The Captive Brides Collection

9 Stories of Great Challenges Overcome Through Great Love

by Jennifer AlLee, Angela Breidenbach, Susan Page Davis, Darlene Franklin, Patty Smith Hall, Cynthia Hickey, Carrie Fancett Pagels, Lucy Thompson, Gina Welborn

I’m starting to like “collections”. It’s good to have a story end then go right into another – in this case eight more times, entirely different. This is excellent Christian Historical romance with so much creativity, beautifully told by very talented authors. And they’re not the sappy predictable only-about-the-romance bridal story. Each has great depth and a Christian lesson as well as a fabulous romance. The main theme with all of these is that the women are captives – in other words slaves. I think it’s good to be reminded that there have been slaves who came from and went to many countries. The stories here include the Irish and Scottish. Men and women were sold, drugged, beaten and kidnapped into slavery. Some called it indentured service, but then tacked on additional years for repayment of food, clothing, shelter and medical services; in some cases they were never free. It’s not like they didn’t want to work hard or in the case with a contract to pay back their fair debt; many were worked to death and treated poorly. Many times women were forced into brothels. Each of these stories is uplifting despite the circumstances of the women starting out and are great stories of endurance and hope – and a reminder that there is good in the world as well as bad.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the Barbour Publishing - Netgalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” 

Description from the Publisher:
Love Brings Freedom in 9 Historical Romances

Journey along as nine historical women are about to make their escape from some of life’s greatest challenges. Can their captive hearts be freed to dream, to dare, to love?

Love’s Labour’s Found by Jennifer AlLee - Montserrat, West Indies, 1655
Temperance Simms only wanted a better life. Instead, she finds herself labeled a criminal and sold as an indentured servant. After a kind man saves her life, can Temperance trust that God will turn her sorrow into something beautiful?

His Indentured Bride by Angela Breidenbach - Pennsylvania, 1770-1775
Leaving Scotland for a short indenture with her betrothed, Maire Greer’s contract is sold when disaster strikes her kindly owner, and then extended through cruel circumstances. Can Kirk Lachlan’s service in the American Revolution save her or will she lose love and freedom forever?

The Suspect Bride by Susan Page Davis - Oregon, 1890s
Verity Ames cooks at the restaurant where shy lawyer Jack Whitwell eats lunch daily. As Jack works up courage to ask her for a date, the sheriff walks into the restaurant and arrests her for murder.

His Golden Treasure by Darlene Franklin - Barbary Coast, San Francisco, CA, 1873
Goldie Hatfield grows up on in the Barbary Coast until her guardian demands she pay the cost of her upbringing—or work at her brothel. How far will Pastor Joshua Kerr go to set Goldie free?

Through Stormy Waters by Patty Smith Hall - Atlantic Ocean, 1755
Deported to the British colonies for her father’s crimes, Charlotte Singleton helps Captain Andrew Randell when an epidemic breaks out on the ship. Can two battered hearts find love in the midst of a storm?

Moira’s Quest by Cynthia Hickey - New York, 1869
A quest for revenge ends in a marriage of convenience and a feisty Irish lass discovers that not everything is as it seems as family secrets are revealed. An Irish cop, bent on saving the fallen women of Five Points, New York, finds himself thrust into the role of husband with a woman determined to break down a notorious crime boss. Can these two pull together and find a love bigger than they are?

Love’s Escape by Carrie Fancett Pagels - Virginia, 1850
With her life in peril, Lettie seeks escape from slavery. When Nathan offers to “conduct” her North via an unusual segment on the Underground Railroad, will his efforts help or do them both harm?

Waltzing Matilda by Lucy Thompson - Sydney, Australia, 1821
Henry didn’t plan on a runaway convict masquerading as a shepherd. Or on the woman’s baby. Keeping them safe will cost him his freedom—or will it?

A Score to Settle by Gina Welborn - On the Missouri River, 1870
For JoJo the kiss was a means to an end—she wanted his wallet. For Cyrus her kiss changed everything. He vows to help her escape the snake oil salesman she works for, but exposing the man’s lies may mean settling a score at a cost neither JoJo nor Cyrus can pay.

