Snow Angel

by Jamie Carie

When Noah Wesley heard the faint sound outside the door of his remote Alaskan mountain cabin during a violent nighttime blizzard, it was no less than the voice of God that urged him to take a closer look, soon to discover his snow angel.

Unconscious and more than half frozen to death, her name, as Noah would later learn after boldly saving her life, was Elizabeth, a beautiful young woman, fragile yet fierce, and intent on discovering gold like so many others in that region during the late 1800s.

But why Elizabeth was so drawn to the gold, and why she would chase it even through a pounding storm that no man would dare face, was a secret to be shared with no one else, not even at the inviation of Noah's deep blue trusting eyes.

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

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Born and raised in Vincennes, Indiana, Jamie is a preacher’s daughter. Road trips with her dad—to and from Bible studies across Indiana—were filled with talks of things beyond earth’s bounds – creation and the fall, God and Jesus and the rapture, the earthly walk compared to the spiritual walk, and how we are born for more than what we can see or touch. The highlight of those nights was stopping at a truck stop in the middle of the night where her dad spent a little of the offering basket on two slices of pie and a couple of Cokes.

And nothing could stop the writing pouring out of her.

Piles of poems, short stories, skits and song lyrics later, Jamie grew up and married. When her eldest son turned five she decided to try her hand at novels. Eight years and lots of rejection letters later, Snow Angel was published and won ForeWord Magazine’s Romance Book of the Year, a USA Book News “Best Books 2007” Awards winner, and 2008 RITA® Awards Best First Book finalist. In 2010 Wind Dancer was a finalist in the Indiana State Library Best Books of Indiana. It was the beginning of her dream career.

With seven books currently in circulation and her first three book series coming in 2012, Jamie has made an impressive contribution to the inspirational, historical romance genre featuring heroines who are fierce in their beliefs and love. Romantic Times exclaimed, "Carie is a welcome new voice in the inspirational fiction market." And, "Carie writes with her heart on every page of her books." Jamie has a passion for history and believes in the power of love stories. She lives with her husband and three boys in Indianapolis, Indiana.

If she could only say one thing to her readers it would be, “Live the dreams God has destined you for!”

Books:

Snow Angel
The Duchess and the Dragon
Wind Dancer
Love's First Light
Angel's Den
Pirate of my Heart
The Snowflake (a Christmas novella)

Coming in 2012:
The Forgotten Castles Series (A continuous series to be read in order)
The Guardian Duke
The Forgiven Duke
A Duke's Promise

Contacting Jamie:

Jamie's website - http://www.jamiecarie.com
Jamie's blog - http://jamiecarie.com/blog
Jamie's Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/jamie.carie
Jamie's Twitter - https://twitter.com/#!/jamiecarie

Jamie's email: jamie@jamiecarie(dot)com

Reviews

[Andrea Cox · Rating 1 out of 5]

After loving Pirate of My Heart, I was hoping this would be another wonderful book by this author. Unfortunately, it was a complete miss for me. By page twelve, there were two profanities, one expletive, nudity, improper mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, and two chapter-opening fragments. I gave this book a chance for seventy-four pages, because I was reading it for several challenges (I'll have to find a new book(s) for those categories now), and I ran across one more expletive. I have a suspicion they were going to keep coming at fairly regular intervals.

When I came upon talk of the "small mounds of her breasts against his chest," I knew my suspicions about the earlier sensual material were only preludes for the disgusting junk that was to be included in this story. If I wanted to read trashy, lusty books, I'd shop Harlequin's non-inspirational lines. But I got this one at a Christian bookstore about eight or ten years ago, which is quite alarming.

I'm now concerned about what content I possibly missed in the copy of Pirate that I have. I'll be pulling that out and rereading it to make sure I'm not harboring more disguised garbage. I'll also be extra cautious when trying the other books by this author that I have on my shelves.

I'm completely disappointed right now.

I was not compensated for my honest review.

[kari · Rating 2 out of 5]

Elizabeth, the main character in this story, is inconsistent and not a character to whom I was ever able to connect. Simply everyone was willing to accept whatever uncaring and unthinking thing she did because she had this terrible history, but no one knew anything about her, so why would they sympathize with her? Her determination to head off into the gold rush of Alaska with a group of men she doesn't know after having been sexually assaulted and then using flirting, etc to get her way just seems way off. Here's another example of her, well, stupidity is the only thing I can say. She's hot and tired so she decides she must have a bath in the cold stream in full view of other men, as pointed out by Noah, but snippy again and well aware that the villain could find her at any moment, she simply must do it, so she strips down and, lo and behold, the bad guy, Ross, finds her unclothed in the stream. Surprise. Now Noah must save her.
Also, her continuous lies to absolutely everyone, even women who befriend her, whom she could trust, she won't because, well, she just won't. Plus her need to continually tell people she was just as tough as they were while proving over and over again that she was anything but as tough, overdone.
Thankfully, the character of Noah is better drawn, but why he falls for her isn't ever made clear. It seems that this woman appears on his doorstep during a blizzard and that's all it took and her snippiness with him and everyone along the way was irritating. Their love story wasn't believable.
The characters of Jane, Elizabeth's mother, and Ben, Jane's husband were actually characters I liked best and they only showed up at the end. The detectives letters added to the plot, knowing that her mother was looking for her.
There are lots of mixed metaphors, strange descriptions and odd phrasing. In many instances the wrong word is being used and the whole book could have used more diligent proofreading. Unbelief isn't correct, it's disbelief and restrained instead of restraint. There are dozens more examples I could list. I know these are little things, but they stopped the flow of the story and made it a more difficult read.
The extra bit of melodrama at the end, when Elizabeth has become wealthy and leaves for New York City to meet society folks and buy pretty dresses was beyond silly. It seemed to imply that even the man who loves her believes she's so shallow and money-grubbing that she'll never come back to him and his simple life. Badly done. The religious bits are somwehat heavy-handed, almost as if they're shoved in to make it fit the faith-based romance genre.
I enjoy a light romance novel, but I'm sorry I didn't like this one and wouldn't recommend it.

[Katie (hiding in the pages) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elizabeth was given away for adoption as a young girl and had a rough upbringing. When she gets lost in a storm in Alaska years later, Noah rescues her. She is on the run from an abusive investigator, hired by her equally evil adoptive parents.

I like how kind her friends, Will and Cara, are. Noah is also a very understanding man and is very patient and forgiving. I like the growth that Elizabeth went through.

Content: mention of a rape, no details. Otherwise, clean.

[Joanie Bruce · Rating 1 out of 5]

I could not finish this book. The story opens with a bang, but it lost my interest a few chapters in. I was excited to discover answers to questions hinted at in the beginning of the book, but as a Christian, I could not keep reading a story with inappropriate language, nudity, and the teasing sexually charged scenes. The male main character is supposed to be a Christian, but a man who is close to God would never follow through with the behavior he exhibited during the first few pages of the book. Even though I read 3/4 of the book, I just could not finish. Determining the ending of the story was not worth reading if I had to wade through these types of scenes.
Over all, I give this book one star. I’m sorry for the author, but it is not a book I would recommend for Christian reading.

[Kelly Moran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed for BookPleasres. See below:
To summarize Snow Angel, by Jamie Carie in one word- intense. This book is Jamie Carie’s debut novel and she has another to be released this April. She resides with her husband and three children in Indianapolis, Indiana.
In an Alaskan cabin, during a brutal blizzard, Noah Wesley, believes he hears God Himself urging him to open the door. There he finds Elizabeth, barely clinging to life and half frozen, unconscious on his very doorstep. She keeps her horrid past of her adoptive parents, a rape, and the man who has been chasing her clear across the country hidden from everyone, claiming she was only after one thing- gold. But Elizabeth was swiftly becoming much more than a damsel in distress to Noah. He was learning, the hard way, that she was far from it, she was the woman he dared to love. If only she’d stay still long enough.
Taking place mostly in 1897, during the famous gold rush, this historical romance charges you on a never-ending roller coaster of emotions. Opening with a prologue of Elizabeth’s birth mother, Jane, you are forced to swipe away tears at the torrent of pain and sadness. Dropped immediately into the storm where Noah found Elizabeth, and on to the adventure later in the book, you find yourself at the edge of your seat, overcome with heart pounding tension. The snippets of her past are carefully dropped, along with letters to her birth mother from the private investigator she hired, adding fuel to the fire. And then, of course, there’s the love between them… never quite relaying what they covet, what they really feel. It breaks your heart over and over again.
The only real criticism I have for this book is that the author, for future books, should be a bit more careful in phrasing and word choices. In historical fiction, it is always best to try, whenever possible, to incorporate dialog and phrasing to days of yore- as they would have then. There really wasn’t much to draw me to the present, but I feel it would only aid in a more engaging view of the times and people to have more of it there.
I’m not entirely sure what Jamie Carie did before she began writing novels, but I think it’s safe to say she can quit her day job. She masterfully portrayed these characters in a light, to which, make them very believable in the reader’s eyes. The plot flowed well, and this was immensely difficult to put down. It was a pleasure to learn a bit of history about the gold rush, as seen through the characters, and about the Alaskan terrain. This was an evocative and poignant tale, one I won’t soon forget.

Kelly Moran,
Author and Reviewer

[Julie Graves · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elizabeth’s birth mother was forced to give her up to an orphanage when Elizabeth was two. For almost 20 years her mother has been searching for her.

Elizabeth has gold fever. She is on her way to the Yukon to find her fortune. She is also running from a man who has already harmed her. In search of a man she was told would be a good guide Elizabeth gets lost in a snowstorm. She stumbles onto Noah’s doorstep and by some miracle he is able to breathe life back into her.

Being chased by her past Elizabeth is forced to run away from the man that she loves. Noah is not about to let her go so easily so he follows her to the Yukon. The only problem is that he is not the only man following Elizabeth.

With much heart-stopping adventures and dangers Jamie Carie has woven a very captivating novel. I enjoyed this novel very much and find that it is very appropriate for Young Adults as well as Adult readers.

[Karol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why on earth did I read this book? I generally don't like Romance as a genre. To be honest, I picked it up for cheap a year or so ago. The wintry weather in my area prompted me to finally pick up "Snow Angel". And although this genre is not my typical thing, I did enjoy this book quite a lot.

Elizabeth is a flawed character, although not as guilty as she makes herself out to be. She is small but determined, and hardship has made her strong - yet there is an emotional vulnerability that makes her lovable.

Turns out a lot of people are looking for Elizabeth, some with noble and others with evil intent. Through it all is a mother's love - and a heavenly father's love - that just won't quit.

Throw in the setting of the Alaska territory during the 19th century gold rush, and you've got one heck of a story, indeed.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

The statement about this book being a can't-put-it-down was true. I started reading the book yesterday evening and finished it tonight. It is a wonderful love story--man and woman, mother and child, friend to friend, etc. There was one particularly poignant part where Noah comes to realize that there is a danger in being so overcome by another person, that you can "forget" God in your life--you place the other person in God's spot and stop being as attentive to Him as you may previously have been or should be. We must always keep those in our lives in perspective. God is over all, and we should not push Him out of our lives and minds because we have another person there.

[Emilee]

Loved this story! It is about a girl who is broken inside and has struggled all of her life. She grew up as an ophan but got adopted by a wicked couple. She stumbles upon a man who brings her in and takes care of her till she is back on her feet. Noah Wesley is an honorable man who is kind and sweet. I was drawn to the characters pretty quickly and read this book within two days. It was pretty hard to put down. Of course, it is a romance so be sure to read this when the children have gone to bed because you will not want to put it down.

[hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and am really disappointed that the other ones are not available in ebooks. It's a beautiful story of believing in go(o)d

[Ronda Tutt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was a great love story, it made me happy, sad, and cry. When I finished this book, I just hugged the book because it was an emotional happy ending.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy read, suspenseful novel including a little romance and friendship. Takes place in Alaska and I enjoyed the beautiful landscape descriptions.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've recently learned of Jamie Carie and wanted to read some of her books. I started with "The Duchess and the Dragon" which I would give a 5 star rating. So I was excited to read more of Jamie's novels.

Snow Angel started by making me cry, worry and intrigued all within the first 2 chapters. I had high hopes!

But as the book went on, I started to feel the weight of the details and descriptions as they trekked through the cold Alaskan/Canadian terrain. After so many sections of it, I found myself skimming ahead trying to find the plot line again.

The author was super detailed, about every tiny thing. I like a well set scene as much as the next person, but I found myself wanting more dialogue. I feel it would have served the book better to cut some chapters out.

Decent. Interesting story line. Might read again in the far future. 3 stars is a fair rating.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy Jamie Carie books and this one didn't let me down!

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Based in the late 1800's, Snow Angel is about a young girl named Elizabeth who was given away by her birth mother as an infant. She went through a couple of orphanages and then ended up being adopted by a very horrible set of parents. When the Alaska gold rush came around and Elizabeth had a chance to escape her horrible adopted parents she took it! She was then followed by a man who was paid by her adopted parents to find her, she had to continually be on the run, never trusting anyone or staying one place. Somehow she ended up on the porch of a man named Noah. Noah took an interest in her but could not get through to her tormented soul. Can Elizabeth stay safe from the man who hunts her and wants to destroy her life and can Noah convince her that he loves her and can keep her safe. Can both Noah and Elizabeth follow the voice and direction of God?!

Jamie Carie did a great job with developing characters that you just connected with right from the start. Even from the beginning you wanted to continue reading as fast as you could to see what was going to happen to poor Elizabeth. I really enjoyed this story because it encourages those that have struggled with broken families, hurt relationships and bad experiences that you can overcome those situations and learn to love again! It's very inspirational and encouraging!

[Allyson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firsts things first: I really did like this storyline. I have only read one series that took place during the Alaskan gold rush. (Now that I've typed that I realize how irrelevent that is. Anywho...)

Now: My biggest pet peeve (and a lot of authors do this, and it isn't really a big deal, but it still irritates me...) is that they spell "OK" instead of "Okay". Usually I can ignore it, but Ms. Carie seems to have her characters say this constantly. Every other chapter it's "OK" "OK" "OK". I know, I'm really picky.

The other thing that I find that bothers me (though not a whole lot) is that, just as Elizabeth says, the end came like a fairytale. I was happy with the turn out with Noah and Elizabeth, but the real ending is more than that. There are other details and subplots that have to be resolved, well..one in particular. That is the beauty of this story though: it's not just a romance. I love it when authors write stories that have a plot that has more than one focus.

I'd like to say more about the ending, but I can't think of a way that wouldn't spoil it. You'd have to read it yourself.

[Barbara ★ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a novel about the gold rush in Alaska and a young woman (Elizabeth) who is running from her past. Her mother (Jane) was forced to give her up when she was two years old and has spent the last 20 years searching for her. Elizabeth meets Noah in Alaska and falls in love but with all her baggage she doesn't feel safe with him and flees to the Klondike to mine for gold. Noah follows and what happens next is a really sweet ending to a good story.

Great characters and wonderful scenery. A great read.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was totally amazing!!

I loved Elizabeth and Noah together. I loved how they interacted with one another.
Elizabeth was running from some pretty frightful people. And, she was on a mission to strike it rich in the Alaskan gold mines.

This book does not disappoint.Right from the first page Jamie Carie writes with lots of adventure and mystery.

Jamie Carie is one of the best authors I've ever read. Everyone of her books that I've read has been so full of adventure, intrigue and romance.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. There was history about the gold rush in Alaska that was interesting. There was a Christian element to this book but very little preaching and more about how the character listened to God and some prayers. The characters didn't pull me in like I like, but I found the story enjoyable and it moved very well. It was not predictable and had me wondering where it was going to go. There is a rape scene in this book and I thought it was handled well and not too descriptive and over all there were just some things that made this an adult read.

[Marcie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a Christian romance about a woman on the Yukon trail during the Alaskan gold rush. I enjoyed the descriptions of the scenery and the details of life on the trail, but I felt that the characters could have used more depth. They seemed to fall in love and reveal deep secrets too easily to be real people. But the story was interesting, and I learned a lot about that particular time in history.

[Loraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first Jamie Carie novel and I definitely look forward to reading more by this author. I specially enjoyed the setting of this novel as it takes place in Alaska and the Yukon. Having traveled there it reminded me of a lot that I had seen and the author did a great job of describing the ruggedness and well as life during the time of the gold rush period. I also liked the fact that she portrayed the characters as real live people - warts and all.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book! I know some of the reviews said Elizabeth was hard to identify with but I think that's because most of us can't imagine what she went through. I did find myself at some places going "Come on lady! Really?!" But I think that was just part of her character! Overall I loved it and wished it was a little longer or had an epilogue so I knew what happened after she came back. I was sad to say goodbye at the end!

[Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the beginning and the end the best. I grow tired of the "normal" Christian type books. This one was on the verge but it really kept my attention. I really liked how real she made the characters. You could actually relate to the characters and their attitudes were grounded in the real world.

[Nanette · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a ok story set in Alaska in the late 1800s. It has romance, mild suspense, and mystery. Elizabeth's character didn't draw me in primarily because her main preoccupation in life did not appeal to me whatsoever. Wouldn't catch me standing in a freezing river in freezing Alaska even if there was gold in it!

[Toniu · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story about a girl who was taken away from her mother when she was born. This is the story of what her life was like for 18 years while her mother hired a detective to try and find her a fter she was taken away. I loved this book because it had a really good plot and it was written to make you believe that you were actually there while the stroy was happening.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two-year-old Elizabeth is taken from her unwed mother by her Grandfather and placed in an orphanage. Fast forward 20 years and Elizabeth is now in Alaska trying to 'strike it rich' in the gold rush. We learn of her past in bits and pieces as she pushes to keep love, trust and friendship out of her life. A heart-warming love story, but with very predictable dialog and outcomes.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this combination of christianity, romance, and historical fiction involving the Alaskan gold rush in the late 1800's. There was always something happening to make me want to keep reading, even though I needed to put the book down and do something more productive!

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, although it wasn't my favorite by Carie. I am still not sure I have entirely gotten over my disenchantment with stories about the Alaskan gold rush, so that may have influenced in my enjoyment of the story. Overall a good story and memorable characters.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a refreshing and inspiring story. I loved the characters and the way the story flowed. I found myself not being able to put this book down, I just had to find out what happened to Elizabeth and Noah. This was a quick and beautiful book.

[Emily Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. A very gripping start it drew me right in. I enjoyed learning about the gritty life of the gold hunters in the Yukon, wow! I would have loved for the story to keep going since I liked Elizabeth & Noah so much.