Dakota Born / The Farmer Takes a Wife

Dakota #0.5 + 1

by Debbie Macomber

Buffalo Valley, North Dakota. A second-chance town! Like many small towns, Buffalo Valley is dying. Stores are boarded up, sidewalks are cracked, houses are in need of a coat of paint. But despite all that, there's a spirit of hope here, of defiance. The few people still left here are fighting for their town. Lindsay Snyder is a newcomer. She's an outsider, even though she spent childhood vacations here. Now she returns to see the family house again, to explore family secrets and to reevaluate her life. And soon after she arrives, she meets a local farmer named Gage Sinclair… Lindsay decides to stay in North Dakota. Her decision marks a new beginning for Buffalo Valley and for her. Because in this broken little town she discovers the love and purpose she's been seeking.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Contemporary, Audiobook, Westerns, Contemporary Romance, Chick Lit

410 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 26, 2016

About the author

Debbie Macomber is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and one of today’s most popular writers with more than 200 million copies of her books in print worldwide. In her novels, Macomber brings to life compelling relationships that embrace family and enduring friendships, uplifting her readers with stories of connection and hope. Macomber’s novels have spent over 1,000 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Fifteen of these novels hit the number one spot.

In 2023, Macomber’s all-new hardcover publication includes Must Love Flowers (July). In addition to fiction, Macomber has also published three bestselling cookbooks, three adult coloring books, numerous inspirational and nonfiction works, and two acclaimed children’s books.

Celebrated as “the official storyteller of Christmas”, Macomber’s annual Christmas books are beloved and six have been crafted into original Hallmark Channel movies. Macomber is also the author of the bestselling Cedar Cove Series which the Hallmark Channel chose as the basis for its first dramatic scripted television series. Debuting in 2013, Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove was a ratings favorite for three seasons.

She serves on the Guideposts National Advisory Cabinet, is a YFC National Ambassador, and is World Vision’s international spokesperson for their Knit for Kids charity initiative. A devoted grandmother, Debbie and Wayne live in Port Orchard, Washington, the town which inspired the Cedar Cove series.

Reviews

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lindsay Snyder escapes a troubled relationship in Savannah to Buffalo Valley, North Dakota. She used to spend her summers in the small farming community when her grandparents were alive. Today, Buffalo Valley is struggling as more people move away.

Lindsay accepts a vacant high school teaching job and lives in her grandparents' now dilapidated home. As a newcomer, she tries hard to fit in and gain acceptance. There's a low steam romance and interesting family history secret that added some depth to two characters. The message of hope is prominent. What didn't work for me was there are many so-so townsfolk and I wasn't invested in their stories.

I like the premise and the writing is fine. With that being said I won't be rushing to read the next one. A so-so read. 2.5⭐

[Brittnee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Anyone else not care for the main male character, Gage? Kind of felt like he needed anger management.

[Darla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Will a pretty, young high school teacher be what they need to breathe new life into Buffalo Valley? This is the first in a series set in North Dakota. Lindsay Sinclair returns to the town where her grandparents once hosted her on summer visits. It is heartwarming to see how Lindsay enthusiastically approaches her job and spreads seeds of hope along the way. She is viewed as an outsider, though, and there is some understandable friction with those who are longtime residents. I did enjoy the element of mystery as Lindsay searches her grandparents home for a hidden secret. It is an entertaining story with three more in the series available. My first read by Macomber and about what I expected.

[Elisabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn't quite what I expected. I wasn't expecting so much anger, male chauvinism, stubbornness, and manipulation. I was expecting more sweet romance, perseverance, and optimism in the face of failure.

I did appreciate the variety of female characters and thought the high schoolers were some of the most interesting. Really, none of the men had very interesting character profiles- they were all angry and stubborn and too proud for their own good. Maybe with the exception of Buffalo Bob. I also loved the reminders of technology past- dial up internet that ties up the phone line, long distance phone charges, and the art of letter writing. (I didn't realize this book was written in 1999 when I picked it up.) There were some lose ends that I wish the author would have tied up- like what happened to Kevin when he got picked up at the station?


I also found it hard to believe in a one room school house for high schoolers in the late 90s. Especially with a teacher who had a minor in education? Not a convincing plot set up to me. Maybe because I'm also an outsider even though I have roots in North Dakota. I guess I just don't get it. (But really, did everyone have to be so proud and stubborn that they couldn't even try to explain it to poor Lindsay instead of just yelling at her?)

[Maren · Rating 1 out of 5]

Where to begin with this one... I don’t normally review books like this but it kind of made me a little mad so I had to say something. I was expecting for this to be a cheesy romance set in a small town in North Dakota... what I didn’t expect was that every single male love interest in this book was a complete chauvinistic ass. How on earth is that appealing to anyone? They treated all of the women like absolute crap, and were almost constantly angry at the world and taking it out on those women. And did those women stand up for themselves.... not really. It’s almost shocking to me that a woman wrote this. This was one of the most unappealing romance novels that I have ever read. I’ve read a few books by this author in the past and have been underwhelmed but this book has me wanting to never read a book by her again.

[January · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dakota Born by Debbie Macomber 409 pages Paperback story ends on 380
Dakota #1

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Western Romance, Chick Lit

Featuring: North Dakota; Dying Town, Savannah, Georgia; Family Secrets, Bad Romance, Teenagers, Negative Tropes, Sex - Fade Out, Bonus Short Short/Prequel - The Farmer Takes A Wife aka Dakota Farm #0.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating as a movie: PG-13 for language and sensuality

Songs for the soundtrack: "Piece Of My Heart" by Janis Joplin, "End of the Line" by Bob Dylan, "Satisfaction" by The Rolling Stones, "Small Town" by John "Cougar" Mellencamp, "The Thunder Rolls" by Garth Brooks, "Harvest Moon" by Neil Young, "Close To You" by The Carpenters

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️½

My thoughts: 📖 Page 114 of 409 Ch. 6 - This was pretty comforting until I got to the show disdain and bully her because you have feelings part of the book. I'm only stopping now because football is over and my other half wants to watch The Patient. Macomber books are always quick reads. I have a question, single room high school but won the football state championship? 🤔
📖 228 Ch. 12 - 3 out of 5 of these guys are cantankerous jerks, I know Debbie is going to fix 2 of them but I seriously want them kicked to the curb, especially the married one. You don't get to treat people like crap because you're emotionally immature and lack communication skills.
📖 288 Ch.15 - Make that 4 out the 5 men are jerks, and that's not saying much because Bob is a pushover with a jerkette of his own. None of the relationships in this book are good. I forgot to count Dennis before, he'd make 6, and he's not putting anything in gear even though he wants to. I was enjoying the story despite the drama until my least favorite trope popped up, now I'm dreading the rest.

This story wasn't half bad, it was incredibly frustrating. Lots of bad relationships and terrible communicating. I assume it's because the story will continue in the next book that so much was left unfinished. I read The Farm Takes Wife, later published as Dakota Farm, it's a prequel about a farmer putting a want ad in a magazine. It was okay. I'm going to continue this series because the environment is friendly; the characters are dramatic and stubborn but not so much to make it intolerable. Also I would appreciate secret baby stickers on books.

Recommend to others?: Sure, this small town had it's headaches but everyone bands together.

[Marcy Monroe rowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Light and optimistic.

Typical Debbie Macomber, but a nice read , as always. Great for a break between "heavy" reads. I can identify with some me of her characters.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great 1st book in her Dakota Series.

[Abby · Rating 1 out of 5]

The men in this book are terrible. All the women need to cut their losses and move on. I will stick to Macombers Christmas books from now on.

[Jacqueline]

I just needed an easy audio while I was running around. I had to fast forward a couple small scenes. Typical Macomber.

[Lisa - (Aussie Girl) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Secondary Character - Dennis Urlacher
Secondary Character - Heath Quantrill

[Leane · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was a slow start to this one but I really enjoyed it by the end.
I'm looking forward to the next one in the series.

[Tena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taking a Job in Buffalo Valley, North Dakota is just what Lindsay Snyder needs to distance herself from a trouble relationship. But, trying to be accepted as one of the towns people is quite a challenge. When she puts her heart and soul into her new job, she begins to fall in love with the town and its people. Her dreams for things to change sometimes leaves her feeling like the outsider she is. You will enjoy every second of the story and will have you wanting to get to know each character and their story.

[Mhd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rounded up to 4-stars. Fairly predictable. Nice reading about North Dakota (thanks, Miriam!). Nice story. Interesting characters but some do extremely irritating things. A little hard to believe they could change personalities enough to maintain relationships.

[Tina Giacinto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

[Whitney Turney · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!

[Nikyla Wanner · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Cute little hallmark story, bought it since it was a small town North Dakota based book😌

[J]

Goodreads needs to update with audiobook version.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh, it was ok. I struggled with a few things. Why do love stories have such conflict in them? If I had this much fighting in my life, I wouldn't consider it romantic. Nobody ever apologizes, thinks before they speak, and insta-love. Ohgosh, insta-love. Gag. Everybody just kept making assumptions and never asked straightforward questions. So much fighting. Not a romantic read for me.

Something else...I live in North Dakota. Sure, she got the names of the cities correct, but her sense of distance between them was off. These are some loooooong drives. And at night, the deer are intense. Makes the drive even longer. And the wind and winters. They aren't romantic at all. They probably sound romantic if you read about them on Wikipedia, but to live them is something else entirely. You don't have time to make observations about guys in the winter because it hurts to inhale. No joke. When we moved into our house, it was -14 degrees, not including wind chill!!!! The wind chill that night made it feel like -40 degrees. I swear to you I'm not kidding. Not romantic!

But one thing she did get right- North Dakota has a strange beauty that captivates you. The fields of wheat and sunflowers- gorgeous! But, the fields of canola during a sunset cannot be described. Shocking yellow that is almost scary! Autumn is the most beautiful time and when our main character didn't want to leave, it's true. That's how we ended up here. We didn't want to leave.

I will probably continue the series, but just know this is a romanticized version of North Dakota. And the love story is not deep and kind of rushed. But nice if you just want a quick romantic story.

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a wonderful book. I loved the small town cozy feel. The characters were relatable and people you would want to know in real life. I fell in love with Buffalo Valley right away and was hooked from the first page. The town just felt like someplace I want to live and for a while, I was able to. This is a town on the brink of extinction and you just can’t help but root for it.

I loved how each character had their own problems but they never hesitated to help each other out. None of the characters were perfect, but it was their imperfections that brought them together and made them the amazing characters they were. I was able to relate to them and felt the loss of these new friends once I turned that last page. Thankfully, there are two more in this trilogy, and I am looking forward to reading both of them.

[Thianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was definitely a quick read, the multiple story lines moved it along. I liked the intertwining aspect of all the stories. I gave it 3 stars because I, personally, had a hard time with the lack of emotional maturity for almost all the characters and almost constant verbal abuse towards one another. I found the lack of development of actual romance to be jarring, it was one second fighting and then the next they’re making out and professing their love….

The male characters were almost all asinine, chauvinistic jerks, with no communication skills.

I did like the women characters in this story and wish there had been more time to develop them in-depth.

Overall it was a nice cozy story.

[T. Rosado · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paperback - 4 Stars
Audiobook - 3 Stars

I really liked this book despite the few negative reviews that had me second guessing my desire to read it. It turns out that I truly enjoy multi-story lines within a novel. I believe the main focus of this book is the rebuilding of small town America. The families and relationships that intertwined throughout the story enhanced that main point. There wasn't much I didn't enjoy and It's nice to get away from singularly focused romances every now and again.

[Karen Haaland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good series

This is a book you just read just for enjoyment. It takes place in North Dakota and I had to read it because I like in. South Dakota. It takes place in today's time and most books from the Dakotas take place in the old west. It tells a story that is so true about the small towns population declining. It is so true but this one is the opposite and gives you a feel good time shopping that can be if circumstances are just right. Because it is written by Debbie Macomber it also includes some romance. So pick it up for enjoyment.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Everyone has such a sad story

Every storyline was steeped in sadness to the point I didn’t want to finish. I plodded through, but can’t say I felt very rewarded. The love story wasn’t very convincing. Living in North Dakota I was looking forward to reading a book about the area I now call home. I doubt I’ll be seeking out the sequels, which is too bad. There aren’t enough modern books set here.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can depend on Debbie Macomber

Very nice story. Shows the struggles of a small, close knit farming community. A new teacher basically saves the town and the town saves her from a relationship that was going nowhere. All the characters are likeable, and makes me want to read the rest of the series to find out more about the little community.

[Linda Golden-Noel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dakota trilogy is fantastic, even though I am reading them out of order.

Debbie Macomber has a skill of bringing her characters and their lives into everyday situations of a small northwestern town without any added drama. Thoroughly enjoyed reading two of The Dakota series. Can't wait to read the third one!

[JessicaMHR · Rating 4 out of 5]

I tend to prefer books that center more around the principle couple in these types of stories, since you are less lost while trying to follow the story. However, this one seems to be about the entire town and it's people. With a few couples featuring a bit more others. All in all a good story albeit a little over dramatic at times.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second time I’ve read this book. I love the characters and the small town. I really like the way Debbie Macomber portrays relationships and all the different challenges that her characters encounter.

[A. HAMBLY · Rating 5 out of 5]

The teacher and the farmer!

A heartwarming story of a dying farming community and the many families struggling to survive, while making every effort to keep their small town of Buffalo Valley from total collapse.