Undaunted Hope by Jody Hedlund

About the Book
Tessa Taylor arrives in 1870s Upper Peninsula, Michigan, planning to serve as a new teacher to the town. Much to her dismay, however, she immediately learns that there was a mistake, that the town had requested a male teacher. Percival Updegraff, superintendent and chief mine clerk, says she can stay through winter since they won't be able to locate a new teacher before then, and Tessa can't help but say she is in his debt. Little does she know that Percival will indeed keep track of all that she owes him.
Determined to become indispensable, Tessa throws herself into teaching, and soon the children of the widowed lighthouse keeper have decided she's the right match for their grieving father. Their uncle and assistant light keeper, Alex Bjorklund, has his own feelings for Tessa. As the two brothers begin competing for her hand, Tessa increasingly feels that someone is tracking her every move, and she may not be able to escape the trap that has been laid for her.

My Thoughts
Even though Tessa wasn't exactly the most lovable character in Hearts Made Whole she began to redeem herself at the end and I was excited to see what the author had in store for her. From the very first page I was swept up in Tessa and Alex's story and couldn't wait to figured out how they would overcome the many obstacles standing in the way of them being together. I loved how selfless Alex was! Time and time again he sacrificed to help those he cared about without much or any thought to how it would affect him. As for Tessa, she had grown quite a lot since we last saw her and I admired how she was always looking for ways to help those around her. They really were a well suited pair and I loved watching their relationship play out! Alex's brother, niece, and nephew were all great characters as well and while Alex and Michael's both vying for Tessa's attention was a bit painful at times it also provided some amusing moments that made me laugh and I loved the bond that the brothers had through it all.
I loved the setting of this book and greatly appreciate all the research the author did to make it as authentic as possible. It has been fun getting to learn about the inner workings of lighthouses throughout this series!
This book made me laugh, brought tears to my eyes, had me on the edge of my seat wondering how things were going to play out, and left me sighing with happiness! I definitely recommend this series and really any of this author's books!

Meet the Author
Jody Hedlund is the author of over a dozen novels, including Love Unexpected, Captured by Love, Unending Devotion, The Preacher's Bride, and A Noble Groom, winner of the 2014 Carol Award for historical romance. She received a bachelor's degree from Taylor University and a master's from the University of Wisconsin, both in social work. She lives in Michigan with her husband and five children. She loves hearing from readers on Facebook and on her blog at www.jodyhedlund.com.

I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for my review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.