Review: A Reluctant Bride (The Bride Ships #1) by Jody Hedlund

Living in London's poorest slum, Mercy Wilkins has little hope of a better life. When she's offered an opportunity to join a bride ship sailing to British Columbia, she agrees. After witnessing so much painful heartache and loss in the slums, the bride ship is her only prospect to escape a bleak future, not only for herself but, she hopes, someday for her sister.

 Wealthy and titled Joseph Colville leaves home and takes to the sea in order to escape the pain of losing his family. As ship's surgeon, he's in charge of the passengers' welfare aboard the Tynemouth, including sixty brides-to-be. He has no immediate intention of settling down, but when Mercy becomes his assistant, the two must fight against a forbidden love.

 With hundreds of single men congregating on the shore eager to claim a bride from the Tynemouth, will Mercy and Joseph lose their chance at true love, or will they be able to overcome the obstacles that threaten to keep them apart?

Paperback Edition, 329 pages

Published June 4th, 2019

by Bethany House Publishers

**** 

I was drawn to The Reluctant Bride because of the reference to Canadian history. I knew of bride ships heading to Australia but unaware the west coast of Canada was also a destination. I knew that sea voyages across the Atlantic were wroth with danger but my mind has a hard time wrapping itself around a voyage of this magnitude, not just the time span but the perils of the sea and food supply makes me glad to be born when I was. It was portrayed vividly here.

While I was hoping for more history on Canadian soil the majority of this story takes place on the sea. Just like the titanic this ship is divided by class and gender. The author notes were great and I loved that much of this story is based on fact - like the Columbia Mission Society, certain characters and quite a number of events came from the history books.  The scenes in England vividly showed the reasoning why these girls made the journey.

Jody Hedlund is not a new author for me, she takes those seldom heard of bits in history and weaves some intriguing stories, her research is impeccable which shines through.

This is the first book in series with The Runaway Bride slated for a March 2020 release.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Searching for You (Orphan Train #3) by Jody Hedlund

Despite years on the run, Sophie Neumann is determined to care for two young children. She won't abandon them the way she thinks her older sisters abandoned her. But times are growing desperate, and when she falls in with the wrong crowd and witnesses a crime, she realizes fleeing 1850s New York is her only option.

Disappearing with her two young charges into a group of orphans heading west by train, Sophie hopes to find safety and a happy life. When the train stops in Illinois for the first placement of orphans, Sophie faces the most difficult choice of her life.

Reinhold Weiss has finally purchased his own small farm. With mounting debts, a harvest to bring in, and past scars that haunt him, he's in no position to give his heart away . . . but can he say no when his long-lost friend shows up on a nearby train pleading for his help?

 Paperback, 341 pages

 Published December 4th, 2018

by Bethany House Publishers

*** 1/2

Book 3 in the Orphan Train Series concludes with Sophie's story.  Introduced in book 1 - With You Always along with her sisters Marianne and Elise, it's now time to hear from Sophie.  While this book can work as a standalone I highly recommend reading this series in order - things will fit together nicely and make more sense.

The author definitely captured the era with this series and Searching for You also highlights the struggles, both physical, mental and spiritual in what farmers went through.  It's a lot of work just to survive, more so when running from the past with no idea where to head. I liked Sophie, the youngest of the 3 sisters she was easily hurt and left out which took her to New York City.  A fierce determination to take care of Olivia and Nicholas (on her own) and trouble in the City sent her running with some tough decisions to be made.

It wasn't just Sophie's story here but also Reinhold who appears in the 2 previous books, which rounded out this book nicely.  The conclusion was fitting, wrapping up loose ends.

This was my first time reading Jody Hedlund, I will continue with more of her books, I like her writing style, attention to detail and ability to put me right in the setting.  Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy (via Netgalley).

 click on the cover to take you to my review

Review: Together Forever (Orphan Train #2) by Jody Hedlund

Marianne Neumann has one goal in life: to find her lost younger sister, Sophie. When Marianne takes a job as a placing agent with the Children's Aid Society in 1858 New York, she not only hopes to give children a better life but seeks to discover whether Sophie ended up leaving the city on an orphan train.

 Andrew Brady, her fellow agent on her first placing trip, is a former schoolteacher who has an easy way with the children--firm but tender and funny. Underneath his handsome charm, though, seems to linger a grief that won't go away--and a secret from his past that he keeps hidden. As the two team up placing orphans amid small railroad towns in Illinois, they find themselves growing ever closer . . . until a shocking tragedy threatens to upend all their work and change one of their lives forever.

Kindle Edition, 352 pages

Published May 1st 2018

by Bethany House Publishers

*** 1/2

Together Forever is book 2 in the Orphan Train Series involving sisters Elise, Marianne and Sophie. With You Always is the first one and I highly recommend starting there to get a better sense of the history of these sisters.

As Marianne boards the train bound for Illinois she gets more than she bargained for. Her goal was to find her sister, Sophie, but rather she bonds with the kids and the distant Andrew who is also hiding secrets from his past. When tragedy strikes so much changes.

Together Forever is a story of self discovery, forgiving oneself and of letting go. I enjoyed the history aspect here, how scared those kids must have been traveling and then placed with complete strangers. The romance part played out somewhat as I expected. Faith is a big part of the story especially with 2 characters carrying a lot of guilt.

This was an enjoyable story highlighting the early life of The Children's Aid Society, how it operated and the struggles of the children and workers.

This series continues with Searching For You scheduled to be released in Dec. 2018.

Thank you to Bethany House for an advanced copy in exchange for honest review.

Review: With You Always (Orphan Train #1) by Jody Hedlund

A Riveting Look at the Orphan Train from Historical Novelist Jody Hedlund 

When a financial crisis in 1850s New York leaves three orphaned sisters nearly destitute, the oldest, Elise Neumann, knows she must take action. She's had experience as a seamstress, and the New York Children's Aid Society has established a special service: placing out seamstresses and trade girls. Even though Elise doesn't want to leave her sisters for a job in Illinois, she realizes this may be their last chance.

The son of one of New York City's wealthiest entrepreneurs, Thornton Quincy faces a dilemma. His father is dying, and in order to decide which of his sons will inherit everything, he is requiring them to do two things in six months: build a sustainable town along the Illinois Central Railroad, and get married. Thornton is tired of standing in his twin brother's shadow and is determined to win his father's challenge. He doesn't plan on meeting a feisty young woman on his way west, though.

Paperback, 359 pages

Published June 6th 2017 

by Bethany House 

*** 1/2

The first book in Jody Hedlund's Orphan Train series was released last month. Hedlund is a new author to me, I've seen her books around and jumped at the chance to review this one.

One of the things I really enjoyed here was the historical aspect.  I didn't know the role the New York City's Children's Aid Society played nor did I know about the financial crisis that hit New York City in the 1850's. Times were desperate and if you couldn't work where you lived it made sense to go where the jobs were. I had always assumed it was just orphan's sent west but I guess women went also. The author clearly portrayed the desperation of those in the city seeking to make a better life not just for themselves but to support family, there was not social assistance, everyone was left to their own devices.  Life just seemed to be about survival..  

Even though I found the story line predictable I still enjoyed watching events unfold.  At times I found myself wanting to spend more time with some of the secondary characters, but given this is book 1 I am hoping to see more as the series progresses.  

With You Always is a story of survival, determination, romance and faith.  Definitely an author I will read more of.

Book provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications.