Summary: 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? (from Goodreads).
My thoughts of A Reluctant Bride
When offered the opportunity to escape hunger and poverty
in London, care giver Mercy Wilkins agrees to join the first bride ship to
British Columbia. On board she learns to assist wealthy and titled ships
surgeon, Joseph Colville, in treatment of patients. They have to fight against
their own feelings and society’s prejudice.
A Reluctant Bride is the first book in The Bride Ships series by Jody Hedlund, and I listened to an audio edition
published by arrangement with Baker Publishing Group.
The plot is
set in the poorest part of London 1862. We follow Mercy Wilkins as she tries to
take care of her small siblings. Life seems a constant fight for survival, so when
Mercy gets the opportunity to join the bride ship voyage to Vancouver Island,
she accepts. On board she meets Baron of Wiltshire and ships surgeon Joseph
Colville. Mercy learns to assist him in treatment of patients. They both fight against
the mutual attraction they feel and know they come from different worlds, which
makes a relationship between them unacceptable in the eyes of society.
Main
character is child caregiver and nursing assistant Mercy Wilkins who thinks she
is going to British Columbia to find employment. That she has to marry upon
arrival has escaped her notice. I find her a very kind and impressive character
who manages to care for others when she has so little herself. She is my
favorite character of this story.
Supporting character Reverent William Richard
Scott acts as chaperone for the brides on the trip. He is patronizing and
demeaning, taking his position way too seriously. He was my least favorite of
the story. His character will probably haunt me for a long time. I found the
character development of this story fabulous.
The vivid description of evergreen trees, sandy beaches
and wildlife on Vancouver Island, I found were fantastic in all 3 books. I
thoroughly loved the entertaining writing style, dialogue and vibe which make
this series one of my absolute favorites. I can’t wait for the release of
installment #4.
My favorite part was the romance between Mercy and
Joseph. During the voyage they live through hardship and become friends. The closeness
increases.
The plot has a distinct spiritual element and Mercy
and Joseph pray for help with processing their grief. Mercy has not felt God’s
nearness in her struggle to survive in London’s slums. She tries to pray, but feels
she is not quite able to. Joseph is running from God and his grief. Nothing
seems to have meaning and he prays to God to show him the next step.
Fans of Jody Hedlund are sure to love A Reluctant
Bride. Readers of historical romance fiction will enjoy it too. Similar authors
to explore might be Julie Klassen or Elizabeth Camden.
Conclusion:
This is the first book in the captivating series about young English
women going to British Columbia to help populate the colony. I thoroughly loved
the entertaining writing style, dialogue and vibe which make this series one of
my absolute favorites. I can’t wait for release of installment #4.
Rating: 5 stars / 5
Main reasons: exiting plot, vivid writing, fabulous
characters
Get Your Copy Here:
Book Details
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (June 4, 2019)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0764232959
ISBN-13: 978-0764232954
About The Author
Jody lives in central Michigan with her husband, five busy children, and five spoiled cats. Although Jody prefers to experience daring and dangerous adventures through her characters rather than in real life, she's learned that a calm existence is simply not meant to be (at least in this phase of her life!).
When she's not penning another of her page-turning stories, she loves to spend her time reading, especially when it also involves consuming coffee and chocolate. (from Amazon)
