North Country Hero

Northern Lights #1

by Lois Richer

The Soldier's Homecoming  

Back home to heal, army veteran Kyle Loness can't wait to leave the town that holds such sad memories. He never expects beautiful newcomer Sara Kane to enlist his help with the town's new youth center. What does he know about helping kids? But the more time he spends with the troubled teens-and Sara-the more the jaded soldier feels his defenses crumbling. It might take Sara-and the kids-to open his guarded heart to love again. 

 

Northern Lights: On the edge of the Arctic, love awaits.

Genres: Love Inspired, Christian Romance

224 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Lois Richer made her debut in 1997 with the launch of Steeple Hill. Today, with over a dozen titles and well over half a million books in print worldwide, Richer continues to build a huge fan base through her inspirational work. Twice a finalist for the prestigious Holt Medallion — Honoring Outstanding Literary Talent — Richer has also been nominated by Romantic Times Magazine for Best Love Inspired Book of 2001. In 2002 she won second place in the Inspirational Reader's Choice Contest sponsored by the Faith, Hope and Love chapter of Romance Writers of America (RWA).

Reviews

[Brooke (i blog 4 books) · Rating 2 out of 5]

My review on i blog 4 books: http://iblog4books.blogspot.com/2013/...

My review on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/review/RFIBVIFG...

The story sounded promising with Sara's past as a foster child who suffered abuse at the hands of her foster parents and Kyle's recent injury serving in Afghanistan. The setting of a quaint little town in Manitoba, Canada was so amazing that I've added that part of Canada to my "must see" travel list! And while I certainly liked Kyle and Sara and the surrounding the Lives Under Construction group home, I found that the problems with the book prevented me from getting lost in the story.

Sara's characterization was both inconsistent and unbelievable. She alternated from being so naive that she came across as stupid (at times) to showing great wisdom and confidence. Sometimes this happened between chapters, sometimes between paragraphs. There were also things about character that were altogether unbelievable. Regardless of the circumstances of her childhood, I find it hard to believe that a 22-year-old woman doesn't know how to use a computer. Surely at some point during the five-year gap between leaving foster care, going to cooking school, and arriving in Churchill, Manitoba, she had the opportunity to use a computer, right?! Additionally, the budding romance between Kyle and Sara had a few missteps as well. In one scene, the two went from having a serious moment, to fighting, to going back home. Then at home, it was as though the fight never happened. This happened multiple times. Issues were so quickly resolved in the last few pages, that I was frustrated by the need for more ... a lot more.

I alternated between wanting to like this story and being frustrated by the pitfalls. In the end, though, the pitfalls stacked up too quickly and affected my overall enjoyment of the book. [2.5 stars]

I received a temporary e-copy of this book from the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for my fair and honest review, which I have given.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice, easy read. Kyle and Sara both have issues—he with his lack of faith after his father's sudden death; she with her past in foster care and her dream of finding her birth family someday. I really enjoyed the story and liked the setting of the boys' home. Some of the plot points happened really conveniently/easily, though, so lowered my rating. Has a good Christian message.

[Dorel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the 1st book I read by Lois Richer. I liked Sara's character. I liked Kyle's character.This book's storyline was okay. I feel this story needed more romance & a connection.

[June · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good, quick read! Kyle is a veteran who lost a leg in Afghanistan. Before he could return home his father died. So he's come home to empty out the house, sell it and figure out what to do with his pretty worthless life. He's lost all faith and hope he had in God and figures he's all on his own. Only problem is the girl who catches him as he falls down the train steps.

Sara has come to town to help her old social worker with a new project, a home for boys who need a second chance to make something of their lives. And while she's helping Laurel with that she plans on looking for her family. Instead she finds that she wants to help Kyle find his faith and a way to return to the life he knew before his accident because she's pretty sure that's where he belongs.

Looking forward to more of this series!

[Dana Leet · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing and truly deserves a much higher rating than it is given. It will have you laughing and in tears both and truly has so much depth that this author deserves much more appreciation for her work. I believe that those of you who love Christian fiction which will truly make you think about all aspects of life would love this book. It describes people with disabilities and I happened to be blind myself am definitely demonstrates that we can do anything that we put our minds to. The female character has such a beautiful personality that if you don’t love her by the end of the book I will be shocked please read this book and let’s increase the rating.

[WF · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first read of a Christian Romance. Sweet, earnest but weak.

[Ruby · Rating 2 out of 5]

started out good, then got dull. Disappointed.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Kyle, the wounded veteran who was dealing with the loss of his leg, his dad, and finding himself angry at God.....he was a very likable character. I found myself relating to his anger at God, and with his thinking he was no good for or at anything.....though not for the same reasons.

[Joni · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first of the Northern Lights series, and the introduction to the magical world of Churchill.
My favorite of the four books. A five star because of the way the author handled the hero in the story.

I read the books out of order, took a while to find the first one. It was a well rewarded search.

[Megan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't connect with the two main characters at all. Their relationship development wasn't entirely believable.

[Marvy Herrera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely story, I like that it has more that it seems. A good choice, especially for those days when you need a small gateway from real life and be encoureged in unexpected way.

