A Reluctant Bride by Jody Hedlund

About the Book
Living in London's poorest slum, Mercy Wilkins has little hope of a better life. When she's offered an opportunity to join a bride ship sailing to British Columbia, she agrees. After witnessing so much painful heartache and loss in the slums, the bride ship is her only prospect to escape a bleak future, not only for herself but, she hopes, someday for her sister.
Wealthy and titled Joseph Colville leaves home and takes to the sea in order to escape the pain of losing his family. As ship's surgeon, he's in charge of the passengers' welfare aboard the Tynemouth, including sixty brides-to-be. He has no immediate intention of settling down, but when Mercy becomes his assistant, the two must fight against a forbidden love.

With hundreds of single men congregating on the shore eager to claim a bride from the Tynemouth, will Mercy and Joseph lose their chance at true love, or will they be able to overcome the obstacles that threaten to keep them apart?

My Thoughts
Jody Hedlund's books are always fascinating to me! I love the way she takes a bit of history that is often overlooked or not even known about and creates a beautiful love story around it! This book, and the ensuing series, give us a peek into the lives of women who found themselves on one of the "bride ships" headed to the other side of the world.
Mercy and Joseph were both great characters! Though they came from completely different stations in life they both had a heart to help others in need. I loved how even though Joseph was an aristocrat he never hesitated to help those who society deemed beneath him, regardless of what his peers thought. And Mercy had a servant's heart willing to literally give the clothes off her back if it meant someone else was taken care of. They had some obstacles to work through in their relationship but their romance was sweet.
This book didn't have a lot of surprising twists and turns or any huge dramatic moments but I honestly really enjoyed that fact. It was at it's core just a beautiful romance set during a unique part of history. Definitely another win from an amazing author!

Meet the Author
Jody Hedlund is the bestselling author of over twenty historical novels for both adults and teens and is the winner of numerous awards, including the Christy, Carol, and Christian Book Award. Jody lives in Michigan with her husband, five busy teens, and five spoiled cats. Visit her at jodyhedlund.com.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.