy. I almost wrote a review of the book right then proclaiming how terrible the book was. But I didn't. I let the book say in the back of my mind and I thought about it for a few days. I laughed at myself for getting so emotionally attached to a fictional character in 24 hours. And after a while I realized that the reason I was having so much trouble with this ending is because I needed to learn the same lesson that Christine learned. I spend my days seeking God's will, but then when I think I know what it is I claim it. I decide that that's it. And then I don't leave any more room for God's will to be something different than what I decided it was. As soon as I find something that I think agrees with God's will and my preferences I disallow the chance that God's will might be something other then my preferences. That probably made no sense to anyone but me. Anyhow, it was a good book.

[Shirley Chapel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book concludes Janette Oke’s Canadian West series. I have loved reading this series. I was a little disappointed with the ending of this series. Christine Delaney had an important decision to make that involved who she would spend the rest of her life with. Once she made that decision the story ended before I was ready to see it end. I wanted to find out how the rest of Christine’s life went. Was she happy with the choice she felt was God’s will for her life , but no, the book and the series just up and ended and that was that! I really enjoyed this book and was so caught up in the story. I will miss reading about the Delaney family. I thought it was a wonderful, inspirational and uplifting series. Every year I read one of Janette Oke’s series and I look forward to reading another one next year.

[Celestria · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was just okay. Chrissy didn't end up with the man I wanted, so that was just a disappointment, and then there was this other stuff that happened that I didn't care for and besides that, it's too modern. TAKE ME BACK TO THE RUGGED, UNTAMED NORTH WHERE THE MOUNTIES STILL HAVE THEIR HORSES 😭

[AJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

The most unsatisfactory ending to a series I could possibly imagine.

[Elizabeth Meadows · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is probably the lowest that I've ever rated a Janette Oke book and I'm only giving this rating to the abridged audio version. I couldn't remember if I'd ever read this last book in the Canadian West Series, s0 when I ran across this abridged version, thought I might as well listen to it and try to remember if I'd ever read it before. As it turns out, I don't think I ever read this, so I will need to read the whole book sometime in the future.
I'm also not a fan of this narrator when she narrates adult books. She also narrates The Boxcar Children series and I keep hearing her in those children's roles even when she is voicing adults.

[Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls) · Rating 3 out of 5]

About this book:

“Christine is recovering from a broken heart and finds solace in helping her adored brother Henry settle into married life. The "call of the North" tugs at her, making one young man's interest in her doubly attractive--but also filling her with uncertainty. Is Christine willing to give up her dreams of living in the North and let God help her choose a lifelong love?”


Series: Book #6 of the “Canadian West” series. (Book #1 review Here! Book #2 review Here! Book #3 review Here! Book #4 review Here! Book #5 review Here!) {There is a movie based on the first book of this series with the same name, plus a TV series on Hallmark about the continuation of the series, “Return to the Canadian West.” }


Spiritual Content- Many Prayers; Many talks about God, His will & being fair; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Bible reading & studies; Many Scriptures are quoted, mentioned, discussed & prayed; Mentions of those in the Bible; Church going; Hymns are sung; Christmas.


Negative Content- Minor cussing including: two forms of ‘dumb’; Mentions of war, drunks, drinking, bullets & knives (barely-above-not-detailed); A car accident & blood (barely-above-not-detailed); A mention of animals in traps.


Sexual Content- a barely-above-not-detailed kiss; Remembering a kiss (barely-above-not-detailed); Married couples kiss; Touches & Nearness (up to semi-detailed); Noticing & Blushes; Dating & Dates; Mentions of flirting; A mention of a honeymoon being romantic; A miscarriage; A man is called a dreamboat; Love, falling in love & a bit of the emotions.