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Sara and Kyle’s sweet story portraying the importance of faith.

[Carol Stanley-Snow · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book for the heart. He's an injured soldier, she's running away from....something.

A good story.

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Review of North Country Hero

4 STARS

North Country Hero is charming. The characters make you care about them. They also make you grateful for your family. This is a Christian romance so it is clean. Not preachy but Sara does appreciate and as faith in God's plan in all things. Makes you thankful for your blessings.

Sara is excited. Sara has had a lot of trials in her life. She is coming to Churchill, Manitoba on the train to work as a cook for Lives Under Construction. It is a new boy's home run by Laurel Quinn. Sara is caring quietly about others she steps in and helps. She wants to find her family. Also figure out what God's plan for her is.

Kyle Loness is just getting back from Afghanistan. He is coming home to take care of things and sell his family home. He is coming back wounded. He lost part of his leg. His father died two weeks before he was to come home. Kyle is all alone now. Kyle does not want any help he wants to be left alone. Sara plans to get him involved in the boys home and realize that he can still do many things and not be so angry at God. Too not leave his home but to appreciate all his parents have taught and loved him.

Laurel Quinn has a dream of place that will help boys in trouble. She lost her only son when he was 16 shot by a 13 year old. Who was already in the system. She has seen that boys in trouble go in the system and come out worse. She wants a place where they have a chance at a better life.

Sara has never gone to school or really been home schooled. She wants to learn everything. She steps into care for the boys. She is more than just a cook. She sees ways to help and does it.
The youth are soaking up Sara's love and cooking. They also want to learn about their new home they are mostly from the city. They love it when Kyle shares his knowledge and experiences.

It also makes you want to go visit Churchill the polar bear capital. The history and lots of things to discover and do. I would love to see the whales that close up, but not the polar bears that close.

I was given this ebook to read and in exchange was asked to give honest review of it by Netgalley.
publication: August 20th 2013 by Love Inspired Harlequin 288 pages ISBN 9780373878376


Description below taken off of Netgalley.

Back home to heal, army veteran Kyle Loness can't wait to leave the town that holds such sad memories. He never expects beautiful newcomer Sara Kane to enlist his help with the town's new youth center. What does he know about helping kids? But the more time he spends with the troubled teens—and Sara—the more the jaded soldier feels his defenses crumbling. It might take Sara—and the kids—to open his guarded heart to love again.

[Tina "IRead2Escape" · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am going to prefice this review by saying I do not normally read Christian romance. That being said I really enjoyed this book! North Country Hero offered up an array of interesting characters and a good plot. The romance portion of this book is lukewarm, at best. I'm not saying that becuase there weren't any gratuitous sex scenes. The relationship between the hero and heroine lacked a spark or even that basic connection. But, the story is sweet and if you are questioning your faith or even need that extra bump this book will surely inspire you.

Kyle Loness is coming home. He's not planning on staying, however. Home holds all the memories of his father, the touring business they ran together and all the things he can no longer do. Losing his legs in the army was bad enough, but losing his father before he could get home to say his goodbyes completely shook any faith in the greater good that he ever had.

Sara Kane has had a hard life by anyone's standards. Ripped from her family as a small child and put into foster care only to be used and abused by them. She's haunted by memories of her brother calling her name and nothing, but good memories of her family and questions of why she was taken from them. None of this, however, has shaken her faith. She feels that god will lead her to where she will best serve him and she follows him faithfully.

Sara's journey was heartwrenching, but her unyielding strength and faith was a true inspiration. I think even if you don't have religion you would find her story inspiring based on her strength and attitude, alone. Kyle is defeated and ready to give up. He seems to hate himself, but never takes it out on the friends and neighbors who try to help him. He may not always be accepting of the help, but I find it refreshing that he still used common courtesy and manners.

This book was provided to me by NetGalley.com in exchange for my honest review.

You can find this review and others at http://riverinaromantics.blogspot.com and http://tinar1121.blogspot.com

[Dora Hiers · Rating 4 out of 5]

My summary~
Reeling from an injury and angry at God, Kyle Loness is only in Churchill, Canada, to settle things after his father's death. He plans to get the house ready to sell, and get out. Sara Kane heads to Churchill to cook for Lives Under Construction, a youth center for boys. A former foster child, she has plenty of love to go around. Determined to find her biological family, she seeks out computer savvy Kyle for help.

What I liked...
I really liked Sara. Although she suffered a rough childhood, she still managed to find the good in everything and everybody. Instead of being weak and wimpy, her experience made her strong and determined. Sara showed kindness to the wounded soldier, and although Kyle tries to distance himself, her sweet, generous spirit draws him in.

At a crucial point in the book, Sara couldn't discern God's voice or the path He wanted her to take. It took being alone, really alone, for her to recognize His will. I could relate to that. When my world clamors with noise, I need that "alone" time with Him.

and not so much...
I felt the faith element tended to be a bit on the heavy side. That said, the author tackled a couple tough topics with this book, feelings of unworthiness and struggling with why bad things happen, and I thought she handled them well.

