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From This Day Forward
Alternate Cover for Kindle Edition B008BOH6YK
229 pages, ebook
First published August 1, 1995
16 people are currently reading
169 people want to read
About the author
Deborah Cox
20 books9 followersI’m cautious in real life. The biggest chances I have taken were 1) quitting my job and going back to college at the age of 38 – two years before I sold my first novel, and 2) moving to New Orleans without a job in 2002. Or maybe it was moving back in 2011 after being away for six years since Katrina threw my life into chaos.
I wasn’t born in New Orleans, but this is where my heart wants to be, and as we know the heart wants what the heart wants.
So as I was saying, except for those big leaps and the fact that I live in a dangerous, mercurial, funky, amazing place, I’m pretty cautious.
While I yearn for adventure, I am too much of a worst case scenario thinker to actually take big risks. But that’s what I do in my writing. My novels and stories are all about people taking chances – often out of necessity. The difference is with the stories I write, no matter how bad things look, I have seen the ending and it is happy.
I can't remember a time when I wasn't writing or reading. I've wanted to be a writer since I was old enough to hold a pencil. I am also a very amateur photographer, professional sightseer, and I make a mean gumbo!
I wasn’t born in New Orleans, but this is where my heart wants to be, and as we know the heart wants what the heart wants.
So as I was saying, except for those big leaps and the fact that I live in a dangerous, mercurial, funky, amazing place, I’m pretty cautious.
While I yearn for adventure, I am too much of a worst case scenario thinker to actually take big risks. But that’s what I do in my writing. My novels and stories are all about people taking chances – often out of necessity. The difference is with the stories I write, no matter how bad things look, I have seen the ending and it is happy.
I can't remember a time when I wasn't writing or reading. I've wanted to be a writer since I was old enough to hold a pencil. I am also a very amateur photographer, professional sightseer, and I make a mean gumbo!
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
October 7, 2015
3.5 stars.
New Orleans, Louisiana, March 1885
Jason Sinclair left home and family behind years ago and built his coffee empire in the wilds of Brazil, but the one thing lacking is a young malleable wife to give him an heir. Jason has written to his cousin to make the arrangements, but unbeknownst to him Caroline Marshall (an employee in the cousin's NO coffee trading business), has been the one receiving the letters and responding to them. Carolyn likes what she sees in the letters and manipulates herself into being the *mail order bride* - a proxy wedding is arranged and she's off to Brazil and happy-ever-after. Not.
"The last thing he needed was a curious, inquisitive wife to start rattling the skeletons in his carefully sealed closet."
Carolyn might send Jason's loins a-fluttering, but she's a bit too stubborn and independent for his tastes and...guess you have to read the book to find out.
I did like this, but Carolyn's little deceptions did grate a bit (and there's more than one). Jason's got a world of butt-hurt that isn't fully explained to the very end, but he can come off a bit jerkish at the first of the book.
A pretty engaging read for when you're in the mood for a lighter romance, the Brazilian setting was a refreshing change. My only real quibbles are the typos that I suspect came from the conversion process, and rather odd ones at that.
"/ knew she'd have wanted it that way."
"Even so, / didn't know how desperate she'd become."
"/ used to sneak and keep some of the money..."
Not a huge complaint for a freebie, but I might be ticked if I paid full retail. My only real quibble with the writing is the head hopping in the chapters with no break between them. It was a bit distracting, and for that I can't rate the book higher.
New Orleans, Louisiana, March 1885
Jason Sinclair left home and family behind years ago and built his coffee empire in the wilds of Brazil, but the one thing lacking is a young malleable wife to give him an heir. Jason has written to his cousin to make the arrangements, but unbeknownst to him Caroline Marshall (an employee in the cousin's NO coffee trading business), has been the one receiving the letters and responding to them. Carolyn likes what she sees in the letters and manipulates herself into being the *mail order bride* - a proxy wedding is arranged and she's off to Brazil and happy-ever-after. Not.
"The last thing he needed was a curious, inquisitive wife to start rattling the skeletons in his carefully sealed closet."
Carolyn might send Jason's loins a-fluttering, but she's a bit too stubborn and independent for his tastes and...guess you have to read the book to find out.
