Love Everlasting

Brides of Seattle #3

by Tracie Peterson

Abrianna Cunningham has always viewed her longtime friend, Wade Ackerman, as
a protective brother. Lately, however, she's begun to see him differently and finds
herself attracted romantically to him. But she's confused and overwhelmed by these
unfamiliar feelings.

Wade, on the other hand, has loved Abrianna for some time and has been waiting for her to realize they are more than just friends. When he asks her to marry him, she asks for time to adjust to their changed relationship.

And then there's Priam Welby, who has been relentlessly pursuing Abrianna. Will his underhanded tactics succeed in luring Abrianna into marriage with him?

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

352 pages, Paperback

First published September 29, 2015

About the author

Tracie Peterson is a bestselling author who writes in both historical and contemporary genres. Her novels reveal her love for research as well as her strong desire to develop emotionally meaningful characters and stories for her readers. Tracie and her family live in Montana.

pen name: Janelle Jamison

Reviews

[Noella Baird · Rating 5 out of 5]

I sure felt so caught up in the suspense running through most of this book. It was a great ending to this series for sure! I really enjoyed this book.

[Andrea Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finales to trilogies could take lessons from this one.

It was so refreshing to see a couple thinking things through logically and prayerfully, rather than just emotionally and physically, leading up to marriage. Why aren’t there more books like this one?! It was so great that Abrianna and Wade brought their concerns to trusted mentors and sought godly advice about how to face their fears and concerns going into their marriage. This was such an important and cherish-worthy aspect of this story, and I gave more than one happy sigh over it.

Family was such an integral part of this novel. I loved the surrogate mothers, Abrianna’s adopted aunts. They might have been crazy, but they were also hilarious, witty, and quirky—three characteristics that make for memorable characters that I’ll cherish for years to come. These women added such charm to this story as well as the other two books in the series. The reunion with Abrianna’s father was sweet. I liked that she took the time to get to know him rather than just leaping to accepting him in a rush. Part of the enjoyment of this relationship for me was watching her discover the character traits of this man she’d never met during her growing-up years.

Abrianna was the true star of this trilogy, and this final book couldn’t have been a better finale for her. It was grand and beautiful and exactly the send-off she deserved. She was just as chatty and lovable as ever, and I especially adored that she remained courageous, gutsy, and filled with gumption from page one of Steadfast Heart to the final page of Love Everlasting. Even with a little melodramatics, this novel was a delight from beginning to end.

[Just Commonly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will she? Abrianna Cunningham is my favorite character out of Tracie Peterson's Brides of Seattle series, and I'm so thrilled I'm finally able to read more about her. Just a bit of rehash, both in Book 1, Steadfast Love and Book 2, Refiner's Fire, Abrianna plays a pretty dominate supporting role, and she completely shines! Both books were a great entertaining read, and it had cause some withdrawal from me waiting for Book 3, Love Everlasting to be released. Boy, am I glad. I sincerely enjoyed this series, and especially Love Everlasting and I wonder if there'll be another book in the series. I can read on and on. How about one on Flora? She's also grown on me through the story. Since I mentioned Flora, I also want to give props to Ms. Peterson for building a story of such compelling supporting characters, from Lenore and Kolbien to the Aunts of Madison School to Jay Cunningham and Ms. Snyder, all just adds to the great development of the plot and each of these characters as a whole. Last, I want to add that I love this cover. It is so Abrianna - great auburn red hair, a little mischief on her face, slight confusion and love in her eyes and the overall sense of innocence. Perfect.

For a full review, please see http://justcommonly.blogspot.com/2015...
Thank you.
NOTE: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, Bethany House for an honest review.

[Cynthia Marcano · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I Loved...
Protaganist Abrianna Cunningham is quite the character. She has always been my favorite in the Seattle Brides Series. She is uniquely different than most heroines I read.

What I Liked...
I have been waiting for Abrianna's story and I was happy to read her character shine once again in the book, even if only for some of the book.

Other...
Love Everlasting has turned into a hard book for me to review. After waiting so long for this book, I found the first half of the book so disappointing. While reading, I kept wondering how sad I would be typing up my not so favorable blog post. BUT thankfully I continued reading and the second half of the book is much better. The character that I came to really like, Abrianna, was written as I have come to remember and enjoyed reading in previous books.

The back cover synopsis isnt really the best description of the book. The plot is better than what is described.

All in all, if the first half of this book was cut out, I would have really enjoyed this book much more, however I am grateful that it did get better.

Christian Fiction Addict

[Lisa (Bookworm Lisa) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. Abrianna is my favorite character the Brides of Seattle series and I am very happy that I was able to read her story.

Abrianna and Wade have been friends for a long time. They know and understand each other. Wade can put up with Abrianna's escapades better than anyone else. He sees her true character and loves her.

Priam does not want to see Abrianna happy, he only desires her. He is an evil man who puts his wants and desires above everyone else. He is a character that you can't help but dislike and hope that he gets his true reward in the end

This book is a clean Christian Romance. The characters are well written. I read this book in a few short days. I am grateful for the opportunity to read it.

[B-cat · Rating 1 out of 5]

Written in a manner that the main female character seems like a whiney little child whom I had no tolerance to read about. After a few chapters saved myself the pain of continuing this wasteful read.

[Rebekah Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tracie Petterson writes stories with great plots, hints of mystery, and gushy romance. I've read several of Petterson's novels, and have rated them all "average" reads for me. Nevertheless, I continue to read her novels, hoping that one will deliver not only a great plot but excellent characters and intricate relationships. Sigh...one can hope right? Unfortunately, Love Everlasting provides the reader with average characters, overly cliche romances, and a heroine that I could not connect with no matter how hard I tried.

Our main characters Abrianna and Wade, have known each other most of their lives. Wade has been in love with Adrianna for some time, while Abrianna has just realized her romantic feelings for Wade. Abrianna's development of feelings from friendship to romance has her quite scared and put off. Abrianna does not want her relationship with her friend Wade to change, and she fears her relationship could even dissipate. Wade, obviously less naive and aware of the world, tries to assure Abrianna that their feelings have grown and that God will surely protect their relationship. Abrianna changes her mind 10 thousand times (ok that's an overstatement) ..maybe, but Abrianna's indecisiveness drove me crazy and the only sightly redeeming quality she possesses is her spunk. My favorite characters by far were Abrianna's aunts.

Abrianna's calling to help the poor and orphans was admirable, and Wade's interest in Abrianna's mission showed his deep care for her. Even though Welby is our bad guy, I was hoping in the end he would atone for his sins and have some sorrow for his actions...

The ending of Love Everlasting dragged on...and on...and on. I literally asked, "is it over yet?" Maybe it's partly because I'm hard to please when it comes to a good ending. An ending too short is unworthy, as well as an ending that carries on. Maybe if I was able to invest more in the characters and their happy endings, I wouldn't have been trying to push it along. I have to say, from now on I am only going to read the Tracie Petterson novels in my TBR pile...unless someone has Tracie Peterson novel they can highly recommend?

[Elyse · Rating 5 out of 5]

One I would definitely read again! An exciting and beautiful end to her trilogy.

[Leona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book review of Love Everlasting by Tracie Peterson

From goodreads.com:

Love Everlasting (Brides of Seattle #3) by Tracie Peterson


Abrianna Cunningham has always viewed her longtime friend, Wade Ackerman, as
a protective brother. Lately, however, she's begun to see him differently and finds
herself attracted romantically to him. But she's confused and overwhelmed by these
unfamiliar feelings.

Wade, on the other hand, has loved Abrianna for some time and has been waiting for her to realize they are more than just friends. When he asks her to marry him, she asks for time to adjust to their changed relationship.

And then there's Priam Welby, who has been relentlessly pursuing Abrianna. Will his underhanded tactics succeed in luring Abrianna into marriage with him?

Paperback, 352 pages
Published October 6th 2015 by Bethany House (first published September 29th 2015)
ISBN0764210637 (ISBN13: 9780764210631)edition language English


Leona's review:

This is not my first read by Tracie Peterson but the first for the Brides of Seattle series. It is a stand alone read and I may go back and read the others.

It really took the second half of the book for me to have a real interest and I had written in my notes "this is a personal struggle book" when I was somewhat into the book. Things did change and became more interesting with murder, jail, false accusations and a man who wanted to marry Abrianna by any means.

I liked the characters of Abrianna and Wade and the aunts were a wonderful addition. As I write this, I think a cat would have also been an addition. Abrianna is headstrong but Wade seems to flow with any problems added to what is happening. He keeps his head when their are problems and prays a lot. The aunts are also strong characters with their opinions and accomplishments. I could almost see them sitting together and talking. Jay, the father of Abrianna has come back into her life. Friends are also an important part of the book.

This is a Christian book without pushing. I like that God is in the hearts of the characters and spoken of often.

Abrianna helps the poor with food and housing; this seems to be her calling. Wade has taken the job of becoming the substitute minister at the church and fully understands her.

I loved the personal talk between Wade and Abrianna. This made them seen so real and in love.

I received a complimentary copy of Love Everlasting by Tracie Peterson from Bethany House Publishers. The opinions are my own.
I give this book a 5 star rating.
Tracie Peterson may be reached at her website: www.traciepeterson.com
Leona Olson
http://www.mnleona.blogspot.com

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Everlasting is the third book in Tracie Peterson’s series of the Brides of Seattle. This is actually the first book I have read in this series and it stood alone well. I was drawn first to this story simply because of the lovely cover. Abrianna is looking at something that we cannot see and I found this to be very true of her character in the story as well, as her mind was always coming up with ideas or ways to fix problems. She has fallen in love with her very best friend Wade and everyone expects them to marry soon. However Abrianna is very concerned and questions if she and Wade should marry at all or would marriage ruin their friendship. The first half of this book was a little bit slow as nothing seemed to happen but Abrianna’s going back and forth on her upcoming marriage. But about half-way through, the story picked up at a rapid pace and took a very dangerous turn for Abrianna and all of those she holds dear. She is now trapped in a compromise that risks the very lives of her family and friends and at the hands of a very evil man. I was quickly turning the pages just to see how everything would work out in the end. My favorite Tracy Peterson stories are her older ones and I felt this was reminiscent of those. I received a copy for an honest review from Bethany House Publishers and the opinions are my own.

[Robin Willson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been SUCH a good series, and I've loved every one of the characters in these books. Adopted Aunts run a home that is a place for young girls to live and learn how to be a good wife and run a household. Abrianna wasn't the most skilled at homemaking skills, but she has the biggest heart for the homeless. She is also extremely headstrong in her determination once deciding that God has placed a task on her heart to complete. One thing I didn't really get was that Abrianna didn't recognize her love for Wade right away, but of course this leads to the depth of the plot twist. You'll be sure to enjoy this as a fun read! Love and faith lessons throughout.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers - Netgalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”. http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/wa...

[Margaret Chind]

Originally posted on Creative Madness Mama.Can you believe it is time already for another Tracie Peterson novel?! I have about a dozen or so go-to authors that I wouldn't hesitate to buy before reading or previewing and Tracie is one of them. Her stories always make me think and her characters are always so real with the quirks and personalities that come to life off the page. Everlasting Love, the third novel is the Brides of Seattle series is available now to finish out the series started with Steadfast Love and continued with Refining Fire this past summer. This is my favorite cover in the series yet!
Grab your copy now!
 
This review was originally posted on Creative Madness Mama.

[Brandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh, I tried to like it, I really did. I usually enjoy Bethany House's books (even though this is the first one I've read by Tracie Peterson). I just didn't care about any of the characters; neither Abrianna Cunningham nor Wade Ackerman, and especially not Priam Welby.

Whereas it is well written and the author has an enjoyable writing style, it's just really hard for me to get into a story when I care nothing for the characters. The book did pick up toward the middle, but it just seemed too little too late.

Overall, I would definitely try one of Ms. Peterson's books in the future, as she is a good author, but this was not one that 'grabbed me'. Maybe it would be a different story if I had read the previous two installments in the Brides of Seattle series....

[Ruth]

I loved this book! It was my favorite book out of the whole series. This books main character is Abrinna and the trials she must face to keep her loved one safe from harm. Trouble strikes when Wade and Abrinna have just announced their plan to get married. Abrinna later that week breaks off their engagement. He was infuriated to find out she is going to marry a man she doed not love. Abrinna had to marry a man she does not love because she has to keep her loved ones safe. If she refuses the man he will kill her loved ones right in front of her!
This book is really amazing and I hope whoever reads this will enjoy it as much as I have!

[Julie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Character is to talkative, rambles and is annoying:/

[Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Everlasting is the final and most exciting installment in the Brides of Seattle series. Abrianna's story finally culminates in a dramatic display of villainy and deception. There is the most direct threat in this story and the best page turning circumstances. Overall, I still wanted more direction from the main characters. Most of the events in the story were in reaction to actions being taken by outside parties. If you take Priam Welby out of the equation entirely, you would have a book about how Abrianna is concerned about how getting married will change her relationship with Wade. While some may find this type of book enticing, I like one with more action elements. So I enjoyed the aspects that were included because of the Welby drama, but I wished more of them came from what the characters were trying to accomplish, like building the house for the poor, leading the church, or running the bridal school. Additionally, the description on the back of the book is not an accurate portrayal of Abrianna's attitude in the book at all. So while I enjoyed learning how this story came to an end, I am also happy to be finished with this series.

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this series about three elderly women who run a Bridal School in the early days of Seattle. The story mainly centers around their adopted niece, Abrianna, and her reckless hijinks that don’t fall in line with their teaching on decorum.

Even though Abrianna can be annoying at times she’s also a very relatable character as she tries to do what others consider the right thing - even though her heart leads her in ways others don’t understand.

In the final installment in the series Abrianna and her friend Wade have declared their love for another and are putting plans in place for their wedding when outside forces intervene to try to tear them apart.

This interference helps Abrianna deal with her doubts about marriage and teaches her that her self reliance is not what God wants. As she learns to place all problems in God’s hands she leans on his peace.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this 3rd in the series book, it picks up where book #2 ended. Wade and Abrianna have finally gotten to the point of expressing their feelings for each other. Wade is sure he wants to marry Abrianna but Abrianna is concerned that this will mean an end to their wonderful friendship. Then, there is still the evil component -- Priam Welby -- who is more than determined to make Abrianna his own despite her disgust with him.

I know some people do not like Abrianna but I find her refreshing and light-hearted. Yes, she is impulsive and she is prone to act before thinking but it is always done with a good heart. I listened to the audio-version and Abrianna's voice is just perfect for her.

Even though the reader knows where this will end up, it is still a fun journey with some unexpected challenges along the way. Great messages of trusting God & of love and friendship. No profanity or sex.

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was in a box of books I’m borrowing from my aunt. I did not know it was the third in a series until I logged it as begun to read on GoodReads. Most of the backstory was explained adequately enough that you don’t need to read the first two to understand this one.

But, oh, my goodness, this book - or rather its heroine Abrianna - was exhausting! She can’t take a joke. Doesn’t seem to know what one is. She takes everything much too seriously. Worries everything to death. Overthinks (I do that, I’ll admit, but she takes it to another level). Doesn’t seem to ever take a breath. Is constantly plotting how she’s going to do what everyone she loves (and who love her) are telling her NOT to do. The whole time I’m reading, I’m thinking, “What is wrong with this girl? Shut up already.”

I hate to say this about books, but I was eager and relieved to get to the end.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the other books I have read by Peterson but I just couldn't get over the plotline of Priam Welby with this story. It seemed a bit too forced and 'done before' for me to actually be able to enjoy it.

I admit I wanted a happy story of Abrianna and Wade getting married (with some tension made up by her recent inheritance).

SPOILERS

I was not looking for the jailing of Wade and Jay for crimes they didn't commit b/c Priam twisted things and committed crimes himself. It was too much for me.

[Heidi Morrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, my goodness ! I was simply on pins and needles while reading this final book in the series ! The first book introduced Abrianna, Wade , a few excentric old ladies, and Mr. Welby. The second followed these making several discoveries . By the third book , I was so enthralled by each character as well as new ones , that it was hard to "hang up " at the end of a chapter for the night . I knew who I was rooting for , but the author took me on so many twists and turns ; it was a delight to get to the ending .

[Joy Fitzpatrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must say I liked this book a lot better than the other two in this series. In the previous books you didn't really get to know the other couples all that well, which would have been something that would helped me enjoy it a lot more.

Otherwise the plots was pretty good, I really enjoyed the mystery and suspense of "love everlasting" because mystery is one of my favorite genres. Which might be why I liked it more than the other books.... I'm not sure.😁

[Arjaye-Rose Brewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book and the end to a great series, it was a good book. I couldn’t wait to find how things ended out with all of their lives. A storyline I wondered how it was going to end up next with its unexpected turn of events. I’d wondered since the beginning of the series how Abriannas life would end up and who it would be to. A brilliant book of friends, family and untrusty people and Gods love shinning through the story.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short version.

Heroine = Abrianna (She seems to have ADHD)

Villain = Welby (He seems to suffer from narcissistic sociopathy)


Fantastic read, #3 in the series.

I sat on the couch and read it in 5 hours.
Now I need to have a drink of water and do some housework before my family gets home - it was THAT good!

[Makyna Nance · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. Id been rooting for Wade and Abrianna for so long. I love Abrianna’s strong will and her willingness to fight for the people she loves. I also loved her and Wade’s banter. They were really smart for how they got out of Welby’s trap. He annoyed me so much and his actions were so unnecessary. I’m really glad Wade and Abrianna got the wedding they deserved.

[Shirley Conley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whose ever heard of a bridal finishing school? This story starts there. Abrianna has great troubles ahead. Her beloved, Wade, an Dad are thrown in jail and accused of murder. Priam, a very evil sort, is threatening to kill everyone Abrianna love is she does not marry him. To get out of this terrible possibility requires lots of prayer and adventure. Not very realistic but still a good story.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the story itself, but Abrianna was SUCH a ninnyhammer! She spent far too much time agonizing over her thoughts about marriage, and it was repeated far too often that she was a troublesome girl.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series as a whole gets a 5 from me.

[Lei Somma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful!

I read it in 2 nights! Couldn't put it down! Such a sad feeling when it's over, but I look forward to starting my next Tracie Peterson book!

[Anum Ahsan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful!