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How to Woo a Widow
Fate may have had its way with the Hamilton sisters, but their destinies are still up for grabs.... Something has to be done about the Hamilton sisters. Faith and Claire Hamilton are so focused on avoiding their pain that they are forgetting how to truly live. Fortunately for them, feisty family friend Ollie knows a little something about what it's like to cope with the death of a husband. She also knows how to mix a splash of fun into the process. Now, she is determined to impart the lessons she's learned on the two young widows she loves like daughters. Her efforts start discreetly; Faith doesn't even realize she is being nudged into the arms of the man she has been denying her attraction to, and Claire's long-buried lust for life is reignited by a challenging new job. With Ollie's touch, massive meltdowns are turned into hilarious moments and the weight of shameful secrets is unburdened. Neither sister has any idea Ollie is mentoring the men who have fallen for them in the fine art of widow-wooing, and no one can predict how her students or protegees will fare. How to Woo a Widow is the first of the Widow Trilogy, Life After Death"
328 pages, Paperback
First published November 16, 2014
122 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Allen
76 books6 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Violet Vivian Finlay was born on 2 January 1914 in Berkshire, England, UK, the daughter of Alice Kathleen (née Norton) and Sir Campbell Kirkman Finlay. Her father was the owner and director of Burmah Oil Company Ltd., whose Scottish family also owned James Finlay and Company Ltd. The majority of her childhood and youth was spent in Rangoon, Burma (now also known as Myanmar), where her father worked. During her life, she frequently journeyed between India, Singapore, Java and Sumatra.
Although Vivian is well-known by the surname of Stuart, she married four times during her lifetime, and had five children: Gillian Rushton (née Porch), Kim Santow, Jennifer Gooch (née Stuart), and twins Vary and Valerie Stuart.
Following the dissolution of her first marriage, she studied for a time Law in London in the mid 1930s, before decided studied Medicine at the University of London. Later she spent time in Hungary in the capacity of private tutor in English, while she obtained a pathologist qualification at the University of Budapest in 1938. In 1939, she emigrated to Australia with her second husband, a Hungarian Doctor Geza Santow with whom she worked. In 1942, she obtained a diploma in industrial chemistry and laboratory technique at Technical Institute of Newcastle. Having earned an ambulance driver's certificate, she joined the Australian Forces at the Women's Auxiliary Service during World War II. She was attached to the IVth Army, and raised to the rank of sergeant, she was posted to British XIV Army in Rangoon, Burma in October 1945, and was then transferred to Sumatra in December. After the WWII, she returned to England. On 24 October 1958, she married her fourth and last husband, Cyril William Mann, a bank manager.
She was a prolific writer from 1953 to 1986 under diferent pseudonyms: Vivian Stuart, Alex Stuart, Barbara Allen, Fiona Finlay, V. A. Stuart, William Stuart Long and Robyn Stuart. Many of her novels were protagonized by doctors or nurses, and set in Asia, Australia or other places she had visited. Her romance novel, Gay Cavalier published in 1955 as Alex Stuart got her into trouble with her Mills & Boon editors when she featured a secondary story line featuring a Catholic male and Protestant female who chose to marry. This so-called "mixed marriage" touched nerves in the United Kingdom.
In 1960, she was a founder of the Romantic Novelists' Association, along with Denise Robins, Barbara Cartland, and others; she was elected the first Chairman (1961-1963). In 1970, she became the first woman to chair Swanwick Writers' Summer School.
Violet Vivian Finlay Porch Santow Stuart Mann passed away on August 1986 in Yorkshire, at age 72. She continued writing until her death.
Violet Vivian Finlay was born on 2 January 1914 in Berkshire, England, UK, the daughter of Alice Kathleen (née Norton) and Sir Campbell Kirkman Finlay. Her father was the owner and director of Burmah Oil Company Ltd., whose Scottish family also owned James Finlay and Company Ltd. The majority of her childhood and youth was spent in Rangoon, Burma (now also known as Myanmar), where her father worked. During her life, she frequently journeyed between India, Singapore, Java and Sumatra.
Although Vivian is well-known by the surname of Stuart, she married four times during her lifetime, and had five children: Gillian Rushton (née Porch), Kim Santow, Jennifer Gooch (née Stuart), and twins Vary and Valerie Stuart.
Following the dissolution of her first marriage, she studied for a time Law in London in the mid 1930s, before decided studied Medicine at the University of London. Later she spent time in Hungary in the capacity of private tutor in English, while she obtained a pathologist qualification at the University of Budapest in 1938. In 1939, she emigrated to Australia with her second husband, a Hungarian Doctor Geza Santow with whom she worked. In 1942, she obtained a diploma in industrial chemistry and laboratory technique at Technical Institute of Newcastle. Having earned an ambulance driver's certificate, she joined the Australian Forces at the Women's Auxiliary Service during World War II. She was attached to the IVth Army, and raised to the rank of sergeant, she was posted to British XIV Army in Rangoon, Burma in October 1945, and was then transferred to Sumatra in December. After the WWII, she returned to England. On 24 October 1958, she married her fourth and last husband, Cyril William Mann, a bank manager.
She was a prolific writer from 1953 to 1986 under diferent pseudonyms: Vivian Stuart, Alex Stuart, Barbara Allen, Fiona Finlay, V. A. Stuart, William Stuart Long and Robyn Stuart. Many of her novels were protagonized by doctors or nurses, and set in Asia, Australia or other places she had visited. Her romance novel, Gay Cavalier published in 1955 as Alex Stuart got her into trouble with her Mills & Boon editors when she featured a secondary story line featuring a Catholic male and Protestant female who chose to marry. This so-called "mixed marriage" touched nerves in the United Kingdom.
In 1960, she was a founder of the Romantic Novelists' Association, along with Denise Robins, Barbara Cartland, and others; she was elected the first Chairman (1961-1963). In 1970, she became the first woman to chair Swanwick Writers' Summer School.
Violet Vivian Finlay Porch Santow Stuart Mann passed away on August 1986 in Yorkshire, at age 72. She continued writing until her death.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 25, 2016
Love Ollie and Max but mainly Ollie. That elderly lady is awesome. from her yoga ways to her how to woo a widow actions. The ending where Ollie got back at Hillary was hysterical.
for me it was Ollie who helped the Hamilton woman without them realizing it get to the point where they could move forward and love. Faith for Max, Claire and Colby and hopefully Ellen as well will find someone after her douchecanoe of a husband.
We see the three Hamilton sisters go through so much in this book. Two move on from grief and guilt over their husbands who left to soon. For Claire her guilt was eating away at her and it wasn’t until the end that she realized her feelings for Colby. She was the spitfire of all of them. Her quick temper and vivaciousness was infectious and Colby was the one that was ensnared. He denied it for so long but when he finally sees it it was great to see his actions.
For Faith it was the kind and patient Max that helped her over her loss and find love. Max was Sophie’s dad and he was amazing. He was patient, kind and understanding. He was a amazing dad and person. Always there to help when needed. A shoulder for Faith when needed, I felt for him as he navigated his way through his feelings and the pain of all the different moods and confusion of Faith as she pushed him away, brought him close and lashed out in her journey to dealing with the grief of losing her husband and getting to where she felt it was okay to let Max into her world. When she finally did wow it was sweet and sensual.
A fun book at looking at three sisters deal with their grief, anger and loss. One over her husband’s cheating ways and two over losing their husbands. ONe had guilt as well. While they were going through the stages, they were falling in love and trying to go on with life.
A wonderfully entertaining and heartwarming story that will capture your heart and have you laugh and smile to the end.
for me it was Ollie who helped the Hamilton woman without them realizing it get to the point where they could move forward and love. Faith for Max, Claire and Colby and hopefully Ellen as well will find someone after her douchecanoe of a husband.
We see the three Hamilton sisters go through so much in this book. Two move on from grief and guilt over their husbands who left to soon. For Claire her guilt was eating away at her and it wasn’t until the end that she realized her feelings for Colby. She was the spitfire of all of them. Her quick temper and vivaciousness was infectious and Colby was the one that was ensnared. He denied it for so long but when he finally sees it it was great to see his actions.
For Faith it was the kind and patient Max that helped her over her loss and find love. Max was Sophie’s dad and he was amazing. He was patient, kind and understanding. He was a amazing dad and person. Always there to help when needed. A shoulder for Faith when needed, I felt for him as he navigated his way through his feelings and the pain of all the different moods and confusion of Faith as she pushed him away, brought him close and lashed out in her journey to dealing with the grief of losing her husband and getting to where she felt it was okay to let Max into her world. When she finally did wow it was sweet and sensual.
A fun book at looking at three sisters deal with their grief, anger and loss. One over her husband’s cheating ways and two over losing their husbands. ONe had guilt as well. While they were going through the stages, they were falling in love and trying to go on with life.
A wonderfully entertaining and heartwarming story that will capture your heart and have you laugh and smile to the end.
May 16, 2016
Title: How To Woo A Widow
Author: Barbara Allen
Series: Widow Trilogy series, book 1
Publisher: Self Published
Reviewer: Kathleen
Release Date: November 16th, 2014
Genre(s): Romance
Page Count: 328 pages
Heat Level: 3.5 flames out of 5
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Blurb:
Review:
Grief is such an emotional state that all individuals go through it most tend to forget that the coping process and its length is different from one person to another. Barbara Allen's How To Woo A Widow is a beautifully written novel that takes the lives of two wives and sisters who have lost their husbands and have forgotten that through their grief, life still moves on. Wanting to remind her friend's daughters, who she's always considered as her own, Ollie nudges three sisters - Faith, the reliable and eldest, Claire, the rebellious and youngest, and Ellen, the envious and middle child, to put themselves out there and meet new people, and maybe even a man that can make them believe in love once again. I've rarely read a book where three main characters we're discussed or even developed, which initially piqued my curiosity and as I read along, I found out why it was rarely attempted. I have to mention that Barbara Allen has created an emotional novel - How Go Woo A Widow is the type of read that made me realize that grief never really disappears but rather, you learn to deal and live with the event and the trauma, and become stronger from it. I also realized that reading the story of three women's sadness was hard to fully connect and even follow the line of thought of what was going on with each sister's path to their recovery and second chance at love. I did however enjoy the fact that I was able to meet these women, to be able to experience their connection with their new man and finally be able to see them move on and put the ghosts behind them. As moving as How To Woo A Widow was, I also need to point out that Barbara Allen did a fantastic job with Ollie - quite frankly, who doesn't love the crazy matchmaker who won't take no for an answer when it comes to love and seems to know what's best for everyone else? For me,she stole the show!
Review Copy of How To Woo A Widow provided by the Author, Barbara Allen for an honest Review.
Reviewed by Kathleen from Alpha Book Club
Author: Barbara Allen
Series: Widow Trilogy series, book 1
Publisher: Self Published
Reviewer: Kathleen
Release Date: November 16th, 2014
Genre(s): Romance
Page Count: 328 pages
Heat Level: 3.5 flames out of 5
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Blurb:
Fate may have had its way with the Hamilton sisters, but their destinies are still up for grabs….
Something has to be done about the Hamilton sisters. Faith and Claire Hamilton are so focused on avoiding their pain that they are forgetting how to truly live. Fortunately for them, feisty family friend Ollie knows a little something about what it’s like to cope with the death of a husband. She also knows how to mix a splash of fun into the process. Now, she is determined to impart the lessons she’s learned on the two young widows she loves like daughters. Her efforts start discreetly; Faith doesn’t even realize she is being nudged into the arms of the man she has been denying her attraction to, and Claire’s long-buried lust for life is reignited by a challenging new job. With Ollie’s touch, massive meltdowns are turned into hilarious moments and the weight of shameful secrets is unburdened. Neither sister has any idea Ollie is mentoring the men who have fallen for them in the fine art of widow-wooing, and no one can predict how her students or protégées will fare.
Review:
Grief is such an emotional state that all individuals go through it most tend to forget that the coping process and its length is different from one person to another. Barbara Allen's How To Woo A Widow is a beautifully written novel that takes the lives of two wives and sisters who have lost their husbands and have forgotten that through their grief, life still moves on. Wanting to remind her friend's daughters, who she's always considered as her own, Ollie nudges three sisters - Faith, the reliable and eldest, Claire, the rebellious and youngest, and Ellen, the envious and middle child, to put themselves out there and meet new people, and maybe even a man that can make them believe in love once again. I've rarely read a book where three main characters we're discussed or even developed, which initially piqued my curiosity and as I read along, I found out why it was rarely attempted. I have to mention that Barbara Allen has created an emotional novel - How Go Woo A Widow is the type of read that made me realize that grief never really disappears but rather, you learn to deal and live with the event and the trauma, and become stronger from it. I also realized that reading the story of three women's sadness was hard to fully connect and even follow the line of thought of what was going on with each sister's path to their recovery and second chance at love. I did however enjoy the fact that I was able to meet these women, to be able to experience their connection with their new man and finally be able to see them move on and put the ghosts behind them. As moving as How To Woo A Widow was, I also need to point out that Barbara Allen did a fantastic job with Ollie - quite frankly, who doesn't love the crazy matchmaker who won't take no for an answer when it comes to love and seems to know what's best for everyone else? For me,she stole the show!
Review Copy of How To Woo A Widow provided by the Author, Barbara Allen for an honest Review.
Reviewed by Kathleen from Alpha Book Club
April 12, 2016
Rating: 3.5/5
http://www.njkinnysblog.com/2016/04/b...
How To Woo A Widow by Barbara Allen is the first book by the author that I have read and I got attracted towards it after reading some stellar reviews about it. The title is intriguing and had me wondering what kind of a book it would be. While the blurb suggested it to be the family drama cum romance type, the title had me wondering if there was mischief in the plot.
However, this is the story of three sisters, two of whom lost their husbands in a car accident and are still grappling from the loss in their own way. While the eldest, Faith has submerged herself in her ranch and horses, the youngest Claire ran away to lick her wounds. The middle sister is also facing marital troubles. So when their feisty family friend, Ollie decides enough is enough. She is determined to play matchmaker for Faith and Claire. What ensues is lots of drama, some clever maneuvering and romantic lessons imparted by Ollie and some healthy dose of self reflection.
While the plot sounded interesting, I didn't quite get engaged in this book. I liked the author's writing style. Her writing is frank, simple and fluid. She tried to bring to us a family with all sorts of characters. There is Faith, the reliable one; Claire, the rebellious and beautiful one; Ellen, the sister who has always been jealous of her two other sisters and always felt to be in their shadow. Then there is the father and the mother both of whom are dear characters and so real.
The characterization is realistic and a mix. I could relate with Faith and empathized with her sorrow. I even liked Claire but just didn't like Ellen. She seemed spoiled, tantrum throwing and self-centered. Colby just rubbed me the wrong way right from the start. Even his past sob story didn't do anything for me.
Ollie is a strong character and she could have been developed so much better. She is not given due limelight and scope in the story. It was after all, she who had to play matchmaker and reveal her tricks for her "How To Woo A Widow" operation as she called the matchmaking efforts for Faith and Claire but somehow she didn't leave as much an impression as she could.
For me the best characters in this book were Max, his daughter Sophie and Faith and Claire. I loved reading their story.
The story is medium paced and while entertaining had me feeling it could have been delivered better.
The author could not balance Faith, Claire and Ellen's stories. Faith got more coverage and because of this Claire's story looks half baked. However, despite this Barbara has potential and the flair for writing and I will be checking her future books.
All in all, How To Woo A Widow is a decent effort and engaging but it could have been better. 3.5 out of 5 to it and recommended to readers looking for a heartfelt story from a talented new author. I enjoyed Barbara's writing style and look forward to reading more form her in the future.
I received the book from the author and the tour organizers and I am very thankful to them. The above review is my honest and unbiased opinion and in no way influenced.
http://www.njkinnysblog.com/2016/04/b...