Overall...
I enjoyed North Country Hero and how the characters overcame their feelings of unworthiness and worked through their faith issues realistically. North Country Hero is definitely worth picking up for a nice, leisurely read.

Disclaimer: Sending a huge thanks to Harlequin and NetGalley for providing me with an advance review copy. The opinions expressed in this review are my own, and I received no monetary compensation.

What about you? Do you sometimes worry that you can't hear God's voice or that you missed His direction? Does it take getting alone with Him for you to discern His will?

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kyle is a war veteran who lost a leg in Afghanistan. Sara is a victim of childhood abuse who has a lot of love to give. They get to know each other while working at a new school for at-risk teenage boys. Sara tries to overcome her adversity and shows her love through cooking and serving others. Kyle is bitter because of the physical damage he has suffered, but Sara softens his heart.

I totally loved the rural Canadian setting: beluga whales, snow and ice, polar bears and Northern Lights. The boys attending the school were sweethearts (a little unbelievable for troubled teenagers, but okay). The cast of characters were likable and well-developed.

One thing I didn't like was how lost and unsure of herself Sara was. Sara's actions showed her as well-adjusted in society but the author wrote her thoughts as self-doubting at every turn. It seemed contrived.

I did like the love story and how slowly the relationship grew. I thought it was realistic for two people afraid of taking a risk on another person. Though predictable, I enjoyed the emotional push and pull until the Happily Ever After.

North Country Hero is a Love Inspired Christian Romance, so expect a lot of talk about prayer, God, faith, and the Bible. Most of it was written in naturally but there were a few hokey, Pollyanna instances. Christianity was an integral part of the plot and main character.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Hsiau Wei · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book tell the story of Kyle and Sara. Both of them met on the train to Churchilll. She to join as a cook for Lives Under Construction while Kyle heading home to take care of things and selling his family home. Kyle just back from Afghanistan and is trying to come to term with his handicapped. He lost part his leg and is an orphaned when his father died two weeks before his return from the war. He is feeling rather inferior and when he met Sara who are really optimistic and who place her faith in God’s hand, he doesnt know what to do with her. Sara doesn’t have a blessed childhood. But now, she wanted to change herself. Being raised in the foster care (whom clearly she was being abused by her foster parent), she wanted to find her family. So she seeks Kyle’s help.

I like Sarah for her positive thinking despite her abusive upbringing. She is very good in reading one person’s feeling and the way to handle them. That is the reason she is popular with the boys in the home where she works. The only thing that I find rather sceptical is her belief and faith in God which I find it rather heavy. But overall, this is a solid read for me which carries a couple of tough topics such as losing and finding back faith for God, feeling of unworthiness etc.

[Janice Sisemore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sara comes to the town of Churchill to be the cook at lives under construction, a place for troubled boys. Kyle comes home to Churchill to take care of his father's place that just passed away, actually he was coming anyway from the service after being hurt but before he got home his father passes away. Kyle helps out at the lives under construction. Kyle blames everything on God but Sara tries to convince him that things that happened in his life was not Gods doing. Sara grew up in foster homes and had a hard time at the last one. She tries to find her family. Kyle gets help thru the preacher there and after things happen to Sara she begins to blame God and then he helps her. This is the first book in the "Northern Lights" series , a very good book to start the series. A book about relationships with others and with God. Looking forward to reading the next book.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Northern Lights
Book 1

In this first book of Lois Richer's mini-series, we meet two people who have lived through some pretty rough stuff. Kyle is back home to settle his father's affairs after his father's death and to figure out what he's going to do now that he's crippled. Sara has no family and desperately seeks to find her parents who gave her up.

These are two wounded hearts who find each other and help each other deal with the pain. Sarah is so sweet as she helps Kyle deal, and Kyle helps Sarah learn that she is a woman of integrity and beauty. It's a beautiful story, and one that left me crying several times. My heart broke for both the hero and heroine. Sometimes truth is hard to deal with!

The author's description of northern Canada was beautiful. I can't imagine living in a cold, frigid place with so much nature (whales and polar bears!)

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

North Country Hero was a step out of my comfort zone. It is a faith-based story from Harlequin's Love Inspired line. While the genre is not my favorite, I can not say that this book wasn't well written. The pacing was even, the setting beautifully drawn, the dialogue strong and appropriate and the plotline of the story was good. I had a hard time connecting to the female lead. She was quite a bit broken, and it took a long time for her to evolve as a finished character. The male lead was an easy connection. This was definitely what I would categorize as a gentle read, but worthwhile none the less.
*I received my copy from NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wounded hero and a heroine "with baggage" (as she says), make a beautiful romance in a wonderful setting, but the "God dimension" was artificially incorporated in the story, sometimes forced into it. Because of this I would give the story two stars, but I really liked some details: the fragile/strong heroine or the subtle, indirect way the reader gets to know that the hero is handsome.

[Harlequin Books]

Received 4 stars @ RT Book Reviews
Miniseries: Northern Lights
Category: Inspirational Romance

[Harlequin Books]

Received 4 stars @ RT Book Reviews
Miniseries: Northern Lights
Category: Inspirational Romance

[Alisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.8