The Visitor

The English Garden #3

by Lori Wick

When Londoner Alexander Tate is thrown from his horse, it is his vision that suffers most. After placing patches over his eyes in hopes that rest will restore his sight, the doctor recommends that Tate leave the city to convalesce in the fresh air of the country.

Tate's aunt Harriet offers to go with him to Collingbourne, where she meets the Steele family. Warm and caring, the Steele siblings are surprisingly generous to the newcomers. Tate doesn't need his vision to know that when this family reaches out, the unexpected is bound to happen. And happen it does when Tate finds himself falling in love. Just one question remains. Will one of the beautiful Steele sisters love him in return?

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

304 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2003

About the author

FROM THE PUBLISHER:
Lori Wick is known as one of the most versatile Christian fiction writers on the market today. From pioneer fiction to a series set in Victorian England to a contemporary novel, Lori's books (over 5 million in print) continue to delight readers and top the Christian bestselling fiction list. Lori and her husband, Bob, live in Wisconsin with "the three coolest kids in the world."

Reviews

[Jenessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ugh, that book, it was sooo good!!! I have never read a book where the main character was blind, and the way he trusted God was so inspiring, I also loved the bond between the siblings, it was so sweet, there was even one scene where I started crying. I would recommend this to anyone who likes Christian romance.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn’t expecting this to be a dud. I loved the first two of the series so well that I decided to read it soon after...and this one has a completely different feel. The well-developed characters from previous books are one-dimensional here. A new character here is so tongue-tied around his family that he literally can’t ask them what they did that day, but he can talk to another person for hours on end. A man whose eyes are supposed to be getting no light is wearing “patches” instead of bandages (totally different purpose; patches wouldn’t block light around the edges). The characters gleefully lunch and honeymoon in 1812. They also frequent slang phrases like “get a move on” and “give it a go.” The unmarried women are having their lives ruined because their loves aren’t speaking to them of love but they’re expected to give encouragement before the men speak out and flirt a little to indicate interest first (say what...), and not flirting has put them in danger of dying old maids. An unmarried man hugs his female acquaintances.

All of that together adds up to a novel that distracts from the action and which makes it feel like the author’s perspective somehow changed from the earlier books.

Hopefully it’s a fluke and #4 is like the others!

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite book of The English Garden Series.

[Strawberry · Rating 2 out of 5]

The core problem with this book: It had all the negatives of a soap opera spin off from books 1&2.
(1) there's a blue billion characters ie new characters carry the story while old characters are still visited, consulted and used as filler.
(2) main character action is interrupted by uneventful scenes of conversations of other characters. Stretching a 15 chapter story to 22 chapters.
(3) even main character actions are sometimes meaningless to the story ie character A speaks to B and then B tells C everything that A said.
(3) jumping between scenes is often abrupt and confusing ie the story stars with Lizzy thinking of Ann and missing Edward. (I thought the main characters must be Lizzy and her beloved Edward, but no the story is to be about Cassandra and Tate, so who is Lizzy and Edward? Later Moreland is missed by Lizzy. Who's Moreland?)
(4) characters attend meetings where long monologues are given ie pastor sermons.

Because I dislike these aspects of soap operas, I felt generous in giving the book 2 stars. If it had just been cut down to the story of Cassie and Tate, it would have been so-o-o much better. It would have at least been a 3 and if Moreland and Lizzy's story had been more fully developed and woven in it could have been a 4.

[Judine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very fun! My only complaint is that the summary on the inside front flap was entirely misleading. However, the premise of Tate and Cassie's meeting and courtship is beautiful, and their doubts are effective in advancing and complicating the plot. Love, love, love the Steele brothers! (And I want someone to marry Henry Steele - there has to be a way to get another book in this series, right?

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Do you ever run from God? I don't mean literally, although that might be the case. I'm talking about the times you ignore what you're supposed to do. That's a form of running from God. How about the sin you know it's time give up? Guarding that sin and pretending you're not is running from God."

breezy enjoyable read that also encourages you spiritually. nice.

[Loraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love English period books, The Visitor the third in Lori Wick's English Garden series continues a great storyline.

[Edge · Rating 5 out of 5]

This isn’t a bad story. Nope, not one bit. But I enjoyed the others better. :) I was slightly confused at the beginning and thought it was about Lizzy and Tate…yeah, it’s about Tate and Cassie…whom I must admit, I absolutely love! ❤️ and Lizzy and Moreland are the others. So it sorta switches between the two of them. Oh and some of Henry too.

I’ve noticed this in like all the books I’ve read of hers; and I actually enjoy it…but it can get confusing when it’s suppose to be about Tate and Cassie. but Lizzy and Moreland are in there too.