-Christine Delaney
P.O.V. of Christine
Set in 1939 (I think)
254 pages

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star (and a half)
Early High School Teens- Two Stars (and a half)
Older High School Teens- Three Stars (and a half)
My personal Rating- Three Stars
Mrs. Janette Oke, I love how clean your books are, but I don’t understand this one at all.
***
What was That?! Did it serious just end like that?!
***
Okay, I’m calm now. Somewhat. First off, I’m still having a hard time picturing Elizabeth & Wynn old. It’s just plain weird.
Secondly, why did every guy that met Christine fall in love with her and become a romantic thing? Three guys! 3! I think that’s a record. And the best one wasn’t even the winner! She never talked to him again! Whaaaat?! Not cool, Chrissy, not cool. He was willing to wait for you and was so sweet about it! *sigh* I can’t really say more for fear of spoilers, but oh! I was not happy with the ending! The first four of the series was much better and I wish there wasn’t these last two…they really mess up the series. :(


Link to review:
http://booksforchristiangirls.blogspo...


*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

[Rhonda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt this book was rushed and clumsily developed. I think she wanted to satisfy the fans in the continued storyline but for me it didn't work. I was leery about the direction of the 5th and 6th books when I first started them. The HUGE gap in time really was quite annoying. I felt like I was trying to catch up to the characters the whole time. I did not like the ending at all. It was completely not what I felt Christine would have done and the character was not well suited to her. The book seemed disconnected from the core books/storyline.

[Melissa (christianbooksandcoffee) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story! We get Christine’s happy ending! Yay! Great Christian content as usual.

[Jean · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was going to give this book 5 stars, it started off really promising, the characters were great, however, I felt the end was a big let down.... I must admit I liked Laray. As to Eric... well I never really got the impression that Christine loved him, most of the time I wasn't sure she even liked him. Her deliberations the last week in seeking God's direction to me seemed to point to not being Eric and yet on the last day, she twists her thinking to be a Yes to Eric...To me this felt more like the fact that she was scared to say 'No' for a second time to a relationship, just because everyone else liked him. I felt for Laray, still patiently waiting giving her time and felt that all she had learned in the North would be wasted, after all Moses had to return to Egypt, so to me it felt like she should return to the North... this was after all what her calling constantly seemed to be....and where her happy spot was, every time she talked about the North.... So staying where she was did seem second best... without another book to see their relationship develop ...and to know if Laray finds someone else to love I can only feel disappointed with the ending to this book..... I guess to me Eric felt too much like Boyd, just a better version...but still not right for her...I feel really let down confused and upset, your suppose to feel happy at the end and content that it was also Gods will instead I feel more confused ... and troubled... after all we should not do God's will with a heavy contrite heart ...God is love after all and without love... then this relationship cannot be right.. We also have no idea why Eric liked her other than the fact that she is beautiful...such a bad ending...

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh, I really struggle to understand characters who keep banging their heads against the wall and Christine is definitely one of them. She is so back and forth about what she wants and then in the final two pages she makes a decision but it’s for a character that the reader was unable to connect to because most of the time she felt uncomfortable and awkward around him. This book wasn’t a winner for me, unfortunately.

[Abbi Debelack · Rating 3 out of 5]

I LOVED this series but was disappointed with this ending… it didn’t really flow well with the earlier books in my opinion. The connection to the mounties and the north that really held the series together wasn’t as prominent in this one.

Also super disappointed Christine didn’t end up with Laray??! I feel like that was really built up in the beginning, and that felt like a natural connection. Eric came out of no where and the relationship wasn’t developed enough to draw me in.

Additionally it was hard to not really see growth in Christine (or the other characters). In the earlier books in the series there were clear turning points in the plot that really showed the development of the character, be it Christine or Elizabeth. I feel like Christine jumped around too much in this one for her to really get connected to anything.

Overall, series was excellent, but wish I would have stopped with the fifth book instead of reading the last one.

[Annalissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not like this one as much as the others. I was hoping that the series would stay good, but the last two books just didn't fit. And especially this one. Christine, though a nice character, just doesn't seem to belong to the family to me. I'm not sure if it's because we didn't meet her until she was an adult and never saw her join the family (like we did Henry--who is a gem) but I just never felt like I knew her, or that she had a good arc. And I don't see her with the doctor. They just...don't match? I understand the message Oke seems to have been going for (giving up a dream to follow what the Lord wants you to do), but it just fell terribly flat.

[Christina DeVane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was rather disappointed in this end of the series book. Christine of course had to find a guy, and the plot kind of goes one way then completely the opposite. The end has some good things to say about God’s will which I enjoyed, but the storyline was rather lacking.

