Sunday, August 09, 2009

Review and Giveaway: The Moon Looked Down


I like romance novels. I like happy endings, easy plotlines, and good feelings. Sometimes I've wished there was a happy medium between bodice-busters with their bedhopping and multiple vivid sex scenes and Christian romance novels that can be just too sweet to be true. Dorothy Garlock delivered such a book with The Moon Looked Down. Set in the 1940's in a small Illinois town, it is the story of Cole, born and raised in the town, and Sophie, a recent immigrant from Germany. The story opens with the local thugs burning Sophie's family's barn, hoping to run the "Nazis" out of town (despite the fact that her family fled Germany because of the Nazis). Cole was just returning to town to teach high school math. He had been in Chicago for college and had worked there for years. He returns, hoping for, among other things, a reconciliation with his father, from whom he had been estranged since his mother's death. Cole has a deformed leg, which causes some people to pity him, and is keeping him out of the army. While most romance novels feature some sort of conflict between the hero and heroine that keeps them apart until the end, the conflict in this book is from the guys who burned the barn, and it ends up drawing Cole and Sophie together.

The book has one sex scene and it happens before marriage. It was reasonably descriptive but more tender than passionate.

If this sounds like your kind of book, this is your lucky day. Anna at Hatchette is allowing me to give away five copies. For one entry, leave a comment with your name and address. For a second comment, blog about this giveaway, and leave a second comment with a link to your post. For third, fourth and fifth entry, leave comments on other book review posts of mine, saying why you think you would or wouldn't like that book, and then leave comments here telling me the name of the book on which you commented.

Rules: US and Canada only, no P.O. Boxes. Winners will be drawn August 30. Good Luck!

25 comments:

  1. I also like books that are a happy medium between bodice busters and Christian fiction. That being I tend to stick with YA fiction but even that is sometimes full of language and sex. The Twilight series is probably the most recent I've read that is pretty clean. I would really like to read The Moon Looked Down, it looks terrific. I'll blog about it on my blog tonight! Thanks for the chance to win!

    steelergirl83(at)gmail(dot)com

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  2. I blogged about it!
    http://steelergirl83.blogspot.com/2009/08/book-giveaway-moon-looked-down-by.html

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  3. I left a comment on your review of A Hope of Refuge.

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  4. Also left a comment on Blue Enchantress! :-)

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  5. Sounds like a good book. Lots of great giveaways this week. Please enter me

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  6. What a wonderful book and I love the amazing story. thanks for this great giveaway. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

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  7. I read the review and I would love to win this giveaway.

    cenya2 at hotmail dot com

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  8. Anonymous12:03 PM

    This book looks great! Please enter my name in your draw. Thanks!
    wandanamgreb (at) gmail (dot) com

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  9. Please count me in my great grandparents were german immigrants! Love to read this book!
    Carla
    cpullum(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  10. Enter me in this giveaway....sounds promising
    Donette
    donettelee@gmail.com

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  11. This sounds like a great read to me! I would love to be entered in the giveaway.

    Thank you for a really neat blog and super giveaways!

    Cindy
    Socmom213@aol.com

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  12. I read your review of Passegggiata, Strolling Through Italy. I posted a comment on the review.

    I have always loved Italy and certainly love Italian food! I would love to visit that country someday. This book sounds like a fun read to me so it is definitely a book that I would like to read!

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  13. I love your description of this story. It sounds very romantic and lovely. I would very much appreciate the read!
    gcwhiskas @ aol.com

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  14. I've had my eye on this book for awhile now, I would love to win.
    Thank you for the giveaway.

    I follow

    Dutchlvr1(at)aol(dot)com

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  15. I'm with you on the happy medium books. I'm glad to hear that this is one. I would love to win it.
    Thanks for the chance.

    bthgordon[at]yahoo[dot]com

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  16. Sounds like a good read. Thanks.

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  17. Sounds great!
    Thanks for the giveaway!
    Kimspam66(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  18. I went back and did some catching up and read a lot of your great reviews!

    One that I read was Aurora of the Northern Lights! I posted a comment on the review. This sounds like a great Christmas story and one that I would love to read to my grandchildren!

    Cindy
    Socmom213@aol.com

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  19. Another review that I read was Rose House. This sounds like such a touching story and since you say it is a good one, I would love to read it too.

    I posted a comment on the review too.

    Cindy
    Socmom213@aol.com

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  20. I read your review of Never The Bride. I thought of my daughter and how she might enjoy reading this one. This sounds like a good read for many young, unmarried women. (and their moms too!)

    I posted a comment on the review.

    Thank you for all your honest and detailed reviews, your neat blog and the great giveaways!

    Cindy
    Socmom213@aol.com

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  21. I posted on my blog about this giveaway.

    http://meditativereading.blogspot.com/2009/08/this-that-and-other-thing-review-and.html

    bstilwell12 at comcast dot dinner

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  22. I would like to really read this book. Your review described the book and action as a fascinating plot.

    bstilwell12 at comcast dot net

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  23. Anonymous2:35 PM

    Thanks for the opportunity to read this book...

    karen k
    kmkuka(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  24. Anonymous5:12 PM

    I'm a big fan of Dorothy Garlock! Her books are always page turners and her characters are well fleshed out!
    Zoe0825@verizon.net

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  25. This giveaway is closed

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