My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it
Synopsis
Abandoned by his mail-order bride, Silas Jonesey has fought an uphill
battle to recover from a pattern of poor choices. Now his prayers for
reconciliation have finally come true and his estranged wife has
contacted him with her whereabouts.
Kate Dawson was supposed to
be a mail-order bride, but upon realizing she'd been deceived about her
intended groom, she's now settled into life as a schoolteacher. When the
mother of a student passes away, Kate assumes she'll take on care of
nine-year-old Anthony-until two men suddenly show up in town, claiming
to be the boy's father.
Silas can see Anthony loves Kate, so he
enlists her help in reaching out to the boy and attempting to prove his
paternity to the court. When a common interest in Anthony leads to an
interest in each other and Silas and Kate begin to think they can
overcome their rocky start, neither is prepared for the secrets and past
hurts that have yet to come to light. Can Silas, Kate, and Anthony's
wounded souls bind them together or will all that stands between them
leave them lonely forever?
My Review
Kate and Silas are both strong, admirable characters, but have realistic flaws that show how they struggle with their past and the effect it has on their present and future. The chemistry is definitely there (my favorite parts!), they just have to overcome major trust issues and learn to discern and rely on God's will. Anthony is also a realistic portrayal of a young boy caught in the middle of two futures he wants nothing to do with. He is sweet and playful one moment, scared and taciturn the next. Much of the story involves Kate and Silas frantically searching for Anthony since his M.O. is to run away, which created a sense of urgency to the pacing of the novel. There are appearances of characters from the earlier books in the series which was fun, but A Bride at Last can definitely be read as a stand alone.
(Thank you to Litfuse Publicity and Bethany House Publishing for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review)
Can Silas and Kate overcome their rocky start and experience healing—and possibly love? Discover the answer in Melissa Jagears' new book, A Bride at Last. Neither Kate nor Silas is prepared for the secrets and past hurts that have yet to come to light as they attempt to prove nine-year-old Anthony's paternity to the court. Can their wounded souls bind them together or will all that stands between them leave them lonely forever?
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