"A Reluctant Bride" by Jody Hedlund --Book Review

About the Book  

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?



My Thoughts

"A Reluctant Bride" is the first book in the Bride Ship series. It was enlightening to see the conditions of the slums of London and how the people eked out a life. I like Joseph and Mercy and their struggles. I could feel their hurts and emotions. The characters went through growth through the book. I look forward to reading the next books in the series.

About the Author

Jody Hedlund is the author of more than twenty novels, including Love Unexpected, Captured by Love, Unending Devotion, The Preacher's Bride, and A Noble Groom, winner of the 2014 Carol Award for historical romance. She lives in Michigan with her husband and five children. Visit her at jodyhedlund.com.


"A Reluctant Bride" is available in paperback:

• Series: The Bride Ships (Book 1)
• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (June 4, 2019)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764232959
• ISBN-13: 978-0764232954
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.9 x 8.5 inches

and in Kindle edition:

• File Size: 8890 KB
• Print Length: 329 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0764234145
• Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (June 4, 2019)
• Publication Date: June 4, 2019
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
• Language: English
• ASIN: B07NDMRYGH

I got a free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own and given voluntarily. No compensation was received for my review.