I love to read Lauraine Snelling books! I always feel so connected with the characters and feel like I'm visiting with my long lost family members from days past. Under Northern Skies is an enjoyable series and the third installment in this series continues into the life of Rune and Signe. They are now moved into their own home.

Even though we get plenty of insight into Rune and Signe's ongoing story, the main focus in this novel is Nilde. She has come from Norway to help out and she has hopes of finding a husband and building a life for herself.

As with all of Lauraine Snelling's books there are lots of details. It is so easy to envision every aspect of the story because she paints a picture with her words. I'm always on the lookout for the next book from her!

I unfortunately did not realize that this was a third book in the series when I requested it. I prefer to only review books that I have read the ones before them, so I fully grasp the storyline and can accurately give my opinion and review of the book. I do hope to read this series someday!

I loved the first two books in the series and had been looking forward to the third book. I was anticipating the arrival of Nilda and Ivar wanted them to have a wonderful life reuniting with their family in Minnesota.

It was nice reconnecting with the characters and meeting new ones but unfortunately this storyline didn't hold my interest as much as the other ones did. As much as I dislike saying it, this story fell flat for me and it may have been my high expectations since I loved the first two so much. It isn't a bad book by any means, it just isn't one where I felt a connection to the new characters in the storyline.
I received a copy from the publisher through Netgalley and have given my honest opinion.

A Season of Grace by Lauraine Snelling is book 3 in her series called Under Northern Skies. It is the first of this series that I have personally read. I found that it was interesting with the Norwegian exposure that it provided. Coming to America, to a new place and learning to take on a new language and be fluent in it. The main character was adventurous, brave, smart, and given great opportunities to succeed. The family unit was fun to watch unfold. A great read that I recommend to you.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.


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This book is part of a series that I haven’t read any other books from. Unfortunately, that made it hard for me to keep up with the story. There were so many characters from the start with no real description or deep explanation of who they were and how they were all connected. Add to the fact that the majority of the book is dialogue, it made for a confusing read for me, and it made it difficult to connect to the characters. I’m sure for those who have been following the series it was a more enjoyable read.

I love everything about Lauraine Snelling's books! I almost feel as if Ingebord is a relative and love to hear any mention of her in a new book. I love how the author is able to keep this storyline growing with new characters. I will be on the lookout for future books in this series.

A Season of Grace by Lauraine Snelling has us traveling to Benson’s Corner, Minnesota in August of 1910. Rune and Signe Carlson are moving into their new home with their children. Gerd Strand will also be joining them leaving her old home for Nilda and her younger brother, Ivar. Nilda is enjoying living in America with her family, but she still has nightmares of Dreng Nygaard attacking her. They are becoming less frequent and she hopes they will go away with time. Rune and Signe have a housewarming party and Nilda finds that she has two gentlemen interested in courting her. Petter Thorvaldson, a lumberjack they met on their trip to Benson’s Corner, and Fritz Larsson, the local schoolteacher, are both interested in Nilda. The family then receives news that their father has passed away and Gunlaug Carlson, their mother, wishes to immigrate to America to be near her children which pleases the family. Nilda and Ivar are invited to a young person’s social at Mrs. Gertrude Schoenleber’s home and the ladies quickly whip up a new dress for Nilda to wear. Nilda is shocked when Petter walks in with Dreng. That night her nightmares return with a vengeance, and Nilda is afraid Dreng will exact revenge he promised. Mrs. Schoenleber offers Nilda a position as her assistant which will provide wonderful opportunities for Nilda. The only downside of her new job is encountering Dreng who has managed to charm the local ladies. Will Nilda be able to move forward with her life or will Dreng’s attack continue to haunt her?

A Season of Grace is the third installment in Under Northern Skies series. This is a series that you need to read in order. Each book in Under Northern Skies series builds upon the previous one. We have watched the various characters adapt to America and they are beginning to prosper. Rune and Signe are thrilled to have their own home, but they do not want to leave Gerd behind. Gerd has blossomed since the Carlson’s have come into her life and she has come out of her shell since her husband passed away. I have enjoyed watching Gerd’s journey. The focus of A Season of Grace is Nilda. She is given a wonderful opportunity by Mrs. Schoenleber that will allow her to learn how to read and write English properly, meet new people, live in a larger city, learn proper etiquette, get new clothing and a chance to travel. Lauraine Snelling has created such lovely, heartwarming characters that I look forward to visiting in each new Under Northern Skies book. I like hearing about how the farm is prospering. We get to experience the daily life on a farm which includes taking care of the animals, making their own cheese and butter, cutting wood to keep the fireplaces going, butchering the animals, making soap, creating their furniture, and much more. If you are looking for a book full of action, then A Season of Grace is not for you. There is activity at the end of the story as Nilda’s story with Dreng reaches its climax. Dreng is the dark element in the story. The Christian elements are beautifully woven into the story. The family is grateful for each blessing in their life. Prayer, grace, hope, and forgiveness are other Christian elements in the book. A Season of Grace proceeds at a gentle pace which I enjoyed. It allowed me to appreciate and absorb the story. I am giving A Season of Grace 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it). I look forward to visiting the Carlson family again in the next Under Northern Skies novel.

