Captured by Love: A Review

 

 

Back of the Book Summary:

The British Army has taken control of Michilimackinac Island and its fort, forcing the Americans to swear an oath of loyalty to the crown in order to retain their land. Pierre Durant is a fur trader who returns after being away from the island for years, only to find the family farm a shambles and those he cares about starving and at the mercy of British invaders.

Torn between the adventurous life of fur trading and guilt over neglecting his defenseless mother, Pierre is drawn deeper into the fight against the British--and into a relationship with Angelique MacKenzie, a childhood friend who's grown into a beautiful woman. She now finds herself trapped by the circumstances of war and poverty, and the cruelty of her guardian, Ebenezer Whiley.

As tensions mount and the violence rages on, Pierre and Angelique must decide where their loyalties rest and how much they'll risk for love.

My thoughts:
I'm a Jody Hedlund fan, and I was looking forward to this book. As with all of Hedlund's books, you feel like you are there in history, living the events and feeling the emotions of the characters.
My heart hurt for Angelique--torn between the guy she's always had a crush on (Pierre) and the promise she made to his brother (Jean) to marry him when he returned from the war. She's a strong, fantastic character.

While I liked Pierre, I just didn't like the circumstances of their relationship. I hated that Angelique had promised to marry Jean because while Pierre and Angelique's relationship was fun and flirty, I couldn't root for them while Jean was off fighting in the war.

SPOILER AHEAD!




I appreciated how the author didn't kill off Jean just to have Pierre and Angelique together! That would have been the easy way out of the conflict, and while it seemed a little fast at the end, I appreciated how it was handled.

Overall, Captured by Love is a great historical read. Hedlund captures the time and emotions perfectly with interesting characters.

I received this book in exchange for my review. My thoughts are my own.

 

 

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Rebellious Heart: A Review

 

Susanna Smith grew up with everything she could ever want except an education. Ben Ross grew up with nothing and has only his Harvard education. When they meet, sparks fly, and they must work together to stand for justice.

Jody Hedlund is one of my favorite for historical fiction. She has a way of making the characters real and the circumstances come alive. However, I didn't really like Susanna and Ben much at first. They were well-written; I just didn't love them from the get-go. However, about halfway through, they had grown on me, and I read the second half much quicker than the first.

The action starts with the very first page, and there are plenty of turns along the way to the happy ending. I also liked that the author tackled topics of slavery, punishment for crime (even when innocent), and even rape and murder. While not giving too much detail, the author gave a more realistic view of the time than the romanticized version we often read.

The author's note at the end intrigued me as much as the story. I'm going to check out some books on Abigail and John Adams.

Fans of Jody Hedlund will enjoy her latest book. Fans of historical fiction will also enjoy this. A Noble Groom is still my favorite by Jody though. :)

I was given this book in exchange for my review. My thoughts are my own.

 

 

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Giveaway!

Today, I'm giving away a copy of A Noble Groom by Jody Hedlund. I LOVED this book. 

To enter to win, tell me what you think makes someone noble. To me, a noble person is someone who does the right thing because it's the right thing, a person of moral principle.

Get a second entry by following the blog. (Be sure to leave a comment telling me you follow. I know that's annoying sometimes, but it's the easiest way to keep up with the number of comments/entries.)

I will pick a winner (via random.org) next Thursday. 
I can only ship to the US. 
Be sure to leave an email address so that I can contact you.

Congrats to Juli for winning Secretly Smitten. I sent you an email asking for your address.

Happy Resurrection Day Sunday. So thankful for Jesus and a light in this dark world. 

A Noble Groom: A Review

You know a book is great when you stay up past 1:00 am to finish despite the fact that you have to wake up a few hours later for work. This book is worth the lack of sleep.

In the year 1880, few women held on to dreams of a fairy tale life. Annalisa may tell her daughter all the stories, but she knows she'll never experience that kind of love. When her husband dies, leaving her to try to save their farm alone, Annalisa's father writes the family in their native land, asking for a husband for her. When Carl Richard arrives to help until Annalisa's intended  can come (and run from his past), Annalisa comes to care for him...despite the fact he's not the man she's to marry.

Although the summary sounds like it's mainly a romance, this book offers so much more: family, the harsh farming life, murder, and family loyalty vs. love.
I enjoyed the realistic look at farm life, which included some lice scenes that made my head itch.
The relationship with Annalisa and her extended family, especially her brother Uri, was strong and more complex than it first appeared. I was certainly thrown for a loop by a twist at the end with her sweet brother...I wish that twist would have been developed a little more.
Finally, I loved the characters of Annalisa, her daughter, and Carl. They are each unique and well-developed. I liked the way the old fairy tales/folk tales were woven throughout the story.

This has been my favorite book (so far) by this author. Fans of Christian fiction will enjoy this book. Perhaps just start it early enough in the day that you can finish by bedtime.

I received this book in exchange for my review. My thoughts are my own.

Unending Devotion: A Review

Lily Young is determined to save her sister Daisy, who ran away and is now stuck as a prostitute in a Michigan logging camp. There she meets Connell McCormick, a man who runs a lumber company his father started, who wants to help but the small community is terrified of Carr, the man who runs the saloon where Daisy works. Because the logging camp doesn't have a sheriff, it's up to Lily to save her sister even if it means giving up Connell or even her own life.

Lily is a fun character. In 1883, women had few rights, but I imagine there were a lot of women like her: strong, spunky, and full of spitfire. She makes the story stand out with her headstrong determination that often gets her in trouble. Connell is a great balance with his careful calculations, and I loved them both. 

The pace is quick with Lily finding herself in one near death experience to another, from being stuck in a cabin while wolves stood outside to being forced to "work" at the brothel. 

Fans of Christian historical fiction will enjoy this book. 

I received this book in exchange for my review. My thoughts are my own.