A Reluctant Bride by Jody Hedlund

A Reluctant Bride by Jody Hedlund

Bride Ships book #1

Bethany House, June 4 2019
352 pages
Review copy via netgalley, thank you
Previous posts regarding Jody Hedlund here at BBR
Burton Book Review Rating: Unabashedly FIVE STARS

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?

I love Jody Hedlund's writing style and the way she incorporates christian themes with her historical romances. And typically I'm like "moan, groan" if I hear the term Bride Ship because hey, we all know what that story arc is all about, am I right? Luckily I know that anything by this author is touched with gold, so I requested it and downloaded and read it in a day. A Blessedly Long Day. But a wonderful day that was perfectly set for this reluctant bride story regarding the young and humble Mercy Wilkins. She is from a destitute family in London and knows there is literally zero hope of a happy existence when she has to survive on a stale piece of bread for sustenance each day. When she finds out about the ship taking young ladies abroad to help settle British Columbia she knows it is a chance not to be spurned. It is not until later that she finds out the main purpose of all the ladies sailing to an unknown land is so that they can be brides and have babies and Mercy is having none of that!

Mercy is a sweet and endearing character who is tempted by the gorgeous doctor on board the ship - yet there will always be the division of classes of the poor and the upper crust. Turns out the handsome doctor is really Lord Joseph Colville of London and she really should not be catching his eye, but of course her sweet nature is so unlike the haughty taughty ladies that she sets herself apart, rags and all. And yes, A Reluctant Bride follows along the familiar storyline of love conquers all but this novel also brings to light other themes such as we are all God's creatures no matter if you are a Lord or a maid. We are shown the hardships that the poorest of the poor are forced to endure, the heartaches and the burdens that are so easy to turn a blind eye to. And yet Mercy was blessed with the fortitude to be able to do whatever it is she could to be able to make a difference and she did not hesitate to help someone who would definitely not return the favor.

As Mercy was so easy a character to like, so was the good doctor. Lord Colville also portrayed the genteel qualities of the titles he owned, but he also had a good struggle with his own burdens that he works through in the novel. Of course the reader knows that these two are meant for each other, but the obstacles of other people and the social strata of what should be done block their direct paths to true happiness. I do not normally go all through the character analysis in a review but since it is already written here I shall leave it. I look forward to book two which will feature a fellow passenger on the bride ship.

Suffice it to say this novel is going to stay with me for a while, just as Hedlund's other works have. The author brings a passion to all of her stories that blend the context of  history, inspirational themes and pure clean romance that is hard to put down mid way through. Thank you to Bethany House Publisher for supporting this wonderful author and providing her amazing work for us to devour.



Other reviews at this site for Jody's work:
Orphan Train Series:
Searching For You
With You Always
Together Forever

A Noble Groom
Unending Devotion


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