Love's Pursuit, by Siri Mitchell

Setting

1640s
Stoneybrooke Towne, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Synopsis

So much is expected of Susannah in her Puritan village.  She must be very careful to adhere to the principles of her simple faith, and she feels as though eyes are constantly upon her, assuring that she does just that. She does not know who to trust. Her thoughts are in complete opposition to what she knows they should be, yet she tries so hard to act appropriately. There is more than one man vying for her affections, one of whom is her betrothed.  However, he is not the one who stands out above the rest.  The military captain, who is sent to protect their village from Indian attack, is an outsider, and thus is strictly off-limits. However, her heart knows no such boundaries, and she falls in love with him anyway.  The results are more far reaching than she ever could have imagined.

Review

I absolutely love this book.  The Puritan faith is so fascinating, and the author did an exquisite job of making me feel like I was back there in that time and place.  Her use of words and the way that she wrote in the first person was very effective.  The forbidden yet undeniable connection between Susannah and Captain Daniel Holcombe is riveting.  I found myself pulling for them, all the while fearful that something tragic was going to happen.  The suspense was tangible.  The danger, coming from the wealthiest member of the community, bordered on terrifying. There is a grave evil about the man that sets her senses reeling.  I wish that things had turned out differently than they did, but the author did a good job of pacifying my emotions.  I would say that it was a very realistic ending, heart wrenching though it was. Don't even hesitate in reading this book!  Just buy it right now, and enjoy!

Edgy Content

1) Very compelling attraction between the two main characters sure to get your heart racing, though it is tastefully written.

2) Intrigue and danger, and a very real sense of evil about one of the men. 
3) Abuse and murder.  There is suspicion of physical abuse, an episode of intended sexual abuse, as well as a murder scene.

A Bride Most Begrudging, by Deeanne Gist

Setting

1643

Detford, England

Virginia Colony

Synopsis

Lady Constance Morrow boards a ship, intent on bidding her beloved uncle farewell before he is transported as a convict.  However, she is barred from leaving the ship and ends up getting transported to America as well, and sold as a tobacco bride.  A Virginia planter then wins her from her original purchaser in a game of chance.  Drew O'Conner has no wish for a wife.  Not only is he is still pining over his first wife's death, but he is repelled by Constance's red hair and freckles.  Yet the church elders will not allow an eligible woman to remain unmarried since there is a shortage of "breeders" in the colony.  Thus, Drew is forced to marry her, though they secretly agree that it will only be a marriage of convenience, and Constance is still determined to return to England posthaste.  Conflicts follow as this prideful, independent lady refuses to buckle to Drew's domineering commands, and also insists on continuing with the forbidden mathematical pursuits that she had learned from her dear uncle.  Can these two very different people find a compromise... and  perhaps even love?

Review

I have a fascination with colonial era America, and this story just really grabbed me from the start.  I loved the idea of the tobacco brides.  What a romantic and original idea for a story!  Deeanne Gist worded things in such a way that I could easily envision the setting, and I was quickly endeared to the characters and their humorous situations as well.  She also stayed true to what I think the men of that era might have been like, expecting strict obedience of those they considered to be their inferiors.  I loved everything about this book.  This is the first one that I read from this author, and her books are now some of my all time favorites.  When I think of Edgy Christian Fiction, I automatically think of this author.  Her stories have a wonderful amount of fire in the romance scenes, really causing the reader to be enthralled, without going too far.  The connections within the couples are so real and so full of emotion, and her humor and originality is refreshing.

Edgy Content

1) Kidnapping and selling of a woman into marriage
2) Gambling.  The purchased bride is lost in a game of chance.

2) Romance scenes are more in depth and emotional than many others of this genre.
3) Domineering male character, which felt very authentic for the time period.

The Shape of Mercy, by Susan Meissner

Setting

Modern day

Santa Barbara, California

1692

Salem, Massachusetts

Synopsis

Lauren gets a part-time job with an elderly librarian, transcribing the journals of Mercy Hayworth, who had fallen victim to the Salem Witch Trials centuries before. She quickly finds herself enthralled by this young woman's life and the long ago time in which she lived, one wrought with superstition, fear, and betrayal.  Lauren finds that her connection with Mercy has transcended time, and she finds herself questioning things in her own life and among her own acquaintances, including her relationship with a certain young man named Raul.

Review

This story is so compelling that I found myself riveted and unable to set it aside. This author has a way of layering the story and holding the reader's interest.  The characters are so well developed that they stick with you, long after you close the book and continue on with your life.  I really felt like I was there with Mercy Hayworth, not knowing who to trust, feeling her pain and her fears.  This story was creepier than the books that I normally read, due to the situations involved with the witch trials, but I couldn't help but be drawn to read more and more.  The characters felt so real, and so connected to each other, that I just had to know what happened to them.  This is a very well written book that I highly recommend.

Edgy Content

1) Reference to people being killed, since many were hung because of false suspicions.
2) Underlying feeling of evil, reference to witchcraft and bad spirits.  This is rather spooky if you are not used to reading these types of stories.  However, it was necessary in order to make the plot and characters realistic.  That really was a terrifying time for those people.

A Willing Heart, by Mary Andersen

  

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Setting

1683
Bristol, England
Oxford, Maryland Province (Colonial America)

Synopsis

Amidst unbearable injustice, can she find the will to love and forgive?

Sarah Matthews has lost everything she holds dear, and fears further tragedy is to come if she remains at her childhood home near Bristol, England. Will her reckless decision to flee in the dead of night end up destroying any shred of hope she has left, and put her in even greater danger? 

Maryland planter, John Clark, has no need for a female servant. Yet when he sees a disheveled young woman, trying so hard to be brave, there is no denying his desire to help her. Buying Sarah's indenture is one thing. Impulsively forcing her into marriage the same day is quite another...

My Thoughts

I don't feel it would be appropriate to review my own novel, but I would like to explain my reasoning for including some of its content.  Some might be disturbed by the focus on, or inclusion of, the fallout of a woman being raped.  My take on this is that these things do happen, and I think that addressing this issue is important.  It is my wish that this story will inspire and give hope to people who have experienced difficult things.  Most of us will never be attacked in such a heinous way, but we all have times in our lives when we feel great discouragement and pain.  This story is a reminder to me that we all have within us the innate ability to rise above the trials that test our faith and fortitude.  I hope that following Sarah's journey will give my readers a renewed appreciation for the power of forgiveness and love.  

Edgy Content

1) Romance scenes are quite descriptive, though not explicit, with plenty of emotion sure to get your heart racing. 

2) Off camera rape, and subsequent reservation toward intimacy.

3) The selling of European immigrants into servitude might bother some, but it was the backbone of the economy of the southern colonies for quite a few years, until the practice was largely replaced by slavery. 

4) Sarah was forced to marry and then consummate that marriage with a stranger, the very day she met him.  In many "marriage of convenience" stories, the authors allow a respectable time period for the characters to get to know each other and to fall in love before the marriage is consummated.  This book does not. I think it is realistic for the time period in which the story is set, as I don't believe that, in the 1600s, men would have always given women time to adjust to their new situation, but might have instead simply expected obedience. 

A Trusting Heart, by Mary Andersen

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Setting

1695
Oxford, Maryland

Synopsis

Susannah Smith is devastated by the sudden death of her husband, James, and does not wish to find a replacement any time soon, if ever.  Though several men vie for her hand and her financial situation dictates that she remarry quickly, she continues to turn down their proposals over the coming months.  When she finally decides to sell her late husband's candle shop to procure some much needed funds for her support, she is very troubled to discover that a drunken, wounded squatter has taken up residence there.  The handsome man scares her to death, yet her traitorous heart is drawn to him, even as his dangerous and unorthodox ways are turning her life upside down and putting her in grave danger.  Will he ever be able to trust her with his darkest secrets and accept her love?  Or will his violent past end up destroying them both?

My thoughts

Since I wrote this book, I'll try not to give a conventional review because that would just be weird.  However, I have to say that I am very attached to this story and especially to Joe's character.  There is something about him that just tugs at my heart. He's so haunted by the past, and his wounds run so much deeper than the physical.  He's so sure that he is unworthy of Susannah's love. In fact, he doesn't even really remember what love feels like.  After what has happened to him and after the sins he's committed, he feels cold and empty inside.  His progression, as his heart thaws and slowly lets Susannah in, really gets me, as does how fiercely he fights against it, so afraid of hurting her.  Okay, I guess that ended up being a review of sorts.  My apologies, but I just really like Joe!  He's definitely my favorite character so far in this series.

Edgy Content

1) Emotional romance scenes.  I intentionally left out any explicit content, but some scenes really address the emotional aspects of Joe and Susannah's relationship and of temptation, and might just get your heart racing a bit.

2) Cohabitation of an unmarried couple.  I don't want to give away too much, but it becomes necessary for Joe and Susannah to live in the same house for a few days and then stay in the same bed temporarily as well, but they they keep it chaste and try to keep a boundary between them as would have been done during that era.  They didn't have a bundling board or other such accepted barrier, but they did the best they could.  It actually made for some very tender moments between them.

3) Reference to past visiting of prostitutes.  This is not something that is glorified at all and it did not happen during the story. It is just a matter of the person not previously being taught that there was anything wrong with it, although the man in question deeply regretting it once he did learn the error of his old ways.

4) Violence.  There were instances of two of the characters being in predicaments that they were sure would result in their death, but there is nothing gory.  There is also reference to violence that occurred before the story opened.