[Maygon Brack · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this series and I’m sad for it to end!! I love the characters so much!! They felt so real, as if I was in the story and know them personally!! I will miss them!! ♥️

[ValeReads Kyriosity · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just a reminder that JO's books are for light entertainment purposes only. Don't try to get your theology — technical or practical — from her. 😛

[Sherri R Sevegney · Rating 2 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed the Canadian west series and I enjoyed the idea of jumping into the future to see the offspring of the beloved characters, Elizabeth and Wynn.

I did not care for this story, or for Christine. I felt as if she left too much unfinished after she left her brother's town and then hurried into a relationship with the doctor and settled for him because her family seemed to think he was a good guy. After the build up in the beginning and all the details of her first terrible relationship, the end of her story just kind of felt limp to me.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than #5 but also left me feeling a bit unsatisfied with the conclusion.🤷‍♀️ I feel Christine made the wrong choice and it made me sad for her. She never again spoke with the most respectful man who understood her, loved her family, respected her boundaries and waited for her.....and instead chose the man who was nice enough but also didn't really ask what she wanted or cared about boundaries and controlled the narrative. Sighhhhh, Christine, did you learn nothing from the last relationship wreck??

[Maritza · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the book but was surprised with whom Christine chose....it seemed like she barely had any chemistry with the dr and I almost thought she was gonna choose the young chaplain. This is why i rated it 3 stars....Anyway I would have enjoyed an epilogue where he meets Wynn and Elizabeth or the wedding or something but I guess that's ok.....all I could think at the end was "poor Laraby! " she never did send him a note

[Lily Buhl · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wish I could say this book was a fantastic ending to the Canadian West series, but unfortunately I can't. I never was a fan of Christine, but she just isn't a very likable character. She is too obsessed with going back North and is very indecisive. The ending was awful, she ended up with a man you were introduced to in the last 30 pages :( She should have gone with Laray in my opinion. I don't recommend reading this one, it just doesn't seem to belong in this series

[Chloe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve loved the Canadian West series for a long time. (Mostly because I love the show, When Calls the Heart and decided to get into the books) The first 4 books were my favorite. I did enjoy Elizabeth’s story more than book #5 and #6 but it was nice to read the story of Elizabeth’s children and how their life worked out. Amazing series that I’ll most likely read again.

[Jennifer Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I mostly enjoyed the story, but I have to say that I am rather disappointed in the ending, especially as it is the ending of the entire series! Christine didn't end up with the man I felt she should be with, so it kind of cast a shadow over the entire book for me.

[Berna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked some aspects of this book very much but I thought one aspect of the story was such a mess 🤨

[ANNETTE · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this story was a little slow in parts. Christine seemed to be struggling with her emotions and about what guy she wanted to marry. she was a little annoying and just a weak character.
choosing the right path to do down .

[Cailee Irving]

DNF

[Hayley Ringger · Rating 5 out of 5]

“When Tomorrow Comes”, by Janette Oke, is an amazing story of a young lady and her family. Christine is trying to figure out what her purpose in life is while struggling with all of these other things that get in her way. At the beginning of the book Christine and her parents travel down to where her brother is living to attend his wedding. While there Christine meets a guy who seems to like her very much, but she doesn’t return those feelings. Christine does grow to like him, but she just isn’t ready for another relationship and leaves to go to a new city. At this new city Christine finds a job and lives with her aunt and uncle in their beautiful home. She grows to love it very much, but she would love even more to live in the north again where she grew up. While trying to figure out where she belongs Christine has to face tragedies and heartbreaks until she finally figures out the answer she has been looking for. I just have to say that this book was so awesome! I especially enjoyed the part when they were all at her brother’s wedding because it was just so beautiful and sweet. I also really liked it when Christine was trying to figure out what she should do and she would always trust her heart. Also, this book was very valuable because it teaches many lessons to young women all around from Christine and all that she had to face. Even though I thought that this book was amazing there was a part in this book that I thought was probably good in the book, but just not something that I enjoyed. I didn’t like it when an accident happened just when things were kind of looking up for Christine because it really changed the whole course of the book. Other than that part of the story, though, I thought that this book was Breathtaking and Intriguing. Also, I really loved how this book told a different story then I was expecting it to tell because that means that it was more of a surprise than some other books. Some books are really easy to tell what will happen and all of that, but this one wasn’t that easy to tell and that was really enjoyable. So, like Christine, always look on the bright side of things and get the best of each and every day because without that you would have no meaning in life.

[Sarah Brazytis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Christine once again lowered the stars on this one! There was much less Henry :( and just enough Laray to make any red-blooded girl cry with rage. If Christine wouldn't have him, couldn't the rest of us have a chance?!?!

She is finally done with the abusive and unpleasant Boyd, but when she meets a real gentleman, she can't seem to make up her mind! She goes on to more fruitless city job hunts (all the while moaning for the North), and collects an impressive array of suitors all suited to her in one way or another. First there's Laray, a RCMP member like her dad and brother, who is seriously the most considerate fellow ever - and he's looking forward to getting stationed North soon, the place she is desperate to return to. Then there's the gorgeous hunk pastor who shares not only her faith, but also her passion for helping soldiers and sailors find Christ; he even has a country boy background that meshes well with her Northern upbringing. Then there's the polished city doctor who is full of wisecracks and jokes that Christine never 'gets', and whose rich and ritzy relations make her feel nervous and insecure.

You guess who she picks. Another reviewer put it well - Eric is a saved Boyd. And I guess I hoped she would go on to bigger and better things, like a man who has more of the earthier, grittier qualities she loves in Wynn and Henry.

I will give her this much: if she would have chosen Laray only because he was a ticket North, he was better off without her. And the fact that she doesn't even seem to realize the pastor is human seems to hint that she's not really attracted to him as a man. That said, I don't really feel like she loved Eric, either. She just couldn't think of anything WRONG with him - so there we go!

[Tara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel the ending of this book was rushed and that Christine ended up with the wrong guy, based on how the story was written. The author should not have given us hope that Christine would some day reunite with Laray. Laray seemed perfect for Christine, and the story built him up to be her future love interest. It seemed like she would find her way back into his life, but no opportunity ever came....(the authors fault here).Then Laray is basically forgotten and Christine meets a new man towards the end of the book, who she has doubts about. The romance with this new man is rushed and even though he seems nice, he really didn't get much of a story line. Christine, after much prayer, decides to enter into a relationship with him and then the book ends! I feel we didn't even get a chance to feel OK with her choice, or even get to like his character. Its hard to like the ending when the main character's relationship with this man is full of doubts until the last minute. I also did not like how the book gave no epilogue about the other main characters. It would have been nice to have a conclusion mentioning Wynn and Elizabeth, to bring the book series full circle.

[LadyCalico · Rating 2 out of 5]

The last two books in this series jump 20 years from the ending of WWI to the beginnings of WWII. I read book 5 several years ago but gave it a quick re-read before moving on to this one. What was the worst thing about that book: Christine. What do you get when your next book is composed of the worst thing about your last book: When Tomorrow Comes. And Christine is more mentally deranged than ever! The Dysfunctional Dipstick's boring neurotic inner monologues are now boring psychotic inner monologues and paranoid catastrophizing. If you want to create a sympathetic heroine, an obnoxious, histrionic drama queen just will not do it. Put a fork in it and then toss it in the trashcan, this series has gone beyond a natural death to zombification. As this series moved along, it grew progressively more stale and trite, and Oke has gone from a fresh voice with stories rich in humanity to a garden variety Christian fiction machine, with generic plots, stock characters, and sacrificing the narrative on the altar of neurotic rumination, boring inner monologues, and outer sermonizing.

[Shelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book seemed to focus more on Christine than any of the other members of her family. I found her to be so indecisive in almost everything and absolutely infatuated with "The North." There weren't too many spoiler alerts in reviews, so I knew she ended up with the doctor, but had to see exactly how that played out.
It was a little annoying that she didn't even give the other guy a chance and acted like he gave her the creeps.
I almost would've rather her even end up with the chaplain than that dr character, he showed up out of nowhere and kinda felt like he discreetly forced his way in to own her or something...Because he was ready to settle down, at least the other guy had patience. The doc came across as more of a glorified Boyd.