[Gina Morales · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another cute historical Christian romance. Nice love story, quick read. The author does do a decent job of including previous beloved characters while telling the story of the newly introduced ones. It only has 4 stars instead of five because the flow isn’t as strong as previous books. This book was nice but not super great.

[Rhonda (IG: growing_faith.reads) · Rating 2 out of 5]

A re-read for me. Not as interesting as the last two in the series. A lot of scenes of one lady or another walking around picking flowers. And her love interest surprising her by showing up. And other ladies going through pregnancies. And as always lots of talking through feelings. And polite men.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this so much! England, 1810 with the Manors, tea time, gardens and carriages. Well written romance and an amazing message throughout of faith and prayer.

[Joy Lokey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aunt Harriet whisks her nephew Tate off to her home in Collingbourne, England to provide him rest and hopeful recovery of his eyesight after a tragic fall from his horse. She decides having an eligible young lady to come read to him will help him find the rest that he needs. When she first eyes Lizzy, quite taken by her beauty, I thought Lizzie was going to be the main female character in this story. However, when Aunt Harriet saw her younger sister with her freckles and red hair, she knew Cassie was the ideal girl to come read to Tate. We discover Lizzy's heart is already captivated with her brother Edward's traveling friend, though he seems to be oblivious to her attentions. With he and Edward away in Africa, she can only communicate through letters. Thus, her brother discloses to his friend of his sister's keen interest. This initiates his return with hopes to court her. Meanwhile Tate and Cassie are developing feelings for each other, yet Cassie cannot get past her own waning looks in comparison to her two beautiful sisters. So we are set up for the hopes of a potential double wedding toward the end of this story. Two love stories between these covers. Lori does a nice job of including a villain in this story, God's healing, as well as some well injected pastoral thoughts and sermons from the time period. I always appreciate revisits to previous characters in series. It is always hard to say goodbye when you end one story and start another in a series. I am just starting the fourth book and looking forward to discovering brother Edward's adventures, but already sad to know I will be saying goodbye to these characters and leaving this idyllic Community behind at the end of the last book.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a reason that Jane Austen and the Bronte Sisters are authors whose works are read, re-read, and turned into movies: they create vivid worlds where likeable, headstrong characters live.

Then there is this book, by Christian author Lori Wick. It will probably not be read beyond her faithful readership, nor will it ever be optioned for a film starring Kate Winslet.

The setup is rather trite: redhead Cassandra reads books (often in foreign languages) to temporarily blind Alexander Tate, and the two eventually fall in love. The biggest problem I have with Wick's books is that while she has two main protagonists, she always writes entire scenes and often chapters with secondary and tertiary characters from other books in the series. This is distracting, and it prevents the reader from getting fully into the story. Her research on life in Victorian England is seriously wanting and, while I've enjoyed a few of her other works, this series is best left on the shelf.

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Visitor is my favorite Lori Wick book I've read and I've read it many times through the years. I can't help but love romance involving a blind character. This whole series is charming, but the third book is my absolute favorite. So romantic and sweet.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lori Wick it one of my favorite authors. She is a christian fiction author who writes of things we can relate to in our everyday lives.

[Melissa’s Bookshelf · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this third book in the series. I wavered between 3 1/2 stars and 4. While the characters are endearing and enjoyable, I can't get past using modern phrasing when addressing Deity and also using modern scripture instead of the King James Bible. I think if you're going to place a story in the Regency era, you should at least try to keep with the customs of the time. This book was trying to decide whether it was a religious conviction story or a Regency romance. While I know you can do both at the same time, I think for those of us who like accuracy in historical fiction, it would have been nice if the author took the time to use Thee and Thine instead of You in keeping with the times and also used the King James Bible which would have been used at the time. Just my two cents... Still if you can look past this, it's a nice romance that continues the series. At has a very "Born Again Christian" feel to it, so if you like religion in stories to be more subtle, you may not like this.

[Jessica Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wonderful read. I really enjoyed getting to know the story of Mr. Alexander Tate and his trust in God and patience for healing from his accident on the horse leaving him blind and only bandages on his eyes. Elizabeth Steele was so kind to go to read to him daily/weekly and their company grew feelings for one another that could only flutter your heart and leave you anxious for the dairy tale ending. I recommended this book to a friend and hope many others enjoy the read as well. Unfortunately I started this one without knowing of the series but nevertheless enjoyed the read very much. Thank you Lori Wick for your faithfulness and love of God and including some scriptures in the story as a reminder to trust in God and his love. I needed that.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a great read. The story line was interesting, a man named Tate lost his sight and his grandmother had of one the Steele sister’s to read to him. Tate fell in love with her voice without and imagined her from her voice. Although he couldn't see her he knew she was a good person. Cassie was the least attractive sister and always felt that she would not be appealing to a man. She fell in love with Tate but was afraid of what would happen when his sight was restored. Without getting into each of her siblings one could feel their love for her.

