Historical Romance/Christian Fiction published September 2, 2014
Bethany House Publishing
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Synopsis from Goodreads:
Mail-order bride Eliza Cantrell is on her way to meet her intended groom and help him grow his general store business when her train is held up by robbers and she loses her dowry. She's further thwarted upon arriving in Salt Flatts only to find Axel, her groom, away on business.
Hoping a wife would push Axel to become a better business partner, William Stanton had encouraged him to seek a mail-order bride. With Axel gone, Will feels responsible for Eliza, so he finds her a place to stay and lets her help in the store.
Working together isn't what they'd expected, and when Axel is further delayed, neither can ignore the sparks that fly. But Eliza is meant for Axel and is set on a future with the store, while Will is biding time until he can afford medical school.
Their troubles are far from over when Axel returns to town, however, and soon both Will and Eliza must decide what they're willing to sacrifice to chase their dreams--or if God has a new dream in store for them both.
My Thoughts...
This was another win from Melissa Jagears and Bethany House. I really enjoyed this book maybe even more than the first one in the series. The male lead in this book was in the last book as well. He is the oldest son of the family who were Everett's best friends. We do get to see Everett and Julia a little bit in this story so that was nice.
Eliza in obviously the mail order bride here, she has decided to surprise her intended by showing up a week earlier than planned. On the way, the train she is on in robbed and Eliza loses her entire inheritance. She is also injured in the process and meets Will when he is called to help care for her injury. Eliza and Will form a friendship while they work together in the store that Eliza will help her husband run if only he will return. Will is working in the store with Axel for the time being, but he is meant for greater things. He wants to be a doctor and actually does attend to a good many of the people in town. They don't care that he doesn't have schooling, he cares for them and treats them in a much kinder way than the regular town doctor does.
The longer Will and Eliza work together the more he comes to care for her, and she for him, but she knows that once Axel returns she will have to marry him. She made him a promise and she's not going to back out unless she has a very good reason. She also has a dream of running her own store someday and this may be her only chance, plus there is the chance that she could learn to love Axel someday. From the moment Axel return, things take an unexpected turn. He's not the man he presented himself to be, in fact he's done things that even his business partner Will knows nothing about. How will Eliza know which path to choose? Will she and Will find their way to each other in the end?
I really did enjoy this story. It is a religious story, but it's more subtle in this book than in the first one. For me this one read more like historical fiction and less like religious fiction. I felt like this definitely reflected the beliefs of the time it's set in so it's less "in your face" than some of the religious fiction I have read.
Eliza in obviously the mail order bride here, she has decided to surprise her intended by showing up a week earlier than planned. On the way, the train she is on in robbed and Eliza loses her entire inheritance. She is also injured in the process and meets Will when he is called to help care for her injury. Eliza and Will form a friendship while they work together in the store that Eliza will help her husband run if only he will return. Will is working in the store with Axel for the time being, but he is meant for greater things. He wants to be a doctor and actually does attend to a good many of the people in town. They don't care that he doesn't have schooling, he cares for them and treats them in a much kinder way than the regular town doctor does.
The longer Will and Eliza work together the more he comes to care for her, and she for him, but she knows that once Axel returns she will have to marry him. She made him a promise and she's not going to back out unless she has a very good reason. She also has a dream of running her own store someday and this may be her only chance, plus there is the chance that she could learn to love Axel someday. From the moment Axel return, things take an unexpected turn. He's not the man he presented himself to be, in fact he's done things that even his business partner Will knows nothing about. How will Eliza know which path to choose? Will she and Will find their way to each other in the end?
I really did enjoy this story. It is a religious story, but it's more subtle in this book than in the first one. For me this one read more like historical fiction and less like religious fiction. I felt like this definitely reflected the beliefs of the time it's set in so it's less "in your face" than some of the religious fiction I have read.
If you like a good historical romance, you like clean romance and you don't mind that is religious fiction then give this book a try!
XOXO, Shelly
*Disclaimer: I was provided with a copy of this book courtesy of the publisher in exchange for my honest review.*
