Reviewed by Martha Artyomenko
Book Description:
In an act of brave defiance, Tamsen Littlejohn escapes the life her harsh stepfather has forced upon her. Forsaking security and an arranged marriage, she enlists frontiersman Jesse Bird to guide her to the Watauga settlement in western North Carolina. But shedding her old life doesn’t come without cost. As the two cross a vast mountain wilderness, Tamsen faces hardships that test the limits of her faith and endurance.
Convinced that Tamsen has been kidnapped, wealthy suitor Ambrose Kincaid follows after her, in company with her equally determined stepfather. With trouble in pursuit, Tamsen and Jesse find themselves thrust into the conflict of a divided community of Overmountain settlers. The State of Franklin has been declared, but many remain loyal to North Carolina. With one life left behind and chaos on the horizon, Tamsen struggles to adapt to a life for which she was never prepared. But could this challenging frontier life be what her soul has longed for, what God has been leading her toward? As pursuit draws ever nearer, will her faith see her through the greatest danger of all—loving a man who has risked everything for her?
My Review:
This book starts with a whirlwind of activity, after a traumatic event happens, Tamsen finds herself trusting a stranger more than those she has grown up with. The storyline is very interesting. I struggled with the marriage of convenience idea a bit in this one, even though for the time period, it stuck closely to the likely scenarios that would have played out.
This is well written, and done with skill to keep my attention. The struggles of the early settlers were very accurately portrayed, and the faith of the characters were beautifully done. I wished that there was a little more story line of how the actual relationship could have gone if they had not fallen in love so quickly, but that may just be my imagination!
If you like marriage of convenience stories, check this one out.
This book was given to me for review by Blogging for Books. The opinions contained therein are my own.