A Season of Grace is book three from Lauraine Snelling's Under the Northern Skies series. This one is my favorite of the series so far. I enjoyed being taken back in time to 1910 Minnesota and she how the immigrants of Norway were living then. I just loved Nilda and admired her strength and courage. I was rooting for her until the end.



I give A Season of Grace four stars. I am looking to the next book in the series.



I received this book from the publisher, but was not required to write a review. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.

I am enjoying this family series by Laurianne Snelling. It’s set in a different time and place than the usual historical fiction that I read. At first it took me just a little bit to truly get into this series, but I now love reading about these characters and how they are settling into a new land and a new way of life. This book has been my favorite of the series. Nilda has been one of my favorite characters from the start and I was glad that her storyline was featured in this book. There’s some interesting developments with other characters, too, as the family is gathered together in America.

You can read this book and enjoy the story without having read the other books in the series, but I’d recommend reading them in order. It will help you appreciate the changes for the family in this book.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

I’ve been reading books by Lauraine Snelling for years. I’m a huge fan! I Have to say this is the first book I’ve read of this series. I will have to go back and read book 1 & 2. There were a few places I was lost because it referred to things from those first two books. Regardless I still really enjoyed the book.

This is the third in the Under the Northern Skies series and I am really enjoying this series. It's about a family that immigrated from Norway, first Rune and Signe and their children, then Rune's brother and sister, Ivar and Nilda, and then finally Rune's mom. To me, this series is book about real life. Bad stuff happens. When Rune's family gets there, they are shocked and dismayed at the conditions they are subjected to, but it gets better. It's a lot of hard work, but fun and laughter also come.

This third book is more about Nilda than the rest of the family. Honestly, if you read the second paragraph in the description of the book, it sounds like this is a love story. Here it is:
The only thing missing from Nilda's life is love. But though she has two suitors--a quiet schoolteacher and a handsome lumberjack--Nilda feels hesitant. A terrifying experience in Norway has made her cautious where men are concerned. When she thinks she sees the man in question, all her fears come flooding back. Is it possible the danger has followed her across the Atlantic? If Dreng Nygaard is truly in Minnesota, all of her dreams for the future could come crashing down around her.

But it's not. To me, that paragraph is not a very realistic picture of what the book is about. Yes, there was a terrifying experience in Norway and yes the man followed her to the United States. And Nilda had to really work on her feelings for him. She had to choose to forgive him and yes, there was some scary stuff going on. But the two suitors? They were hinted at a bit and the process was starting, but Nilda was involved in so much more than trying to decide what man to marry. To me the story is so much bigger than that. Like I said, this series of books is about real life.

I will say that Nilda did land what appears to be a dream job, but it also involved a lot of hard work, with almost 24/7 English lessons and lessons on how to function in America with all the social rules, etc. of the day.

And the book is about more than Nilda. The rest of the family is also actively portrayed in this book, along with some new characters. I don't want to say much more there, because I don't want to give any spoilers.

Anyway, I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the next one in the series. I just love the honest down to earth way of writing Lauraine has in these books. The way the family deals with grief is to get busy, which is a little countercultural to today's philosophy a lot of times, but I think there is some truth in it as well. Along with that philosophy, you are looking at a family that is close knit and thriving.

I received this book from Bethany House through NetGalley and was not required to write a review.

3.5 stars
This is not your typical historical romance. This is the third in the Under Northern Skies series and I feel you need to read them all to get the best understanding of the story line. I have not read them all and struggled a little but it is still a good story. This series seems to focus on an entire family and friends, where they all play important rolls in the entire story. Nilda Carlson is the main character in this particular novel and she must learn a lot about herself and the country she now lives in.

Best-selling Christian author, Lorraine Snelling, has added a beautifully-written, new addition to her many novels about the Scandinavian immigrants who helped settle Minnesota. They are all well-written and full of interesting facts about the Norwegian culture. This book is another great story about the Carlson family with its many vivid characters and interesting cultural traditions. A Season of Grace is all about family, love and the powerful strength to be able to survive the early 1900's in the rural areas of the northern Midwest. I loved this book and highly recommend it! (I also love her Red River of the North series.)

A Season of Grace is now available from Bethany House Publishers. An egalley of this book was made available by the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

Premise/plot: A Season of Grace by Lauraine Snelling is the third book in the Under the Northern Skies series. The first two books in the series are The Promise of Dawn and A Breath of Hope. The books focus on a Norwegian immigrant family as they settle down in America at the turn of the century.

The first book primarily focuses on Signe and Rune and their children. The second book introduces more of their family: Nilda and her brother Ivar. (Both are siblings of Rune.) The third book sees even more of their family coming over and settling in. (Including their mother) But in this third book the focus shifts considerably.

The heroine is truly Nilda--and Nilda alone. She's been given an opportunity to work as a companion/assistant of sorts to a wealthy woman who lives in town. She is being taught social graces--learning English, learning the piano, learning social customs and niceties. There are socials nearly every week. Several men seem potentially interested in her. But one man continues to haunt her--or at the very least haunt her dreams. The man who attempted to sexually assault her back in Norway. Dreng.

My thoughts: I loved, loved, loved the first two books in this series. I got very bonded with Signe and her family. Part of me wanted more of the same in this third book. I wanted to stay on the farm. I wanted the focus to be on the entire family: Signe, Rune, their three sons, their daughter; Ivar and Nilda; the new family members--widows both. I was enjoying this book--up to a point--the point where Dreng started becoming the central focus.

I hated the fact that Nilda was discouraged from following her instincts. I hated the fact that even when Nilda spoke up about what happened to her in the past and spoke of his reputation--this wealthy society woman chose to keep inviting him into her home every week. I hated that she arranged for them to have a private meeting so that he could "apologize" to her and smooth things over. I hated that she was actively encouraged to socialize with the man who attempted to rape her. I hated that he knew where she lived. I hated that Nilda was isolated from her family. I don't think that Dreng would have been so bold to seek her out again and again and again if she'd remained on the farm surrounded by her brothers. (Though perhaps he would have all the same.) I hated that there was no distinction made between forgiveness as a step for personal healing and forgiveness as an invitation to welcome the abuser into one's life. I hated that when it came down to believing him or her--almost everyone believed him. "I've changed; I have. I'm no longer the man who did those things." "This wasn't a one time thing. He makes a habit of attacking women. He attacked me. I've talked to other women he's attacked. The women in our town talked to each other, looked out for one another, warned each other. His family knew about this and did nothing." She was essentially accused of privately slandering Dreng; she wasn't being fair to him. He could have changed. She doesn't know that he hasn't changed. He deserves the benefit of the doubt. It's a serious thing to cut someone socially and uninvite him into your home.

Nilda needed a better advocate, a better friend.

This is book three in the series and I feel it is best to have read the previous books to fully understand the family members and how they came to America from Norway……..A Season of Grace is written with God at the core of every matter. Every member of the family has a strong faith that they lean upon during trying times. They are hardworking people and eager to learn about how things are done in this new land. It was interesting to read about their logging and building of houses and furniture. How they raised their food and was careful to preserve it for the winter. Killing of hogs and rendering the lard. Trapping animals, preserving hides and furs. Trading things for other things that were needed
In this book, the story centers around Nilda, one of the newest arrivals from Norway, as she begins working and stretching her wings in the community. She goes to work for a wealthy woman she and her brother met on the train. We read of her struggles to learn the English language and the ways of society which are so strange to her. Also an evil man from her past shows up in Benson’s Corner. He had attacked her in Norway and because of her, his father banished him to America and more or less disowned him. He promised that he would get even with her for doing this. Now here he is…..God says to forgive our enemies, but can she? Will she be able to sacrifice her will and fears and wait for God’s season of grace to fall?……..This ARC copy was received from Bethany House and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The above thoughts and opinions are wholly my own

A good title! and love that cover. It was again so good to return to this family from Norway. Good to settle into the stories of the blessings in their lives mixed with hard work and coping with hardships, ups and downs, shared by all in this close family. They really make me hungry though, reading of the wonderful things they make to eat! The family lives on a farm, but Nilda is offered a position as an assistant to a very wealthy woman. Working for her is nothing like she left in Norway, as she is a kind and thoughtful person who loves to take care of people. Nilda is getting closer to two young men, but it remains to be seen if she will choose either of them. She is still pursued by the horrible young man who tried to abuse her in Norway, making for many tense times. Working through this with the support of her family and new friends is a learning experience for her - a stretching of her wings yet learning to rely on God and others for support. As always a fabulous read that you won't want to end.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher and Netgalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
#AseasonOfGrace #NetGalley

I jumped into the Under Northern Skies series with book three, A Season of Grace. While I could tell as I read that Snelling assumed her reader was familiar with the characters and their background, it did not keep me from understanding and enjoying this story set in 1910 Minnesota.

Nilda Carlson and members of her family had immigrated from Norway. Nilda may have hoped to escape the memories of being assaulted by her employer's son, but those memories engulfed her as her assailant, also an immigrant, began to attend social events sponsored by her new employer. Nilda, torn between sharing his history with her employer and allowing him to prove himself a changed man, was not prepared for the events to come.

I was especially drawn to the character of Tante Gerd in this story. An elderly aunt who had lived for decades under the negativity and controlling thumb of her husband, Tante Gerd's loving and cheerful personality was blossoming in her widowhood. She took full pleasure in all the blessings presented to her rather than allowing herself to be robbed of them by dwelling in the past.

To the best of my memory, this is the first book that I have read by Lauraine Snelling. I do have several more in my Kindle library, and now look forward to reading them. I thank NetGalley and Bethany House Publishing for providing me with a copy of A Season of Grace in exchange for my honest opinion. I was under no obligation to provide a positive review and received no monetary compensation.

First of all, I have to admit that I cut my proverbial Christian Fiction teeth on Lauraine Snelling and Janette Oke so I am partial to their stories. That aside, Snelling is a weaver of wonderful storylines that always leave you coming back for more. Normally, I am not one who jumps into the middle or end of a series. That has been happening more and more lately, however, and I can usually count on Snelling to help clear the way when I do leap into a series at some random point. Her books tend to have a multitude of characters, and A Season of Grace is no different. While the story is primarily about Nilda, several plots from books previously written in the series are wrapped up in A Season of Grace. 

Snelling has a way of introducing you to characters so that they all become important to you. I spent years with the sprawling Bjorklund family in her multiple Blessing series, and to have this new family connected to them made me smile. It was nice to hear from familiar friends even as a new family captured my attention. The ability of Snelling to capture the essence of life and how it was lived in the remote lands is astounding. Her books cover more than just the desire of a woman to find a husband and raise a family.

A Season of Grace wraps up the trouble Signe and Rune faced at the beginning of the series and brings Nilda's story into play. Nilda is plagued by the possible return of Dreng Nygaard. She must be stronger than ever before if she is to face this old threat in her new world. While most of the book is about Nilda's transition from farm life to that of assistant to a wealthy businesswoman, we get peeks into the budding romance between Nilda and her two potential suitors.

As expected, A Season of Grace is written with God at the core of every matter. Every member of the family has a strong faith that they lean upon during every moment. Their ability to trust God always pushes me to broaden my own strength. All too often we try to handle matters ourselves when God is there waiting to take the burden from us. We only have to sacrifice our own will and wait for God's season of grace to fall upon us.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley. I was not required to leave a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is the third book in this series. I suggest that readers will want to read the first two books before this one to fully understand the storyline. Since it had been awhile since reading the last book, I do wish the author had given a little background to refresh my memory before jumping into the story. I loved reading about the Norwegians settling in America and their family life. This book was mostly about Nilda's life as she is given a chance to learn English, piano and social life with a generous benefactor. Hopefully in the next book we will learn more about her future. Recommended!

This is a lovely slice of life story about Norwegian immigrants in early 20th Century Northern Minnesota, with drama provided by the appearance of the charming but menacing Dreng Nygaard, that is as neatly wrapped up as possible given that it appears to be the middle book in a story arc that focuses primarily on Nilda Carlson. As such, reading the series in order will likely enhance the reader's engagement with the characters and improve the reading experience.

While the writing is good, it has the feel of an older book aimed at a younger audience. A rather pleasant choice for those who prefer their Historical Fiction to be light, quick reads with minimal romance.

This review refers to an advanced digital galley read courtesy of the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.