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Wisconsin Brides
Lonely in Longtree
Tired of being alone, Marva Obermeier places a very business-like personal advertisement in an 1891 Wisconsin newspaper. She signs her ad "Lonely in Longtree," as that best describes her. She is pleased when "Lucky in Lakeland" replies and thus begins a two-year correspondence. Monte Van Huysen enjoys communicating with "Lonely in Longtree" and would like to know her better, but his past makes him hesitant to be completely honest with her. When mistaken identity and misunderstanding tie their relationship in knots, can love unravel the truth and unite their hearts? Will God deliver Marva from being lonely in Longtree?
176 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 10, 2007
27 people want to read
About the author
Jill Stengl
31 books43 followersJill Stengl is the author of numerous romance novels including Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award- and Carol Award-winning Faithful Traitor, and the bestselling novella, Fresh Highland Heir. She lives with her husband in the beautiful Northwoods of Wisconsin, where she enjoys her three cats, teaching a high school English Lit. class, playing keyboard for her church family, and sipping coffee on the deck as she brainstorms for her next novel.
Jill is is the mother to Anne Elisabeth Stengl
Jill is is the mother to Anne Elisabeth Stengl
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 27, 2024
I *LOVED* this book, but not for reasons that the writer or any christchun reviewers would appreciate.
What do I mean? There was once a TV show called 'Firefly'. It's... graphic, violent, hilariously funny, whimsical and absolutely marvelous. It's a sort of Western show that takes place in the future... in outer space. The-Earth-That-Was can't hold the numbers of humans, so they 'terra form' other planets to be like Earth, and send 'settlers' out on them, and the people live 1870s style... that or fly around in spaceships doing jobs for the folk on the planets (getting meds, bringing goods, STEALING goods, etc.) It's about a good hearted crew that - in order to be independent from the overreaching and crooked government - have to sneak around in their ship under the radar, doing jobs that might not 'xactly be on the up-n-up, y'might say.
The show had two episodes about a woman called Yolanda/Saffron/Bridget (<< or whatever name she felt like using in her current crime, which usually involved marrying a good man and swindling him). The first episode with her in it was 'Our Mrs. Reynolds', and the second was 'Trash'. In the first one, she marries Mal (the series' main character) and nearly fries the entire crew of the Firefly, trying to steal their spaceship.
In the second episode, 'Yo/Saf/Bridge' marries Monte - a buddy of Mal's who is an enormous, loveable, funny, sweet, and backwoodsy guy with a moustache and a few years on him. Luckily Mal sees her, fights her, and saves Monte's hide before he's... well stripped as bare nekkid as Mal ends up when he has compassion on her and takes her on his ship, again. And gets nearly swindled. Again.
But for as short a time as he's on the show, E.V.E.R.Y.O.N.E loves Monte.
He's hilarious, boisterous, and someone we wanted to see more of.
Had the show made it more than twelve episodes. ((sigh.))
To my mind? THIS BOOK is Monte's story, after he gives up flyin' around on spaceships and settles down to have a real life, one without the craziness of 'rustlin' with criminals out in the wilderness. I couldn't NOT see 'Firefly's Monte whilst reading this, and it tickled THE HECK out of me! Monte has a story - with a happy ending!!!
As for the book itself, it's the story of a man who... well, was rustlin' with criminals out in the wilderness, settles down to have a real life, and answers the ad of a woman lookin' for a husband via her local paper. He reads the paper because he's trying to find his long-lost brother, and realizes he lives in her town. Reading the paper gives him glimpses into his brother's life, helping him to muster courage to contact Myles.
Marva doesn't make much sense to me. She's 'beautiful', she's talented (plays piano for the church, bakes, cooks, does sewing, etc.), she's loyal to her parents, has a huge farm as her inheritance... but she can't find a man? Really. That's hard to believe. I half wish the author had given her an infirmity or something to have made the spinsterhood more logical, because it doesn't hold water.
Still, she was likeable enough for a character. She was good with children, godly, caring of her parents and friends, and gentle with animals. You like Marva nearly as much as you like Monte.
What threw me for a loop was how *PUBLIC* their correspondence was. They were talking back and forth by way of ads in a newspaper - that everyone in town reads!!! That means everyone was a part of their romance, following what would happen next. How crazy is that?!?! I couldn't wrap my head around WHY they wouldn't exchange addresses and write privately, but it really, really worked, here. ((Except the final letter. It could've been done WAY better - I felt the author was rushed and out of ideas on how to 'out' them.))
Anyhow, regardless, this one absolutely stole my heart, because I always wanted Monte to have a story. The 'Firefly' Monte - and now he does! *Grins*
What do I mean? There was once a TV show called 'Firefly'. It's... graphic, violent, hilariously funny, whimsical and absolutely marvelous. It's a sort of Western show that takes place in the future... in outer space. The-Earth-That-Was can't hold the numbers of humans, so they 'terra form' other planets to be like Earth, and send 'settlers' out on them, and the people live 1870s style... that or fly around in spaceships doing jobs for the folk on the planets (getting meds, bringing goods, STEALING goods, etc.) It's about a good hearted crew that - in order to be independent from the overreaching and crooked government - have to sneak around in their ship under the radar, doing jobs that might not 'xactly be on the up-n-up, y'might say.
The show had two episodes about a woman called Yolanda/Saffron/Bridget (<< or whatever name she felt like using in her current crime, which usually involved marrying a good man and swindling him). The first episode with her in it was 'Our Mrs. Reynolds', and the second was 'Trash'. In the first one, she marries Mal (the series' main character) and nearly fries the entire crew of the Firefly, trying to steal their spaceship.
In the second episode, 'Yo/Saf/Bridge' marries Monte - a buddy of Mal's who is an enormous, loveable, funny, sweet, and backwoodsy guy with a moustache and a few years on him. Luckily Mal sees her, fights her, and saves Monte's hide before he's... well stripped as bare nekkid as Mal ends up when he has compassion on her and takes her on his ship, again. And gets nearly swindled. Again.
But for as short a time as he's on the show, E.V.E.R.Y.O.N.E loves Monte.
He's hilarious, boisterous, and someone we wanted to see more of.
Had the show made it more than twelve episodes. ((sigh.))
To my mind? THIS BOOK is Monte's story, after he gives up flyin' around on spaceships and settles down to have a real life, one without the craziness of 'rustlin' with criminals out in the wilderness. I couldn't NOT see 'Firefly's Monte whilst reading this, and it tickled THE HECK out of me! Monte has a story - with a happy ending!!!
As for the book itself, it's the story of a man who... well, was rustlin' with criminals out in the wilderness, settles down to have a real life, and answers the ad of a woman lookin' for a husband via her local paper. He reads the paper because he's trying to find his long-lost brother, and realizes he lives in her town. Reading the paper gives him glimpses into his brother's life, helping him to muster courage to contact Myles.
Marva doesn't make much sense to me. She's 'beautiful', she's talented (plays piano for the church, bakes, cooks, does sewing, etc.), she's loyal to her parents, has a huge farm as her inheritance... but she can't find a man? Really. That's hard to believe. I half wish the author had given her an infirmity or something to have made the spinsterhood more logical, because it doesn't hold water.
Still, she was likeable enough for a character. She was good with children, godly, caring of her parents and friends, and gentle with animals. You like Marva nearly as much as you like Monte.
What threw me for a loop was how *PUBLIC* their correspondence was. They were talking back and forth by way of ads in a newspaper - that everyone in town reads!!! That means everyone was a part of their romance, following what would happen next. How crazy is that?!?! I couldn't wrap my head around WHY they wouldn't exchange addresses and write privately, but it really, really worked, here. ((Except the final letter. It could've been done WAY better - I felt the author was rushed and out of ideas on how to 'out' them.))
Anyhow, regardless, this one absolutely stole my heart, because I always wanted Monte to have a story. The 'Firefly' Monte - and now he does! *Grins*
February 11, 2018
Beautiful story!
June 16, 2013
Lonely in Longtree was a sweet read with a great message - God's timing is always perfect.
Marva is getting on in years and is worried she may never marry, so she places an ad for a husband in her local paper. Monte sees the add, even though he doesn't live anywhere near there, and decides to answer it. This begins a two year correspondence through the newspaper - which was kind of weird to me, you'd think they want to say more to each other that a few lines every month or two.
It is after this that they happen to meet in real life, the one figures it out and the other takes a lot longer to see the connection. While I understood both of them being reluctant to make the first move to see if the other was the one with whom they had been corresponding, I also found it annoying and quite tiring.
On a side note, while reading this book I felt by the way a few things were said a few different times that there were other books about some of the characters. I checked and there are at least two! And they are Time For A Miracle & Myles From Anywhere and they sound like they come before this one so you may want to them first. I myself plan to read them, just not sure when.
All in all, this was a pretty good book and I recommend it if you're looking for a sweet and quick read.
Marva is getting on in years and is worried she may never marry, so she places an ad for a husband in her local paper. Monte sees the add, even though he doesn't live anywhere near there, and decides to answer it. This begins a two year correspondence through the newspaper - which was kind of weird to me, you'd think they want to say more to each other that a few lines every month or two.
It is after this that they happen to meet in real life, the one figures it out and the other takes a lot longer to see the connection. While I understood both of them being reluctant to make the first move to see if the other was the one with whom they had been corresponding, I also found it annoying and quite tiring.
On a side note, while reading this book I felt by the way a few things were said a few different times that there were other books about some of the characters. I checked and there are at least two! And they are Time For A Miracle & Myles From Anywhere and they sound like they come before this one so you may want to them first. I myself plan to read them, just not sure when.
All in all, this was a pretty good book and I recommend it if you're looking for a sweet and quick read.
August 31, 2010
Even though reading novels about characters in their middle ages is not something I enjoy reading, but this one captured my attention! A woman writes an ad into a newspaper where it's answered by a man who accepts her proposal. After two years of corresponding, they quit when Marva and her family travel to the area where the man lives. Marva questions bachelors in the area, but has no clue who wrote the ad responses. Lodger Monte has no idea who wrote the Lonely ads and is captivated by Marva while her family stays at the lodge. When she leaves, he knows that she is indeed Loney in Longtree. But she doesn't know who he is, until she writes a hint in the ad and in his reply she discovers that he is indeed Lucky in Lakeland.
July 28, 2010
Review by Sheridan T.
A woman who advertises for a husband and the man who answers it
I liked the circumstances of the happenings and the irony.
A woman who advertises for a husband and the man who answers it
I liked the circumstances of the happenings and the irony.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews