Publisher Description:
Can real love grow between a wallflower and an unrepentant rogue?
Sarah Drayton is eager to spend time with her best friend at her crumbling Northumberland castle estate. Matrimony is the last thing on her mind and the last thing she expects to be faced with on a holiday. Yet she finds herself being inveigled into a marriage of convenience with her friend’s rakish brother.
When James Langley returns to his family’s estate, he can’t be bothered to pay attention to his responsibilities as the heir. War is raging and he wants only distraction, not serious tethers. But his roguish ways have backed him into a corner, and he has little choice but to obey his father’s stunning decree: marry before returning to war, or else. Suddenly he finds himself wedded to a clever and capable woman he does not love.
Sarah craves love and a place to belong, neither of which James offered before returning to the battlefront. Now everyone around her thinks she married above her station, and they have no intention of rewarding her for such impertinence. It isn’t until her husband returns from war seemingly changed that she begins to hope they may find real happiness. But can she trust that this rake has truly reformed?
When tragedy strikes, this pair must learn to trust God and his plans. Will they be destroyed . . . or will they discover that even in the darkest depths of night, the morning still holds hope?
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My Review:
While reading this story, I came to appreciate this author’s writing skill.
She took some very difficult issues (depression because of the loss of a child; excessive drinking; and financial loss), yet kept the characters from being completely forsaken. As heavy as this story gets at times, there’s a spark of redemption that begins to shine brighter and brighter as the story progresses. The reader begins to grasp the difference that true faith can make in the life of a believer who has forsaken their sins and turned to God for redemption.
Truthfully, if I had realized the “heaviness” of this story before I began the book, I might not have read it, but I came to appreciate the spiritual victory at the end. Seeing these characters grow in grace, faith, and love makes this a remarkable story.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
About Carolyn Miller
Carolyn Miller is a bestselling Australian author of historical and contemporary romance. A longtime lover of romance, especially that of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer’s Regency era, Carolyn holds a BA in English Literature, and loves drawing readers into fictional worlds that show the truth of God’s grace in our lives. Her Regency novels include the nine books of the Regency Brides series and the Regency Wallflowers series. Her contemporary novels include those in the Independence Islands series and the Original Six hockey romance series.
Her stories have been described by Publishers Weekly as “a winsome exploration of life, love and faith” and witty “with snappy repartee that rockets off the page” (Library Journal). Readers enjoy these books that are humorous yet also deal with real issues, such as dealing with forgiveness, the nature of really loving versus ‘true love’, and other challenges. Her novels can be considered ‘inspirational’, and may appeal to readers of Christian fiction, who want stories of hope and redemption – with a twist of Aussie humour.
Thanks so much for sharing your honest review. I’m glad you persevered and enjoyed!