Becoming Lucy

Winds Across the Prairie #1

by Martha Rogers

Will heiress Lucinda Bishop learn the meaning of true love and forgiveness on the Oklahoma plains?  In 1896, after her parents’ deaths, seventeen-year-old heiress Lucinda Bishop is sent to Oklahoma to live with her aunt and uncle. But Oklahoma ranch life brings her more than she bargained for when she meets ranch hand Jake Starnes, a drifter who is running from his past. As her friendship with Jake grows, Lucinda faces emotions she’s never before experienced. As Jake learns more about God’s love for him, he realizes he must face his past and the consequences of his actions, even if it means he will lose the one girl he loves. Will he be able to get his life together before someone else claims her hand…or even her life?

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

304 pages, Paperback

First published December 16, 2009

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

Martha Rogers is a former schoolteacher and English instructor. She served as a newsletter editor for the writer's organization, Inspirational Writers Alive! for six years and is the state president. She is also the director for the annual Texas Christian Writer's Conference and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers.

Her first novel Not on the Menu (May 2007) is a part of Sugar and Grits, a novella collection with DiAnn Mills, Janice Thompson, and Kathleen Y'Barbo. Rogers has a Master's Degree in Education, worked for twenty-eight years as a secondary teacher, and has worked as a supervisory teacher at University of Houston Clear Lake and as an instructor of English Composition at Houston Community College. Martha and her husband live in Houston, Texas and have worked with teenagers at First Baptist Church for twenty-four years.

Reviews

[Ruth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Junky smarmy sacchrine sweet Christian romance. Nuff said.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I usually don't like romance unless it is in a adventures book setting however, Martha Rogers did such a wonderful story of love, redemption, and godly character that this book made my top 10 of 2011.

[Elizabeth Carpenter · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5-3 Stars

[Renee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had such high expectations for this book after seeing the beautiful cover and the cover blurb for this book. I had the idea, from the title, that this was going to be something of a coming of age story about a girl named Lucy. However it really wasn't so much about Lucy as it was about Jake in my opinion. The first few chapters (about Lucy) were very interesting but as I read on it seemed to drag along. I was waiting to discover who the person was who was attempting to harm one of the people on the Haynes' ranch but he dropped out of the picture and everyone seemed to forget about him which is kind of hard to believe. If someone tried to kill me, it would always be on my mind and trying to find out who the killer was would be a top priority for me and my family. The ending was sweet and just as I expected, a little predicable, but then again a lot of romance novels are. We know that everything will work out for the good of the main characters in the end.

I did enjoy the character of Aunt Clara, as she added a little spice to the book. I think it was unfortunate that we met her over halfway through the story as she could have added some fun and caused a stir with the townsfolk especially snotty Mrs. Frankston. But as Christian fiction goes this has a very strong spiritual message of things working out for those who love God and a very clean romance with nary a kiss until the end. If you enjoy that kind of book then you might like Becoming Lucy.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Becoming Lucy is a beautiful and exciting historical novel. At it's heart is the romance, but there is so much more to this book. After Lucinda's parents are killed in an accident, she journeys west to live with her aunt and uncle in the Oklahoma Territory. This is rough land and very different from the way Lucinda was raised in her prim and proper Boston home. But it doesn't take long for Lucinda to fall into the ways of ranch life and the love of her aunt, uncle, cousins and ranch hand Jake Starnes.


The whole story was enjoyable. I loved having the views of her aunt and uncle from time-to-time and their concern for Lucinda. I also enjoyed insights into Jake as he struggles with Christianity and what God and Jesus' sacrifice means for him. The book is thoughtfully put together and shows the good and bad of Christians. Everyone struggles with something in the book and they look to God to try and do their best.


The book also has plenty of excitement. I never found a dull moment, there always seem to be something going on. It also sets the stage for the next in the series and I can't wait to read that one. From the title of the next book (in the back of this one), I know who it is about and look forward to reading her story. I hope this series continues as their are others in the town of Barton Creek that I look forward to getting to know more. I loved reading about this community and especially the Haynes family.

[Carly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will keep my review short and sweet. I really don’t have a whole lot to say about Becoming Lucy except that I absolutely loved it. I loved everything about this book and I loved every moment. The main theme of this story is love. Not just the unconditional love God has for us, but also the love that a family can provide. Lucy’s aunt and uncle and cousins took her in when her parents died and treated her with complete and pure love. The love between Aunt Mellie and Uncle Ben was so sweet and a good example of how a husband and wife should regard each other. Most of the other characters in this story are charming and endearing and I enjoyed them all.