How To Woo A Widow by Barbara Allen is the first book by the author that I have read and I got attracted towards it after reading some stellar reviews about it. The title is intriguing and had me wondering what kind of a book it would be. While the blurb suggested it to be the family drama cum romance type, the title had me wondering if there was mischief in the plot.
However, this is the story of three sisters, two of whom lost their husbands in a car accident and are still grappling from the loss in their own way. While the eldest, Faith has submerged herself in her ranch and horses, the youngest Claire ran away to lick her wounds. The middle sister is also facing marital troubles. So when their feisty family friend, Ollie decides enough is enough. She is determined to play matchmaker for Faith and Claire. What ensues is lots of drama, some clever maneuvering and romantic lessons imparted by Ollie and some healthy dose of self reflection.
While the plot sounded interesting, I didn't quite get engaged in this book. I liked the author's writing style. Her writing is frank, simple and fluid. She tried to bring to us a family with all sorts of characters. There is Faith, the reliable one; Claire, the rebellious and beautiful one; Ellen, the sister who has always been jealous of her two other sisters and always felt to be in their shadow. Then there is the father and the mother both of whom are dear characters and so real.
The characterization is realistic and a mix. I could relate with Faith and empathized with her sorrow. I even liked Claire but just didn't like Ellen. She seemed spoiled, tantrum throwing and self-centered. Colby just rubbed me the wrong way right from the start. Even his past sob story didn't do anything for me.
Ollie is a strong character and she could have been developed so much better. She is not given due limelight and scope in the story. It was after all, she who had to play matchmaker and reveal her tricks for her "How To Woo A Widow" operation as she called the matchmaking efforts for Faith and Claire but somehow she didn't leave as much an impression as she could.
For me the best characters in this book were Max, his daughter Sophie and Faith and Claire. I loved reading their story.
The story is medium paced and while entertaining had me feeling it could have been delivered better.
The author could not balance Faith, Claire and Ellen's stories. Faith got more coverage and because of this Claire's story looks half baked. However, despite this Barbara has potential and the flair for writing and I will be checking her future books.
All in all, How To Woo A Widow is a decent effort and engaging but it could have been better. 3.5 out of 5 to it and recommended to readers looking for a heartfelt story from a talented new author. I enjoyed Barbara's writing style and look forward to reading more form her in the future.
I received the book from the author and the tour organizers and I am very thankful to them. The above review is my honest and unbiased opinion and in no way influenced.
April 14, 2016
Romance novels are one of my favorites, but they can easily fall into the same pattern over and over again. This one was a fresh perspective, though, and included elements that were entirely new to me. Barbara Allen delicately wove elements of romance into a story that was almost more about the grief process and personal growth than anything else and I was addicted from the start! The characters were very real and relatable. Not a single one of them was perfect, but they weren't broken beyond reason, either. I loved walking through their journeys with them.
In a lot of ways, How to Woo a Widow was deeper than the typical romance novel. By including the grieving process in this story, Allen offered readers the opportunity to delve into the story on a different level. Because of the girls' losses, their relationships took time to play out. Rather than skimping in this area or pushing things to a rapid culmination, Allen took the opportunity to explore the nuances of each relationship as well as the growth process and the grief process as each character experienced it. Nothing seemed forced and the connections formed in this novel seemed organic, which was exceptionally refreshing. I found that I didn't mind the fact that it took longer to reach the romantic "end game" because I was caught up in each girl's struggle and her experiences as she searched for herself again.
For the most part, I absolutely loved the book. There are just a couple of things that might be improved on. To begin with, the book changes perspectives quite often. In some ways, that's a really good thing because it gives readers a chance to get into each character's head. However, there was no way to tell when perspective was going to switch and I did find myself having to reread portions of the book to clarify who's head we were actually in at the time. The only other minor annoyance was the very strong focus on physicality and sexuality with Caleb. While I understand that that was an important part of his character and the sort of person he was at the start of the novel, the heavy focus on his physical reactions almost prevented any sort of attachment to him at the start. In the end, though, I would say that the story line and Allen's skill in other areas more than made up for these small setbacks. I'm hooked! I can't wait to read the next installment!
In a lot of ways, How to Woo a Widow was deeper than the typical romance novel. By including the grieving process in this story, Allen offered readers the opportunity to delve into the story on a different level. Because of the girls' losses, their relationships took time to play out. Rather than skimping in this area or pushing things to a rapid culmination, Allen took the opportunity to explore the nuances of each relationship as well as the growth process and the grief process as each character experienced it. Nothing seemed forced and the connections formed in this novel seemed organic, which was exceptionally refreshing. I found that I didn't mind the fact that it took longer to reach the romantic "end game" because I was caught up in each girl's struggle and her experiences as she searched for herself again.
For the most part, I absolutely loved the book. There are just a couple of things that might be improved on. To begin with, the book changes perspectives quite often. In some ways, that's a really good thing because it gives readers a chance to get into each character's head. However, there was no way to tell when perspective was going to switch and I did find myself having to reread portions of the book to clarify who's head we were actually in at the time. The only other minor annoyance was the very strong focus on physicality and sexuality with Caleb. While I understand that that was an important part of his character and the sort of person he was at the start of the novel, the heavy focus on his physical reactions almost prevented any sort of attachment to him at the start. In the end, though, I would say that the story line and Allen's skill in other areas more than made up for these small setbacks. I'm hooked! I can't wait to read the next installment!
April 20, 2016
I actually read How to Woo a Widow some time ago but I never wrote up my review. I hate when I do that (and it happens often for blog tours) because then I forget all the feels I felt when reading and review ends up flat. So bear with me as I try to bring that all to my review.
For me I felt all the feels with this book because it delivered the crazy mix of emotions. Sadness, happiness and even laughter. Because yes, this book had some really funny parts! It also had some romance that will sweep you off your feet while still not taking over the story. Because this story is also very much about over-coming loss and moving forward. It's about sisters and family. It's about friendships.
These sisters haven't all been together in awhile and they have to find a way to reconnect without all the anger, frustration and sadness that seems to come with them. And I thought this was done realistically. Of course they love each other and they are definitely ready to reconnect and fight to find a way forward instead of sitting in this stagnation. Along comes their elderly friend Ollie and she brings humor and lightness. Determined to be a matchmaker for two of these sisters. Ollie is just plain fun and she added a different element and tone to the story. I really loved her character and was grateful for the lighter tone she brought to the story.
Like I said, there is romance and I felt it was done pretty realistically. Not too fast, and in fact sometimes I wanted to do that whole "Just kiss already!!!" thing. But that's good. I prefer a slow romance that builds.
I'm generally got a big women's fiction reader but I did enjoy this one. I think the sister relationships, the moving past loss and the slow moving but swoon-worthy romance definitely made this a great read.
You can find this review, and others like it, on my blog at http://www.candacesbookblog.com
For me I felt all the feels with this book because it delivered the crazy mix of emotions. Sadness, happiness and even laughter. Because yes, this book had some really funny parts! It also had some romance that will sweep you off your feet while still not taking over the story. Because this story is also very much about over-coming loss and moving forward. It's about sisters and family. It's about friendships.
These sisters haven't all been together in awhile and they have to find a way to reconnect without all the anger, frustration and sadness that seems to come with them. And I thought this was done realistically. Of course they love each other and they are definitely ready to reconnect and fight to find a way forward instead of sitting in this stagnation. Along comes their elderly friend Ollie and she brings humor and lightness. Determined to be a matchmaker for two of these sisters. Ollie is just plain fun and she added a different element and tone to the story. I really loved her character and was grateful for the lighter tone she brought to the story.
Like I said, there is romance and I felt it was done pretty realistically. Not too fast, and in fact sometimes I wanted to do that whole "Just kiss already!!!" thing. But that's good. I prefer a slow romance that builds.
I'm generally got a big women's fiction reader but I did enjoy this one. I think the sister relationships, the moving past loss and the slow moving but swoon-worthy romance definitely made this a great read.
You can find this review, and others like it, on my blog at http://www.candacesbookblog.com
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews