A Bride of Convenience

I enjoy marriage of convenience stories, so when I saw this book entitled A Bride of Convenience, I was pretty sure I would like it. And I was right. Author Jody Hedlund brings readers the third in her Bride Ships series with Zoe and Pastor Abe's story. I have not read the first two and felt A Bride of Convenience was a solid stand-alone book. But I would like to go back and read the first two stories as the concept of women coming on a ship to America to find husbands is a fascinating concept, and I'd like to find out more about it. There was lots of romantic tension in the story. Zoe and Abe connect early on in the book, but it takes a lot of back and forth before they are willing to admit their love for the other, and for that matter, to admit even to themselves. I loved the characters from Zoe and Abe to a curmudgeonly bishop, good friends, and a couple of sweet children too. A Bride of Convenience is a quick read with a fast-paced plot, intriguing historical tidbits, great dialogue, and a strong faith in God threaded throughout the story. Readers who enjoy historical romance will not want to miss this one. I read a complimentary copy of the book and was not required to write a review. The opinions are my own.

A marriage of convenience. Answer to a prayer. Can two hearts bound by duty, be bound by love? I was thrilled to pick up this book when I heard that it would feature one of my favorite characters in the previous book, Pastor Abe. I loved getting to know more of his backstory and motivations in this story, as I got to see more of what a genuinely kind and caring man he is, willing to meet people on level ground, rather than above them. Zoe is a woman who has suffered much but has such an open heart for others, especially children. I admired her commitment to the children in her care, as well as her modest sensibilities, and thoughtfulness towards her neighbors. This book pushes further inland, building upon the previous books, and going deeper into the wilds of British Columbia. I loved how this book visits familiar places as well as featuring favorite characters from the previous books like Mrs. Moresby, Pete, Arabella, and others, as well as introducing new ones, like Will, a clever young man who calls things as he sees them. Probably my favorite of the series so far! Zoe and Abe have amazing chemistry, I loved how they work well together caring for the people of the community. This book was well paced and difficult to put down, tensions mounted into a climactic ending that was wholly satisfying, yet left me longing for the next book in the series! Romantic, and exciting, I would definitely recommend this book for fans of Jody Hedlund, mail-order bride romance, and fans of historical Christian romance. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.