If Becoming Lucy is the kind of writing I can expect from all of Martha Rogers’ books, I will be a true fan. I’m so happy that Becoming Lucy is the first in the Winds Across the Prairie series. Not only because I look forward to reading another book by Martha Rogers, but also because I can look forward to seeing these characters again and enjoying the setting of the Oklahoma Territory. I highly recommend this book, it is a pure joy. Becoming Lucy has a place on my ‘favorite books’ shelf.

[Margaret Chind · Rating 1 out of 5]

I cannot do it. 60 pages was a struggle. I am just plain bored to tears. Where as most Christian Historical Fictions I read are excited and adventurous with vibrant descriptions where I can hear the wind blowing through the prairie grass and the horses whiny and the carriage rolls past there were none of those vibes for me here. If I were to describe others as vibrant and imaginative for me, this one is just dull. I am not certain what it is. The descriptions just are not there, it seemed to be more conversation than anything else and that was overly flowery and unrealistic. There is a chance that it could redeem itself and be a good book, but it is just not the one for me. If it cannot catch me by fifty pages, and by sixty I have to put it down from painful neglect of my imagination I just do not know what to say. Not for me, but it might be right up your alley.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sweet, basic love story in the American West. I almost gave it 3 stars because I thought it a bit slow, however my appreciation for the fact that the characters don't let their romance run away with them upped it to 4 stars. I really do like a clean story. I will look forward to reading the rest of the series sometime.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I honestly read this one because it had horses on the cover. I don't love historical fiction - I find it all feels much too formal. and I'm sorry, but an intentional gunshot is not an "accident."

[Bess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very nice clean adventure, sweet romance.

[Debby Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a very enjoyable read. I loved the Oklahoma setting and all the descriptions of the landscape and climate. Lucinda was a strong likeable character and found Jake's redemption heartwarming. I also enjoyed reading about the American Indian characters. I'm looking for book two in this series.

[Vicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was hard to get into and hard to keep your attention. I did appreciate how the author tried to incorporate morals and religion, but it felt a bit forced. So I rated this book three stars.
For the parental review: no bad language and no sexuality.

[enlam · Rating 3 out of 5]

as usual heavy handed with...everything but also Jake and his feelings was BEAUTIFUL. BUT. Would've had him cry at least once. Men crying is good and he didn't and he should've at least at 3 points. I needed Jake to cry.

[Chinyere · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's an amazing book like I couldn't stop reading it for one second.

[fifi fae · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

an okay book for what it was. might continue this series

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great read. I borrowed it from a friend and loved it!

The romance was spot on. I loved that the couple waited for the Lord's timing in their relationship instead of just acting on their feelings without any thought for their future's or pasts or being honest with one another (which seems to happen a lot in books these days. Annoying).

I loved Lucy's story. The respect she had for the opinions and guidance of her Aunt and Uncle was heartwarming and I loved seeing how her faith was changed and made even stronger after she moved from the big city to small town and ranch life.

Jake was great. The way he respected both Lucy and her aunt and uncle's wishes in not pursuing a relationship until he had his life on track and a relationship with Christ was wonderful. He was such a great guy already, that when he finally did take that step and become a Christian, it was such a sweet moment. I felt like I was right there in the room being a witness to his transformation.

Overall, I loved this book. It was so sweet and heartwarming. It had great faith messages and the plotline was intriguing as well.

The only slight complaint I have is that I felt like things weren't completely resolved between the characters. There is this uncle that is supposedly after Lucy's fortune. In the end, we don't actually find out what happened to him. I suppose the author tells you in book two, but I've always hated when books don't wrap everything up with their characters. If it was a three book series just about Lucy, I'd be okay with it. But the next book is about her friend, Dove. Which means, that throughout book two, the author will probably be explaining more of Lucy's history so the reader gets to know how it all ended. Kind of a bit irritating having two characters stories overlap like that. I would have liked everything to be concluded in the end so I could continue and enjoy her friends story in book two without having to backtrack into Lucy's story.

Other than that, it was a satisfying ending. I thought the story in general was really good.

[Lori · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had a hard time deciding what to say about this book. It was not at all what I expected, but it turned out to be okay. The story didn't flow smoothly, in my opinion, and I was easily distracted, but I was determined to finish it so I could give an honest review.

At the beginning of the story, we meet Lucinda Bishop, just as she's leaving her parents funeral. Next, we travel with her to the Oklahoma Territory, where she will be living with her Aunt Mellie and Uncle Ben, and their 2 children, Matt and Becky. Here we meet Jake Starnes, who works for her uncle, but has only been around for about six months. Right off the bat, there are sparks between Lucinda and Jake, though they've only known one another for a few days. But, since Jake is an unbeliever, Lucinda must bury her growing feelings of love towards him. From here on out, the story goes all over the place.

If you're not a fan of "preachy" romances, then you probably won't enjoy this book. A good portion of the story revolves around getting Jake to see that God loves him and will forgive him for his sins, no matter how big they are. While I completely agree, when I pick up a romance, that's what I'm looking forward to reading about. I felt that Becoming Lucy was seriously lacking in that aspect.

However, I did enjoy getting to know the many different characters, especially Dove Morris and her family. I can't imagine how hard it must be to grow up in a town where you are looked down upon by many of the townspeople. It would be devastating to have your friends be told by their parents that they're not allowed to associate themselves with you because of your heritage. It was nice to see Lucinda and her family stand up to the opposition and become close friends with the Morris family. Dove will have her own book, Morning for Dove, set to release in May 2010.

*Many thanks to Realms for providing me with this ARC copy to review, via FIRSTWildCard Tours.*

[Delia · Rating 5 out of 5]

1896 Oklahoma

When 17-year-old Lucinda Bishop loses both parents in a carriage accident, the young heiress must leave her home in Boston and travel to live with relatives in the untamed Oklahoma territory. It’s a far cry from the refined surroundings to which she’s accustomed, but Lucinda determines to make the best of her circumstances. She’s blessed to have a loving family who are willing to welcome her into their home—and to protect her from the danger she doesn’t even know stalks her every step.

Lucinda’s sheltered past leaves her ill-prepared for many things about her new life…perhaps most of all her heart’s reaction to handsome ranch hand Jake Starnes.

Jake is running from a past that could very well destroy any future he might have with the beautiful girl from Boston. As she and her family introduce him to a God Who loves him regardless of his mistakes, Jake comes to realize that he must return to the very place he ran away from, though doing so will almost certainly mean his death.

Will God make a way where there seems no way for Jake and Lucinda?

A sweet, heart-tugging romance with a strong thread of faith woven throughout. The Haynes family and Lucinda are wonderful examples of what it means to utterly depend on God, and to possess simple, unswerving belief that He is and that He cares. Martha Rogers’ has peopled her first novel with well-rounded, believable characters; authentic historical detail; a touch of humor; a healthy dollop of emotion; and page after page of riveting reading. Becoming Lucy is a wonderful introduction to the Winds Across the Prairie series. I eagerly anticipate a return trip to Barton’s Creek, Oklahoma and the wonderful folks who call it home.

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the tale of a young lady who was raised in a wealthy, formal household in the late 1800s in Boston, MA. Her parents are killed in a horrible accident and she finds herself alone at 17. Her aunt and uncle from Oklahoma Territory take her in and Lucinda has to learn to adjust to a whole new way of life.

Life is far less structured on a cattle ranch and it takes Lucinda a little while to adjust. In her formal life she lived a life of comfort with servants to care for her. She had no idea how to cook or do chores. She also has had very little contact with young men.

On her first day in Oklahoma she meets a ranch hand named Jake and sparks fly. But Jake is harboring a secret. Lucinda slowly learns how to live on a ranch and her relationship with Jake develops; but Lucinda is deeply Christian and Jake has fallen away from the early religious training of his youth. Lucinda's Uncle Ben provides Jake with a Bible and answers his questions but Jake feels he has done something so horrible that even God won't forgive him.

As time passes and Lucinda and Jake start feeling more for each other Jake finally comes to believe that God will indeed forgive him but he must face his past.

Lucinda too, must learn to throw off her past and learn to live and love a more relaxed lifestyle and "become Lucy." Will she have Jake by her side? Her faith in God will certainly pull her through.

I did enjoy the book and found that once I started it was hard to put it down. The tales of life in the Old West seemed to to the time and the romance grew slowly. The tragedy suffered by the town in the story helped to pull everyone together and I found the ancillary characters to be fun.