In this story there was an opportunity to imagine what if, and to weave the story in a happy setting

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A man hopefully healing from his blindness is being read to by a young lady; an acquaintance of an acquaintance. The two seem to be developing feelings for one another, without the other realizing he/she is also interested. And a sister in the reader’s family is also missing cues from a family friend. I thoroughly enjoy Lori Wick’s inspirational historical romance fictions. I love the fact that in this series, the characters from previous books are companionably brought into each new story. I appreciate the chaste behavior of the couples, and how they tend to look at any worry or problem as an opportunity to pray about it, and trust God for the results.

[Diana C. Kobylak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice story hard to put down. Cassandra Steele is the youngest of three sisters and feels less pretty than her other two sisters, Charlotte, who just got married, and Lizzy. Cassy is recruited by Alexander Tate’s aunt to read to him as a prank initially because she knows more than one language. Alexander enjoyed Casey’s visit and requests that she keep coming. Lizzy is in love with her brother’s friend, who is also her childhood friend. The story is about their secret love for these men. Humorous and delightful story.

[Cara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve read several Lori Wick books including the first 2 of the English Garden series and have usually enjoyed them, this one was lacking for me. First, the storyline was all over the place. Trying to include past characters in the series honestly made it confusing. Secondly, the character development just wasn’t there. It was very surface level. Thirdly, the author’s obsession with mentioning “the wedding night” was awkward and unnecessary (I say this as a married woman of several years).

Overall, definitely not my favorite.

[Hannah Beth (Hannah's Book Cafe) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have really been enjoying this series. I love the humor and wit that Lori Wick writes with. I like the characters and I also like how straightforward they are. Do people actually talk so openly to others about people without it being gossip? While I'm sitting here reading I'm like, can we bring some of this honesty back? I don't know if that is just the author's writing style or if this is how it actually was back in Regency times. Anyway, pardon my rambling. 😅

I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the next one.

[Annette · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hate to say it, but this story was a bit tedious. I felt that it was overlong and had too many unnecessary scenes. It was rather boring at times and I thought of not finishing it. I persevered, and finally it was over. I also have to say it started out very well, with Cassie coming almost everyday to read to Tate, but somehow things got off track. Other characters had scenes that were not pertinent to the actual storyline, and felt like the author added them as fillers. I liked the story but it was overlong and boring at times.

[Donna Bagby · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Visitor Book 3 IBSN: 078625641-9

Alexander Tate is blinded (temporary?) in a horse accident. When one of the Steele sisters is asked to read (for relaxation) to Tate, he is intrigued. The story was a love story of the best kind. The love is generated from the heart of Tate without regards to beauty, but also causes self-doubt in Ms. Steele (who’s always been in her sisters’ shadow as far as beauty.)

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series is great for romantic escapist novels. Most of the characters are nauseatingly morally good people and the situations are fantastical but still the writing is fast paced enough to make the stories interesting. I mostly skip the detailed descriptions of tea parties and other such occasions to get to the story which makes it a fast and romantic read.

This book was not as good as the first 2.

[Christina Sinisi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lori Wick's books seem to affect me the same way--I learn something about my faith and I get a tiny bit annoyed at how many points of view there are. The latter is helpful to me, too, in that I learned something for my own writing--watch out not to have maybe no more than three points of view.

The beautiful Christian community and insights into the Bible are worth the read. And the sweet love.

[Shirley Conley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first book by the author but I do not think it will be my last. I really enjoyed this story. I must admit that it is a very girly book. The story is told by home locations of the characters. It is told in a conversational style. Very easy to read. Location – England. Time more than 200 years ago. But who cares, romance does not change.

[Kelly Nimegeers · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone who is interested in the way disabilities were managed in the olden days this book would be perfect for you. Lori takes Alex through a time of physical blindness so he can learn how to be a more empathetic towards people. He learns this through his companion Kate who comes to read with him everyday that is possible. They teach each other how to memorize verses from the bible.

[Linda Klinedinst · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listen to this through Audible as a Audio Book. I really enjoyed this book. It is a clean Light Romance Story. It is the kind that I like to read or to listen to.

I give this book 5/5 Stars.

I highly recommend this series - this book. I will be listening to the rest of the books in this Series.

Happy Reading :)