The Runaway Bride By Jody Hedlund

The Runaway Bride
by Jody Hedlund
Publisher: Bethany House
ISBN: 9780764232961

Once again I've gone and read a book out of order. I'm happy to say that it's been several months since I've done that! Bethany House sent me book 2 of The Bride Ships series for review.

Summary:

Haunted by Mistakes in Her Past, Will She Ever Again
Trust Her Heart to Another?
Wealthy Arabella Lawrence flees to British Columbia on a bride ship, still bearing the scars of past mistakes. One of the few single women in the boomtown, she immediately attracts suitors, but she is determined not to find herself trapped again by making a poor choice.

Vying for her hand are two very different men. Lieutenant Richard Drummond is a gentleman in the Navy, held in high esteem. Peter Kelly is the town's baker who has worked hard to build a thriving business. He and Drummond not only compete for Arabella's affections, but also clash over their views of how the natives should be treated in the midst of a smallpox outbreak.

As Arabella begins to overcome her fears, she discovers someone in dire need--a starving girl left behind by her tribe. Intent on helping the child, Arabella leans on Peter's advice and guidance. Will she have the wisdom to make the right decision, or will seeking what's right cost both her and Peter everything?

My Review:

This was my first book by this author as well as reading a story based on bride ships. I knew based on the summary that this was going to be a fascinating book with a lot happening at once. What I wasn't expecting was needing my own fan for some of the "almost" romantic scenes.

The Runaway Bride starts off with us meeting Arabella as the bride ship is pulling into Victoria. You can sense her concern right from the start. You definitely get the feeling she's wondering what she's gotten herself into. I appreciate that the author gives us glimpses throughout the story as to why Arabella was on this ship in the first place.

At first I was a bit annoyed with Arabella's constant thoughts of how she should behave. Like, who seriously thought that way? Then it was made clear that her stepmother drilled it into her time and time again what society expects from women of her status. That would've been enough to put me on a bride ship!

It was easy to like Lieutenant Drummond at the start. Being a gentleman in the Navy, he understands high society and status. He seems to be be drawn to Arabella like moths to a flame. Then there's Peter Kelly. He's definitely low society, but he doesn't care one whit about society standards. You kind of want to pull for him from the start.

One of the elements I like the most about this story was how descriptive the landscape was. When Peter would go out in his canoe, I almost felt like I could imagine the scenery. I was really transported to this little village through the writing.

Of course one of the most important pieces to this story are the Native Americans who are displaced and treated so terribly. I didn't realize in Canada they had been pushed out of their land with smallpox to decrease their numbers. I thought that only happened in America. It was heartbreaking to read, even in a fictional setting.

Now, things do get hot and heavy when it comes to the romance. Nothing inappropriate happens in the story, but whew mama is the romance strong. lol If you enjoy historical fiction with a heavy dose of romance, you will hit both nails on the head with The Runaway Bride! I already ordered book one before I even started this book so I'm looking forward to reading it next.

About the Author:

Jody Hedlund (www.jodyhedlund.com) is the author of over 20 novels, including Love Unexpected, Captured by Love, Unending Devotion, The Preacher's Bride, and A Noble Groom, and is the winner of numerous awards, including the Christy Award, Carol Award, and Christian Book Award. She received a bachelor's degree from Taylor University and a master's from the University of Wisconsin, both in social work. Jody lives in central Michigan with her husband, five busy teens, and five spoiled cats. She loves hearing from readers on Facebook and on her blog.