[Tamara Tilley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read BECOMING LUCY in an odd roundabout way. I actually read MORNING FOR DOVE first, as part of a review group I belong to. I enjoyed it enough that I wanted to start at the beginning and get the background on some of the characters. Though BECOMING LUCY was entertaining, I think I enjoyed MORNING FOR DOVE more.

BECOMING LUCY is about Lucinda Bishop, a soon to be heiress that travels west to live with her aunt and uncle. Once there, this city bred girl learns the subtle differences between Boston and Oklahoma. At first, Lucinda is uncomfortable with the casualness of life, but soon discovers she likes the relaxed attitude and one hired hand in particular. She knows she shouldn’t have such feelings for Jake Starnes, someone she just met, but somehow her heart trumps her head.

Jake Starnes is a hired hand for Ben and Amelia Haynes. A quiet guy with a sad disposition, he finds himself captivated by the beautiful Lucinda. With a jaded past and an uncertain future, he knows he has nothing to offer Lucinda. But soon, he realizes he is willing to do anything to be with her, even if it means losing his life.

There were definite high notes in BECOMING LUCY, but there were also opportunities lost. The dangerous relationship between she and her treacherous uncle in Boston could have been played out so much better, and the time Lucinda and Jake spent apart seemed tiresome to the reader. Not quite as captivating as MORNING FOR DOVE, but still an enjoyable read.

[🤌✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

In 1896, after Lucinda's parents die, she moves from Boston to the Oklahoma territory to live with her Aunt Mellie, Uncle Ben, and cousins Becky and Matt on their ranch. While getting acquainted to the rustic lifestyle Lucinda catches the eye of Uncle Ben's troubled ranch-hand Jake, and vice versa. Unfortunately, Jake isn't a believer, not to mention the fact that he's hiding a few secrets from his dark past. Should Lucy forget all about Jake and settle for Luke, the shop-keeper's son, or should she follow her heart?
All in all, this book is exactly what I was expecting; It wasn't an amazing (or even slightly addicting at all) read, but it was a love story. This is HEAVILY Christian compared to other Christian romances that I have read. The heavy Christian influence really bothered me even though it was probably more realistic for how people lived their lives back then (the turn of the 20th century). Another thing that bothered me is that EVERYTHING was predictable. You know Jake's secret, you know what Lucy will do, you even know who the bad guy is (I'm not elaborating to avoid spoilers).
Final Word: If you want a good Christian romance (or even just a good romance) look to Deeanne Gist or Steeple Hill.

[Jess Bower · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot is really interesting but honestly, the writing was so hard for me to enjoy. There were a ton of repeated phrases, the characters weren't very well developed (as in no one really had a personality and the author hammers in each person's struggle every time we're in their perspective), there are 4 POVs, 2 of which are pretty much unnecessary, and the author mostly tells us everything instead of showing us.
I really wanted to enjoy this book but I also wanted to out it down like 10 times. I stayed just to see how she got to the ending I already knew would happen about 50 pages in and even that wasn't really satisfying. Honestly, this was more of a 1 star read for me but I did like the basic plot points and what happened in the book.
Great idea, good bones, terrible execution.
Also, it's a horrible representation of strong Christians, in my opinion. The Christianity here is almost completely shallow and very preachy and I just did know who the audience for the evangelism moments were really supposed to be. It felt like it was trying to evangelize me but in already a christ follower and I can't see any non Christians ever picking up this book so it was just confusing.
Anyway, hope that helps.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book from the Goodreads Book Giveaways and I'm so grateful I did! Becoming Lucy was a great book that took place in the Oklahoma Territory during the 1800's. The main character, Lucinda Bishop, was dealing with the grievances of losing both her parents in Boston, when it was decided that she would move with her Aunt and Uncle back West, until she was of age to receive an inheritance left by her parents. While learning to become accustomed to the ways of Barton Creek, Lucinda starts to fall in love with her uncle's ranch help-hand, Jake. But, things from his past prevent him from moving on with a good future. Will he be able to deal with his past with enough time to make a home and marry Lucinda, or will fate have something else written in the stars? Will he get to her before someone else claims her, or even her life? This work by Martha Rogers is a great tale of Christian Faith and belief and the power of repenting, forgiveness, and greatest of all, the all-conquering power of love!

[Fv · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes I wonder about an author. Do they really read what they write? I was enjoying this book, quite a lot , until the pumpkin.

No who can take a hard pumpkin, and clean out the pulp? That is exactly what the author wrote. "Plopped down the melon then said, "We have a nice big pumpkin to clean out."

So they proceeded to get the seeds,... you know, now I am waiting for the thing to be baked next.

Nope, not this pumpkin, it is a special one I guess.

It is now ready for the pulp to be taken out. "In less than ten minutes", this 'special' pumpkin was an empty shell. One pan held pulp and another held seeds.

Really? Is the author,who is writing about old west,not familiar with pumpkin hardness until it is cooked? Usually baked, then the pulp is soft enough to take out. The seeds cannot be baked if a person plans to plant them.

This made the author look like a dim wit and really brought down a book, that was otherwise pretty good reads.

[Holly (2 Kids and Tired) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some books you just connect with, and others you don't. This one sounded very promising and the cover just invites you to pick it up. Becoming Lucy was a historical novel that just fell flat for me. Oh, I liked Lucinda well enough, although she and her family were just a bit too perfect. Jake was a nice guy, but his story was predictable. Some of the characters are a bit colorful, which helped. The conflict between Lucinda and her uncle was washed over and wrapped up too neatly. I think the premise held a lot of potential, but delivered little. My copy is an ARC and I found many inconsistencies and annoying editing details that I hope are cleaned up in the final version.

Clean, Christian romance that will appeal to many, just not to me this time.

[Carman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucinda Bishop is a girl who has lost everything that is dear to her, and is trying to find her place in life following the death of her parents. Jake Starnes has endured too much tragedy in his young life, and doesn’t believe that God loves him and can forgive his past sins. Lucy’s aunt, uncle, and cousins all love and support these two and encourage them to be their very best.

The mystery shootings also added an element of suspense to this book, without making it a suspenseful book, if you know what I mean. I’ve always loved the cowboy code of honor, and how they take care of damsels in distress, so I automatically fell in love with the cowboys who helped Lucy. I really liked this book and its characters and am looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

[NatalyaVqs · Rating 2 out of 5]

Its a great name for a novel that held such promise. The story itself wasn't half bad either. However, is ALL Christian romance this BORING? This was so goody goody, it drove me nuts, but I did finish it so I guess it counts for something. I am not talking wanting steamy scenes here, I am thinking the way the characters thought was stiltifyingly and unnaturally wholesome. The worst was the protagonist being at ease with the fact that the love of his life may have found someone else, its Gods will, he thought, so its OK, therefore? What about putting up a fight, some fight at least, maybe for appearances sake??? Guess this is just not my genre...

[Lana Jackson · Rating 3 out of 5]

1889, Lucinda comes from Boston to Oklahoma Territory to live with her Aunt Mellie and Uncle Ben on their ranch after her parents die. Lucinda falls in love with Jake, a ranch hand who is not a Christian, and he has a past that must be confronted.

The first half of the book deals mainly with internal struggles of the characters. The second half contains more action and obstacles. And, the addition of outspoken Aunt Clara (Uncle Ben's Aunt) adds spice to the story.

Historical point - People from the East were surprised by the shortening of first names. Folks in the West were less formal.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed Martha Rogers' Becoming Lucy. While I didn't "love" it, I enjoyed spending time with the heroine, Lucinda, as she adapts to her new life in Oklahoma Territory. I enjoyed getting to know Lucy's family (aunt, uncle, cousins, ranch hands, etc.), and the romance was nice. I didn't exactly like the one dimensional villain element of the story. If a villain isn't worthy of being an actual character with substance beyond a one sentence description, then they might as well not be there. I thought the hero's past added enough conflict to this one, Lucy's life didn't need to be in danger from cover to cover.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very interesting and I really enjoyed it. Basically it is about a young girl who is forced to live with her Aunt and Uncle in Oklahoma. She finds true love, Jake Starnes, but says she will never marry him, nor him marry her. There are a lot of plot twists that are exciting. The only negative thing I have to say is that there are a lot of short sentences, like "He'd never marry anyone." Other than that the story was quite enjoyable. In the novel, Lucinda, or Lucy if you will, may have a stalker. The story gets better, but you have to read it to find out. All in all, I would recommend this book, especially to those who love romance novels but with lots of plot twists.