I did like this, but Carolyn's little deceptions did grate a bit (and there's more than one). Jason's got a world of butt-hurt that isn't fully explained to the very end, but he can come off a bit jerkish at the first of the book.
A pretty engaging read for when you're in the mood for a lighter romance, the Brazilian setting was a refreshing change. My only real quibbles are the typos that I suspect came from the conversion process, and rather odd ones at that.
"/ knew she'd have wanted it that way."
"Even so, / didn't know how desperate she'd become."
"/ used to sneak and keep some of the money..."
Not a huge complaint for a freebie, but I might be ticked if I paid full retail. My only real quibble with the writing is the head hopping in the chapters with no break between them. It was a bit distracting, and for that I can't rate the book higher.
July 11, 2012
Caroline works for the head of a coffee company in 1880's New Orleans. Her employer's cousin and partner, Jason, owns a coffee plantation in Brazil, and supplies coffee for his cousin to sell. Caroline has fallen in love with Jason through reading Jason's letters to her boss. So, when Jason asks his cousin to send him a wife, Caroline marries Jason by proxy, and goes to live with him in Brazil.
This book had so many wonderful features. First, it's a unique and original setting. A large coffee plantation in the Brazilian wilderness. The book invokes the heat, color, and feel of the plantation, as well as what that life entails. The novel also touches on the life and customs of Brazilian Indians, as well as the plight of runaway slaves, and the penalties for those who help them. Ms. Cox is a fine writer.
The heroine is beautifully drawn. She is strong and resilient, and generous of heart. She went to med school for two years, rare for a woman at that time, and she's a dedicated and compassionate healer. She helped Jason's cousin run the coffee company, far more a man's job than a woman's in the 1880's, and she enjoys the challenge of using her brain and experience to help Jason. She does everything she can to try to reach out to the tortured Jason, and help heal him as well. And the sexual tension between them is among the most potent and believable in any romance that I've read. All these elements would insure the book a 4 - 4.5 star rating.
Two things were a problem for me. First, was the character of Jason, the hero. He truly had a horrific childhood, suffering indescribable abuse and tragedy at the hands of his father. It had understandably left him badly emotionally scarred and incapable of giving or accepting love. Further, he's terrified that he's just like his father. So, for 90% of the book, he keeps pushing Caroline away. Understandable, but It just got to be too much for me, and it went on for far too long. A good ⅔ of the way through the book, I started to hate Jason and groan when he did yet another thing to drive Caroline away. I believe that this should have been resolved sooner, because he was not an unsympathetic character. But his one note response throughout almost the entire book slowly and steadily drained away my sympathy.
The second problem was formatting. I read this book in Kindle format, so I don't know if the problem is with that, or the paper book had the same problem. There was absolutely no transition between scenes. So, I would be reading a scene of several paragraphs. Then the next paragraph would be a different scene, maybe even occurring weeks or days later. No new chapter. Nothing That was extremely distracting.
Also, the book quotes at length from the letters Jason sent his cousin, the ones Caroline read. These letters are important, because they are a key to the inner Jason, and explain why Caroline fell in love with him. However, there are no quotes around the letters, nor are they in italics. Plus, there is nothing leading up to them that helps the reader identify that the letters are being quoted or recalled by Caroline. The confusion over this really important device (and the letters are beautifully written) is extreme.
Thus, for dragging out Jason's angst and torment for much too long, and for the severe and debilitating formatting problems, I can only give this otherwise very well written book 3 stars.
This book had so many wonderful features. First, it's a unique and original setting. A large coffee plantation in the Brazilian wilderness. The book invokes the heat, color, and feel of the plantation, as well as what that life entails. The novel also touches on the life and customs of Brazilian Indians, as well as the plight of runaway slaves, and the penalties for those who help them. Ms. Cox is a fine writer.
The heroine is beautifully drawn. She is strong and resilient, and generous of heart. She went to med school for two years, rare for a woman at that time, and she's a dedicated and compassionate healer. She helped Jason's cousin run the coffee company, far more a man's job than a woman's in the 1880's, and she enjoys the challenge of using her brain and experience to help Jason. She does everything she can to try to reach out to the tortured Jason, and help heal him as well. And the sexual tension between them is among the most potent and believable in any romance that I've read. All these elements would insure the book a 4 - 4.5 star rating.
Two things were a problem for me. First, was the character of Jason, the hero. He truly had a horrific childhood, suffering indescribable abuse and tragedy at the hands of his father. It had understandably left him badly emotionally scarred and incapable of giving or accepting love. Further, he's terrified that he's just like his father. So, for 90% of the book, he keeps pushing Caroline away. Understandable, but It just got to be too much for me, and it went on for far too long. A good ⅔ of the way through the book, I started to hate Jason and groan when he did yet another thing to drive Caroline away. I believe that this should have been resolved sooner, because he was not an unsympathetic character. But his one note response throughout almost the entire book slowly and steadily drained away my sympathy.
The second problem was formatting. I read this book in Kindle format, so I don't know if the problem is with that, or the paper book had the same problem. There was absolutely no transition between scenes. So, I would be reading a scene of several paragraphs. Then the next paragraph would be a different scene, maybe even occurring weeks or days later. No new chapter. Nothing That was extremely distracting.
Also, the book quotes at length from the letters Jason sent his cousin, the ones Caroline read. These letters are important, because they are a key to the inner Jason, and explain why Caroline fell in love with him. However, there are no quotes around the letters, nor are they in italics. Plus, there is nothing leading up to them that helps the reader identify that the letters are being quoted or recalled by Caroline. The confusion over this really important device (and the letters are beautifully written) is extreme.
Thus, for dragging out Jason's angst and torment for much too long, and for the severe and debilitating formatting problems, I can only give this otherwise very well written book 3 stars.
May 7, 2017
The value of love
The storyline is very good , keeps you rolling through various emotions
Maybe some of the expressed feelings were too repetitive and overdone but overall a good read
The storyline is very good , keeps you rolling through various emotions
Maybe some of the expressed feelings were too repetitive and overdone but overall a good read
May 26, 2013
1885
Jason grew up in a family terrorized by a violent father. The tragic events resulted in his beloved sister committing suicide. To spite his father and prove him wrong, Jason has overcome his harsh childhood to build a coffee plantation in the Amazon. His friend Derek in New Orleans is the closest person to him and they correspond regularly. Caroline has come on hard times and taken a job with Derek and ends up taking care of that correspondence when Derek is busy - initially at his request, but the correspondence soon takes on its own momentum. Jason is unaware that he is revealing his innermost thoughts to anyone but Derek. He asks his friend to arrange a marriage and send a wife to him. Derek never sees these letters. Instead Caroline believes that she is doing the right thing by sending herself as his wife, even though she does not match his specifications.
This is a very different romance, charged with raw emotion. Jason is not an easy man to like. He is tortured by his past and unwilling to risk opening his heart. He protects that vulnerability behind hardness, rudeness and insensitivity.
Caroline is a widow with many disappointments in her own past. She has come to know Jason through his letters and knows that there is a very different man behind the cynical façade. She also knows that his people admire and respect him as a good man. She is on a self-imposed mission to save Jason from himself and she is prepared to bounce back from each hurtful episode.
This is not a sweet love story. It is a turbulent, raw romance in a challenging environment. Caroline is strong, intelligent and determined. Jason seems irredeemable, but of course that is the essence of this story.
Jason grew up in a family terrorized by a violent father. The tragic events resulted in his beloved sister committing suicide. To spite his father and prove him wrong, Jason has overcome his harsh childhood to build a coffee plantation in the Amazon. His friend Derek in New Orleans is the closest person to him and they correspond regularly. Caroline has come on hard times and taken a job with Derek and ends up taking care of that correspondence when Derek is busy - initially at his request, but the correspondence soon takes on its own momentum. Jason is unaware that he is revealing his innermost thoughts to anyone but Derek. He asks his friend to arrange a marriage and send a wife to him. Derek never sees these letters. Instead Caroline believes that she is doing the right thing by sending herself as his wife, even though she does not match his specifications.
This is a very different romance, charged with raw emotion. Jason is not an easy man to like. He is tortured by his past and unwilling to risk opening his heart. He protects that vulnerability behind hardness, rudeness and insensitivity.
Caroline is a widow with many disappointments in her own past. She has come to know Jason through his letters and knows that there is a very different man behind the cynical façade. She also knows that his people admire and respect him as a good man. She is on a self-imposed mission to save Jason from himself and she is prepared to bounce back from each hurtful episode.
This is not a sweet love story. It is a turbulent, raw romance in a challenging environment. Caroline is strong, intelligent and determined. Jason seems irredeemable, but of course that is the essence of this story.
June 20, 2012
Caroline Marshall-Sinclair a young widow that has married by proxy to Jason Sinclair that has been living and working in Brazil for the past 15 years. Jason Sinclair is a self made man that came from the wrong side of the tracks and pulled himself to riches through hard work and dedication.
Caroline shows up at the coffee plantation and is everything that Jason didn't want, well, except that she is beautiful. But in fact, she is exactly what he needs to heal the past and start a new loving life and family.
Caroline has a lot of opinions, but it is because she is educated (medical doctor training!), pianist, and know much about coffee production and commercialization as she previously worked for Jason's cousin Derek Sinclair in New Orleans.
They are already married when they meet for the first time on the boat dock on the Amazon river in Brazil, but they take time to get to know each other because Jason isn't so sure that he won't annul the marriage because she isn't what he expected. Lots of great sexy descriptions of seduction, but no actual sex for the first half the story. This is a good redemption story with well written and edited prose. There are some typos like 'horse' instead of 'house' which I believe is just an error from the digital conversion.
179 pages and kindle freebie
3 stars
Caroline shows up at the coffee plantation and is everything that Jason didn't want, well, except that she is beautiful. But in fact, she is exactly what he needs to heal the past and start a new loving life and family.
Caroline has a lot of opinions, but it is because she is educated (medical doctor training!), pianist, and know much about coffee production and commercialization as she previously worked for Jason's cousin Derek Sinclair in New Orleans.
They are already married when they meet for the first time on the boat dock on the Amazon river in Brazil, but they take time to get to know each other because Jason isn't so sure that he won't annul the marriage because she isn't what he expected. Lots of great sexy descriptions of seduction, but no actual sex for the first half the story. This is a good redemption story with well written and edited prose. There are some typos like 'horse' instead of 'house' which I believe is just an error from the digital conversion.
179 pages and kindle freebie
3 stars
April 1, 2013
I started reading this before I realised it was set way way back. Bit odd getting married by proxy. But I went with it!
I enjoyed the story of how Caroline and Jason's relationship grew, I loved how fiery Caroline was, and was so hoping that Jason would just get over himself.
I thought the other characters did a great job in steering the two of them in the right direction.
I enjoyed the story of how Caroline and Jason's relationship grew, I loved how fiery Caroline was, and was so hoping that Jason would just get over himself.
I thought the other characters did a great job in steering the two of them in the right direction.
May 13, 2013
I liked the book but I just wanted to hit Jason & smack Caroline too. It was a good read because it was able to make me feel emotions & that is what makes for a great read. Happiness Sadness Frustration Love Hope Despair Heartbreak yeah it is all in this book. So take the time to read it.
December 19, 2015
Unusual love story
The jungle and the emotions are both raw in this story of a woman who moves to a coffee plantation in the jungle of Brazil to marry a tormented soul of a man she hardly knows and has never met.
The jungle and the emotions are both raw in this story of a woman who moves to a coffee plantation in the jungle of Brazil to marry a tormented soul of a man she hardly knows and has never met.
April 24, 2013
Full of passion and kept you turning the pages.
December 15, 2013
Wow this was an interesting story. There are a lot of misconceptions and misunderstandings. The sex is too graphic. But, I enjoyed the strong female lead. And the ending was really interesting!
July 5, 2012
My 3rd time reading it. Still love it. Jason is a wonderfully tortured hero!
November 30, 2012
Could have been a 5 star read if the hadn't been such an alpha hole for most of the book.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews