Love Finds You in Victory Heights, Washington

Finding Love #2

by Tricia Goyer

After losing her fiance in the war, Rosalie throws herself into her riveting work at the local Boeing plant. When a handsome reporter dubs her "Seattle's Own Rosie the Riveter," she finds herself a reluctant national hero. Fear of a second heartbreak is a powerful opponent...but will it claim victory over love?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction, Romance, Christian, Historical, World War II, Fiction

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Tricia Goyer is a busy mom of ten, grandmother of two, and wife to John. Somewhere around the hustle and bustle of family life, she manages to find the time to write fictional tales delighting and entertaining readers and non-fiction titles offering encouragement and hope. A bestselling author, Tricia has published thirty-three books to date and has written more than 500 articles. She is a two time Carol Award winner, as well as a Christy and ECPA Award Nominee. In 2010, she was selected as one of the Top 20 Moms to Follow on Twitter by SheKnows.com. Tricia is also on the blogging team at MomLifeToday.com, TheBetterMom.com and other homeschooling and Christian sites.In addition to her roles as mom, wife and author, Tricia volunteers around her community and mentors teen moms. She is the founder of Hope Pregnancy Ministries in Northwestern Montana, and she currently leads a Teen MOPS Group in Little Rock, AR. Learn more about Tricia at www.triciagoyer.com.

Reviews

[Faith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit slow in the middle (in my opinion xD), but really good through the last 1/3–1/4.

[Margaret Chind]

Can I say it again? Summerside Press is awesome and at it again. So far almost every Christian Historical that I have read from these guys has just about sucked me in until I was able to accomplish the whirlwind of reading through another romantic adventure (even with the AppleBlossom distractions). Last year or so I was suppose to review Love Finds You in Lonesome Prairie, Montana but it never arrived and I was pretty close to devestated as far as book expectations go. So when Love Finds You in Victory Heights, Washington came around also from Tricia and Ocieanna I was ecstatic!

Let me tell you first how much I love the cover. It just tells so much of the story right there. During World War II, life in America was different for women than it had ever been and this is a great fun and loving read for such a hard time period. The characters flow off the pages and make this an enjoyable end of summer read or for anytime.

Getting engaged is a difficult enough decision, and then with your heart unsure and sending a man off to war... It's a question I always wondered how it could be portrayed in a story and it was a great story. Rosalie is "Rosie" of the time and quite an inspiration. The language of the time and place are fascinating and this book is a great one to fall into the pages of as a journey for a little escape.

*Thanks to Litfuse Publicity Group for providing a copy for review.*

[⚜️XAR the Bookwyrm · Rating 2 out of 5]

I entered into reading this with a bit of trepidation, as Ms. Goyer's works have been hit or miss for me. Sadly, this was yet another miss.

I found the book to be slow moving, even though it was written about a time in history that I enjoy learning more about. I really had to force myself to sit down and read it. Connecting to the characters was also difficult, though they had no trouble evoking emotional responses from me! Often times, I wanted to smack a character around for the way they acted! More often than not, I felt that Rosalie and Kenny were too immature to be together.

The book suffers from a lack of consistent language, as well. One chapter is heavily laden with 40s lingo, and the next it only has a few words where appropriate. It served as a distraction for me.

Several times, I had to stop and shake my head at the implausible things that the characters did, and how there seemed to be no consequences for anyone's actions. While there was a strong religious theme throughout this story, it seemed to be the only consistent thing.

All in all, I rounded up from a 1.5 star rating due to the setting and concept of the book. It's not often that I've encountered a book for WWII set around Rosie the Riveter, the Boeing plant in Washington, or the staging area in the Northern Pacific. That alone made it unique for me, and worth a slightly higher rating. That being said, this book is being deleted from my Kindle Library, as I can't see myself re-reading it.

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

3. 5 stars

Summerside Press publishes some great faith-based romances and Tricia Goyer and Ocieanna Fleiss are two terrific authors I've been introduced to through Summeride's Love Finds You collection. Their second collaboration, Love Finds You in Victory Heights, Washington, is a great addition to any Christian romance lovers library. Not only is the cover beautiful but the story as well.

Personally, I've always loved those iconic WWII posters featuring Rosie the Riveter and I loved that the authors made Rosalie, the heroine of this story, the "Rosie" of Seattle. She was a hard workin,' no nonsense, kinda gal if a bit on the shy side. And that Kenny, *sigh* what a dreamboat! Without giving too much away I'll just say he makes the ending of this story.

While this book didn't include a whole lot of drama or anything unpredictable between the characters, I still really enjoyed it. I especially loved that the dialogue between characters was authentic to the 1940s. You don't hear "doll" and "sweets" used much these days! Tricia and Ocieanna did a good job with this one. It will be interesting to see what they come up with next!

*CHRISTIAN FICTION*

*I received my complimentary review copy through Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for posting my honest review.*

[Loraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

SUMMARY: After losing her fiance in the war, Rosalie throws herself into her riveting work at the local Boeing plant. When a handsome reporter dubs her "Seattle's Own Rosie the Riveter," she finds herself a reluctant national hero. Fear of a second heartbreak is a powerful opponent...but will it claim victory over love?

REVIEW: Another enjoyable LFY historical fiction novel. Set during WWII, it depicts the fun, patriotism, heartbreak and sorrow of the WWII era. Once again Goyer & Fleiss have collaborated with excellent historical resarch, a good storyline and great characters. The aptly fitting "slang" from this time period along with the war time work and activities made this a quick, enjoyable read. A nice tribute to those who supported the troops at home.

FAVORITE QUOTES: "But you know, when you lash out, it reveals more than momentary frustration. I'm guessin' there's a deep hurt that makes you blow up at your loved ones. And, honey, the Bible says the root of all self-centered anger is sin."

"I'm more thankful for the way God's love has flowed through the things and people He's brought into my life. And as for the hard stuff, I have more of a peace about those things than I used to. Life is hard, but I'm thankful we have a strong God to turn to."

[Carly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love historical novels set during World War II and I love the writing team of Tricia Goyer and Ocieanna Fleiss. And of course, you can’t go wrong with a Love Finds You story. All these factors come together to make for a story that took me back to a time and place when the world was in turmoil, but life in America was simpler and patriotism was strong. Rosalie was a strong and loyal woman dealing with the death of her fiancé on the battlefield and Kenny was a man seeking his purpose, a man with secrets of his own. Both of these characters were easy to like and their chemistry felt natural. The authors did a fantastic job with that. The romance never felt forced or fake.

This book also had a lot of humor and light moments that you would expect in everyday life. I really enjoyed the balance of romance, humor, and historical accuracy. This book had a charm about it that stayed with me even after I finished reading it. I really enjoyed everything about this book and I highly recommend it to romance fans and historical fans. This writing team knows how to write a story that will appeal to a variety of readers.

[Sarah Sundin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is sweet, the romance charming, and the supporting characters are a kick. Wartime Seattle, especially the neighborhood of Victory Heights, comes to life, and I seriously want to take swing-dancing lessons after reading about Kenny and Rosalie jitterbugging at the Igloo. I'm impressed with Tricia and Ocieanna's ability to tell a good story, supported but never overpowered by solid research. This story was a lot of fun.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my favorite read. The concept was good, but the writing was awful and peppered with so much 40's slang as to be laughable. I've watched movies from that time period - people didn't talk like that! Good message but lost in a sea of confusion. Not worth reading

[Suzanne Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Likeable characters. Author obviously did a lot of research on the subject. Enjoyable plot, but a bit too much time is taken with the main characters faults. Characters thoughts are a bit unnatural to what I think normal people in love would do. Still, I wanted to know how it ended.

[Trisha · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the time setting of this book and the idea behind it. But after a while I had to make myself pick it up. It was blah.

[Ellen White · Rating 4 out of 5]

An in-depth look at the women working at the assemble line at Boeing. The love one off to fight the war, were fathers, brothers, husbands and other loved ones. They rode a bus to work, the plant was noisy. A night out wasn’t often or even time to sit and chat. An unexpected meeting with a reporter, Kenny, and his article about Rosie the riveter was an enduring touch to this story, A very touching story of what those days were like.

[Melissa A Comer · Rating 2 out of 5]

A wholesome love story set in Seattle during the early 1940's when home front patriotism ran high. The setting and time frame appears well researched. It is a trip down memory lane and especially nostalgic if the reader knows the area and experienced the era, as well. Such a reader can forgive the fact that the book is not a literary gem.

[Judine Brey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Given its WWII setting, this romance hit many right notes. Rosalie's confusion over not being able to really love her best friend/fiancé made her on-going guilt ring true. It was a nice counter balance to Kenny's misplaced desire to make his father proud. The one character who didn't get properly fleshed out was Lanie. I vacillated between thinking she was manipulative and just plain stupid.

[Kirsty Pearce · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had hopes for this book, and while it was entertaining in certain sections, over all I felt underwhelmed, and only got about halfway through

[Danni · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was a fictional story about Rosie the Rivetor from world war II. I really enjoyed it heard about it from a pod cast.

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story about a Rosie the riviter working in Boeing's Seattle plant during WWII, finding her true relationship with God and the new man in her life.

[M · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just okay.

[Samantha Cornwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even with my love for the 1930s and 40s history, this book was a little slow for me, but I plunged through. It was a good book overall.

[Cadee · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Interesting, learning history in this book. I loved it!" -Cadee, age 13

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book!

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ooh, this was a fun one! Loving the home front trend and it was especially fun to read a book about a riveter.

[A B Rhoads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't normally don't read love stories, but this book is fantastic! I love anything about the 1940s era, that's what sold me on this books.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rosalie’s childhood dream was falling in love and having the kind of marriage and family her father, a reporter whose work consumed his life, could never seem to give his own family. When war comes and Rosalie’s brother dies at Pearl Harbor, she decides that her best friend, Vic, would make a good husband. But she puts off marrying him until his return, hoping to convince herself that she loves him enough. However, Vic never comes home, and consumed with guilt over promising to marry a man good man she never really loved, Rosalie loses herself in her work as a riveter at the local Boeing plant. Surely her valuable wartime work will help atone for the shame she carries over not being able to give Vic the love he deserved. When a chance meeting with Kenny, a dashing reporter, thrusts her into an unwelcome spotlight as a poster girl for women working to support the war effort – and possibly Kenny’s ticket to the big time, Rosie must decide if she can come to terms with her past and look beyond her fears long enough to risk a future with a reporter who seems to treasure her every word. Can she trust a story seeker, or will her scars keep her heart bound by guilt?

Love Finds You in Victory Heights is a seamless collaborative effort between authors Tricia Goyer and Ocieanna Fleiss. I’ve been a longtime fan of Goyer’s World War II novels, and was excited to see how this new, co-authored effort set on the homefront would unfold. This book is so chock-full of 1940s atmosphere and mannerisms that at times I felt like I was watching an old black and white film play out in my imagination as I read the story (and being a classic film fan, I LOVED that!). The world-crafting in this novel is superb. The authors do an excellent job bringing every aspect Rosalie and Kenny’s world to vivid life, from the sounds and atmosphere encountered at the Boeing plant to the excitement of a war bond rally graced with the presence of movie stars, along with liberal descriptions of the fabulous music that served as the soundtrack to the time. Every detail, from the setting descriptions to the clothes to the food unfolds with precise, rich detail that fully immerses the reader in 1943 Seattle. In that respect Victory Heights is like a nostalgic love letter to a time long past, a time capsule of an era when patriotism ran high and “dolls” like Rosalie couldn’t wait to get off work and cut a rug with a fella like Kenny.

The romance that develops between Kenny and Rosalie is the heart of the novel, and I loved watching their relationship develop from the moment sparks flew at their first meeting. Kenny is a great hero and his point-of-view is particularly well-drawn. We get an insider’s glimpse into his view of Rosalie (so romantic!), and I thought his struggle to reconcile his desire for affirmation and advancement in his career with his faith was quite realistic. Rosalie occasionally frustrated me. I loved her strength and how she embodied the character of a generation of women who left their homes and took on “men’s work” in order to support their country. These women were trailblazers, and Goyer and Fleiss have crafted a loving tribute of thanks to these women for their courage with this novel. But Rosalie’s “mood swings” as regards Kenny was occasionally frustrating and her faith journey felt a little rushed. More time to develop that would have been welcome. I also wish there’d been more time to resolve Rosalie’s conflict with Lanie- that reconciliation felt completely glossed over. But those issues didn’t detract from my overall appreciation of the novel. The authors deserve major kudos for creating a cast of characters who are pitch-perfect true to the time period. The dialogue is peppered with 1940s slang that adds authenticity and fun, and the attitudes and faith of all the characters populating Victory Heights ring true to the time period. If, like me, you love this history, Love Finds You in Victory Heights is the perfect cure to satisfy your nostalgic longing for the 1940s with a healthy dash of swoon-worthy romance. Here’s hoping for future Goyer and Fleiss collaborations like this one!

[Rachel Brand · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm debating between a 3 and a 3.5 on this book. I found it really slow moving and didn't feel like I really got pulled into the book until the end. While I was smiling by the end of the book and pleased for Rosalie and Kenny, I wasn't as invested in their story as I would have liked. The issues keeping them apart were pretty small, and didn't totally convince me. I came to appreciate Kenny's personal issues more so at the end of the book, but I wished I'd known more about Rosalie's upbringing and why she distrusted reporters so much. There were so many hints dropped about her dad but not a lot of details.

While I love reading books set during WWII and think it's a fascinating period to study, I'm a pacifist in many ways, and this book really delved quite heavily into patriotism and WWII propaganda. I don't mind books that tell the truth of the war, but this book focused a lot on how brilliant war work was and all the excitement of helping out with drives for war supplies and carpooling. There was a hint of the difficulties woman had in taking on men's jobs, and of the struggles of ambulance crews, but that was about it. As a historian, I know it was a lot harder than this book put across (in fact, I've done a lot of research into the difficulties women had in the 1950s as a result of changes in the war), which made this book feel just a little bit too fluffy for my liking. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a lot of the details are accurate, from dance moves to locations in Seattle to Rosalie's job, but an incredibly upbeat and optimistic novel for one set during wartime. Kind of like watching Millions Like Us.

I became a fan of Tricia Goyer thanks to her Big Sky Amish series, and have praised her ability to realistically blend her characters' spiritual journeys into her novels. Unfortunately, I didn't feel the same about this book, although possibly that's because it's co-written. I honestly found the book a little preachy in places, with all the mentions of characters praying together, reading the Bible, etc. I sincerely love to connect with characters over genuine spiritual struggles, but these references felt thrown in to make the book seem more Christian, especially the one at the end of the book about how two secondary characters were postponing their wedding until they found out what the Bible said about marriage. It just felt forced in places.

Ultimately, this is a feel-good read. Don't go into it expecting an epic historical novel. If you're a fan of historical romances and need a beach read, this would be a good choice. I was pleased with the ending and enjoyed a lot of the historical details surrounding Seattle in this period, but I also found it easy to put this book down and do something else. Definitely a lighter historical novel. I've found a lot of the Love Finds You books to be along this vein.

I still can't decide on my rating for this book. I liked this book, but not as much as I'd hoped. I think it's a 3* for now.

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rosalie sends her fiance off the war in a plane named after her to keep him safe and is heartbroken and a little gun-shy of relationships when his plane was shot down. She has her own secret regrets as well about their relationship, secrets she hopes no one ever finds out! On her way to work from the memorial, one year later, her life changes when someone spills a coke on her. A reporter, no less, which she shares no small amount of animosity towards simply because of his profession. Their lives inter-connect in many ways she never dreamed after that day and she is forced to confront many of her secrets, rather than just drowning them in hard work. She works as a highly skilled “Rosie the Riveter”, and this book goes into some details in true Goyer fashion, giving us much of the history of the factories and the work the women did there. I would have loved a couple of pictures in the back, there were a couple really tiny ones in the book of real women. It made me want to go look up the real pictures and see the real ones.

This book is a romance, but not a sappy one, it dips into a historical time period of ration cards, war heroes and war brides, but it really shows and highlights many of the heroes that were at home, working behind the scenes. My grandmother was one of those women as she was a tool designer that drew the plans for many of the tools the women used the factories to put together the planes and other things used in the war. This book is a little more than a romance, it is a tribute to those heroes and heroines who though it has been many years ago, reminds us of what they went through for us.

I throughly enjoyed every page of this book and savored it until the end. One of my favorite parts was when one of the girls is talking about driving in a car all alone and Aunt Tilly says that by wasting all that fuel on just herself, she is taking the fuel right out of the boys planes overseas….and she may as well have Hitler riding next to her on the seat. That is paraphrased, of course, but I laughed, because I wonder what so many people would say to that now…

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: LOVE FINDS YOU IN VICTORY HEIGHTS, WASHINGTON
Author: Tricia Goyer & Ocieanna Fleiss
Publisher: Summerside Press
August 2010
ISBN: 978-1-60936-000-9
Genre: Inspirational/historical


Rosalie Madison was engaged to marry her best friend, Vic, but she didn’t want to marry him before he went off to war. Vic promised to come back in April to marry her, but Rosalie wasn’t certain she really loved him enough to commit—and so she sent Vic off to war without telling him she loved him. And Vic never returned. Instead, he became a casualty of war.

Kenny Davenport is supposed to write about the celebrity visiting Seattle, and get a picture of her coming on stage. But not watching where he is going, Kenny ran into a woman and an officer, spilling coke on them. The woman gets into his face, and the next thing Kenny knows, he and this woman, Rosalie, are on stage being introduced as love-birds.

Kenny likes Rosalie, but his boss wants him to interview her, when he learns she’s a riveter at the factory. Rosalie refuses, not wanting to be known as Rosie the Riveter—but even more than that, she doesn’t respect reporters. But it comes down to trust Kenny enough to let him do his job, or Kenny won’t have a job to do. What will it take for Rosalie to trust Kenny with her heart?

LOVE FINDS YOU IN VICTORY HEIGHTS, WASHINGTON is set during World War II. My mom used to work in an airplane factory doing the same job that Rosalie did, and a lot of the things my mom told me were very similar to what is in this book, from the activities to the work.

I enjoyed reading about Rosalie and Kenny. I did find the slang a bit hard to get used to in a book, but it is realistic for that time period. I hoped Kenny would be able to achieve his dreams. There were some things in the book I didn’t care much about, and some parts of the book I skimmed through, but for the most part I loved reading LOVE FINDS YOU IN VICTORY HEIGHTS, WASHINGTON. I also enjoyed reading the blurb at the front of the book telling about this real life suburb of Seattle. $13.99. 344 pages.

[Christy Trever · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Finds You in Victory Heights, Washington by Tricia Goyer and Ocieanna Fleiss is a poignant WWII romance. Rosalie Madison's fiance was killed in the war, so she throws herself into helping build the fast B-17 planes to help dull the pain and to hide her secret that she wasn't truly in love with the young man. When Kenny Davenport bumps into her, literally, she is incensed at the newspaper writer's seeming rudeness. Her anger quickly turns to embarrassment when the two are labeled "lovebirds" by the newspaper. Dancing with him that night softens her heart, but when he asks her for an interview, she turns on him again, making the poor man's head spin. But he just can't get her out of his head, especially when his editor assigns him to write an article about the young woman. Both Kenny and Rosalie have past heartbreaks that make them misinterpret and misunderstand each other, but their chemistry is something that just cannot be denied. The authors do an amazing job of bringing WWII Seattle to life with lots of slang, as well as the problems the characters face in day-to-day life. From prejudice on the job, to worry over every newspaper article to the nightclubs where everyone dances as if there's no tomorrow, the reader is pulled into this world and just may never want to leave.

[Jacque Stengel · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Rosalie fiancee failed to return from WW2, she was sad, but also relieved. She wasn't sure she loved him enough to commit. In a strange twist of coincidences she meets one man she that turns her stomach because of his profession, a reporter by the name of Kenny Davenport. Not trusting the true side of Kenny, Rosalie is sure to avoid becoming Rosie the Riveter at all costs. But will it cost her true love as well and can she get over the grief of knowing she never told Vic the truth?

This is definitely historical romance at its best! This particular series (the postcard, Love Finds You) started last year and has current and historical stories. This one is by far my favorite. This era of our history seemed to come alive under the penmanship of Ms. Goyer and Ms. Fleiss. Even if you have no idea what our women went through in the states during that era, this book will teach you. The research that must have went on in this book is amazing.
The authors do have a contest on their website that I stumbled across. Visit Tricia Goyer's site and enter to win Rosie stuff and to meet one of the authors.


I would let my 10 year old read it (well, if she liked those mushy love stories).

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love, love, love to read historical fiction and WWII is one of my favorite periods but except for one that I don't want to give away, I was already familiar with them. Maybe I have read too many Rosy the Riveter type books. But I don’t have an argument with that.

What I didn’t like is that this book had a superficial handling of several different controversial issues. Different topics that would have been fascinating were brought up and dropped. Also I didn’t really feel comfortable with the main character. She was seemed so wrapped up in herself that she came off sort of mean several times. There was too much emphasis on her religious turmoil’s for me. Other people might like that but for me, it is distracting from the story. The story flowed smoothly until there was a religious problem which popped into the story like a commercial.

What I did like was the great sense of humor, I laughed aloud several times while reading. I also loved her friends like Birdie who seemed to have so much more common sense and wisdom than Rosalie the main character. This book was very readable; I just wasn’t the right audience for it.

[Chrissy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a historical novel that takes place during World War II. It's about a woman dealing with the death of her fiance who died fighting in the war. She tries to hide her hurt and feelings behind her work building war plains at Boeing. Rosalie meets a hansom reporter named Kenny and her feelings start to flair. Will she let love back in or will she chose to not let hurt in again.

I enjoyed reading this book. The historical details in this book really takes you back to the World War II era. All thou some parts were stretched out for me I still really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone. I love a good historical romance novel and this one proves to be a good one.

* I have been provided a complimentary copy of Love Finds You In Victory Heights for review from LitFuse. By receiving a complimentary copy it in no way obligates me to write a good or bad review. I am an honest reviewer and my reviews are based on my own opinion and only written by me.*