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These Healing Hills by Ann H. Gabhart

Isn't that a great cover? Christian Historical fiction based on the Frontier Nursing Service in the hills of Kentucky. Fran wanted to be a nurse and go overseas to serve, but her mother wouldn’t let her go. Then the boy she was going to marry when he got back from the war became engaged to a girl he met in England. After all, she was there and Fran was back home. Fran heard about the training in Kentucky and went to learn to be a nurse midwife and is taken with the beauty of the hills right away. She had heard about the “hillbillies” where she grew up in Cincinnati but quickly learned the truth about these people who were fiercely loyal to their mountains and families, and had great common sense and knowledge. The new school provided additional knowledge and the death rate went down but the “Grannies” had been the midwives and healers for years and had skills and talents of their own.

Ben had been away as a medic in the war. Just after Germany surrendered he was injured by a patient and sent home early. He had missed home greatly and was glad to get back, but things had changed and so had he. His father had passed while he was away and his little brother and sisters had grown – one even married and carrying a child. It will take a bit to learn what had gone on while he was away. And to decide what he would do now that he had returned, whether to stay and take care of his family or take advantage of the GI Bill and return to school.

I always love stories of people who “live off the land”. I appreciate having grocery stores and restaurants but miss the old times. When we were growing up we planted food crops and put them up, and had lots of berries to pick within a short walk of our small farm.  I used to go to the library and get books about the weeds and plants growing everywhere, their medicinal properties and how they had been used. We are finding that getting back to basics is healthier for us.  There is a lot to be admired about the “hillbilly ways”. This is a great story of old ways meeting the new, and the advantages to be found in both. And new relationships and the value in helping and learning from one another.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the Author and Revell/Baker Publishing Group - Netgalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

From the Publisher:
Francine Howard has her life all mapped out until the soldier she planned to marry at WWII's end writes to tell her he's in love with a woman in England. Devastated, Francine seeks a fresh start in the Appalachian Mountains, training to be a nurse midwife for the Frontier Nursing Service.

Deeply affected by the horrors he witnessed at war, Ben Locke has never thought further ahead than making it home to Kentucky. His future shrouded in as much mist as his beloved mountains, he's at a loss when it comes to envisioning what's next for his life.

When Francine's and Ben's paths intersect, it's immediately clear that they are from different worlds and value different things. But love has a way of healing old wounds . . . and revealing tantalizing new possibilities.


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Fault Lines by Thomas Locke

It will take you away!

A haunting non-stop psychological action book. Why do you read? I personally read for entertainment, something to “take me away” but I also like to learn something, expand my knowledge.  This is a book that would make a great movie. Lots of action, beautiful European settings. There is a group of scientists who have discovered a way to tap into the human mind and have an “out of body” experience where you can see into the future. They are up against a powerful company that would like to steal that knowledge and use it for their gain. Lots of danger there, and a fight for their lives. Coming from Baker Publishing I expected this to be a Christian read. Although it is a “clean” story I didn’t find a true Christian tie-in. It’s a good read, very well written, but I found it lacked depth, was disturbing and I did not have a good feeling when finished. I really like Thomas Locke, but I don't think I personally would read the next in line for this series.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the Author and Revell/Baker Publishing Group - Netgalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

From the Publisher:
As a security expert, Charlie Hazard is all about taking control of the situation. But when the stunning Dr. Gabriella Speciale draws him into a secret psychological project, risk parameters are shattered. Every move brings him to the edge of one fault line after another, and Charlie struggles to stay clear of a maelstrom of entangled dangers.

The research team abandons the lab on the Florida coast and flees to a mountain refuge in Italy. The battles in Charlie's mind are overtaken by real life attacks. He must grapple with the daunting realization that a conspiracy is taking hold on both internal and external levels. Can Gabriella be trusted, or is she just part of the scheme?

Leave behind your assumptions about the way the world works, and race along the unknown corridors of human consciousness in Fault Lines.


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Searching for Irene by Marlene Bateman

I thought the cover for this book was great. Yes, too often the cover is what draws me to the book. This sets the right scene for a murder mystery -  Anna is searching, through fog it seems, where it is somewhat dark and there is a man looming in the background.  The story is well told – you get to know the main character very well, but all of the other characters are kept in shadow so that you never know who did it until the end. It’s also about a “working woman” who goes to a house of the wealthy to work (it just happens to be like a castle) and she gradually is brought into the family, able to go to dances and ride their horses around the vast estate in beautiful Virginia. It’s on that estate that Anna goes searching for Irene, the girl that she replaced, who disappeared one day. Irene had made quite an impression with the family and servants, and it’s quite a challenge to get honest or consistent information. As Anna gets closer to one of the sons, she also makes an obvious enemy of his intended, who makes no secret that she wants Anna to back off. But the more she learns, the more she is determined to know what happened to Irene. And the longer she stays, the more likely it is that she will be next. Good read right to the end! I hadn't read anything by this Author before - I'm now a fan.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Covenant Communications and the Netgalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

From the Publisher:
Anna Coughlin is a modern 1920s woman armed with a college education and a partiality for numbers. Now, within the walls of a fantastic castle-like mansion in the hills of Virginia, her skill will be tested as never before. Hired to serve as financial advisor to wealthy Lawrence Richardson, Anna finds the welcome she receives anything but warm. Lawrence's handsome but antagonistic son Tyler wants nothing more than to send her packing. The household staff isn't much better, but who can blame them, considering the way Lawrence's last advisor, Irene, disappeared . . .
Convinced that one of the enigmatic members of the household had something to do with Irene's disappearance, Anna doesn't dare trust anyone—not even temperamental Tyler Richardson, who, despite her best intentions, is beginning to steal her heart.
A series of frightening incidents ensnare Anna in a maze of intrigue, putting her life in peril. But even as Anna begins uncovering the secrets hidden within the mansion's stone walls, she harbors a secret of her own. Now, the only question that remains is whether she will disappear as mysteriously as Irene. . .

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The Return by Suzanne Woods Fisher

If you like Historical Fiction, you will enjoy this. Set in Pennsylvania near Philadelphia and Lancaster in 1763, it’s the third in a series about Amish settlers who emigrated from Germany. There is turmoil in the area after a group of Indians massacres northernmost settler and children are kidnapped. A daughter, Betsy, who is betrothed to Hans from Stoney Ridge Amish church, taken as a “tribute” replacement for one in their village who had been killed. She is treated well after she arrives at the village and is befriended by Caleb, who is the son of a Mennonite girl who had been kidnapped years back and was taken as a Shawnee bride. He can speak her language and takes time to help her acclimate. Even though Betsy doesn’t forget her home and people, she learns to endure the hardships and becomes close to the female leaders of the tribe, and Caleb. Tessa, the Preacher’s daughter, has always loved Hans and was very jealous of Betsy. The tragedy becomes a good thing for her since Hans draws close and proposes marriage. That is until Caleb brings Betsy back.

This story is woven with jealousy, prejudice, racism and selfishness, also kindness, forgiveness, tolerance and strength of faith and spirit. Colonial settlers mostly left their country because of great difficulties, only to arrive in America and face some of the same as well as new challenges. Different ways of life, and the settlers’ greed for the land that was set aside for the Indians by treaty strongly influenced this time. This is about one part of that history and peaceful immigrants who are making a great contribution (like the Conestoga wagon) yet are torn apart by violence from within and without.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher from the Baker Publishing Group, Bethany - Netgalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

From the Publisher:
Beautiful and winsome, Betsy Zook never questioned her family's rigid expectations, nor those of devoted Hans, but then she never had to. Not until the night when she's taken captive in a surprise Indian raid. During her captivity, Betsy faces brutality and hardship, but also unexpected kindness. She draws strength from native Caleb, who encourages her to find God in all circumstances. She finds herself torn between her pious upbringing and the intense new feelings this compelling man awakens within her.

Handsome and complex, Hans is greatly anguished by Betsy's captivity and turns to Tessa Bauer for comfort. Eagerly, Tessa responds, overlooking troubling signs of Hans's hunger for revenge. When Betsy is finally restored to the Amish, have things gone too far between Hans and Tessa?

Inspired by true events, this deeply layered novel gives a glimpse into the tumultuous days of prerevolutionary Pennsylvania through the eyes of two young, determined, and faith-filled women.


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The Promise of Dawn by Lauraine Snelling

A new series linked with the fabulous Red River Valley novels. I have read a lot of books. I recall a movie, although not the title, where characters come alive and then freeze where they are when the reader stops reading.  Most books are like this, quietly waiting to be picked up again, but Lauraine Snelling’s characters seem to continue to live after the book is put down – and I eagerly look forward to peering through the looking glass again to see what they’ve been up to.

Ingeborg’s cousin is still in Norway and has long waited to see her again. Her sister Gird is married and has gone to America, earning land and building a homestead. They need help, sending for her oldest son Rune and his family to join them. Ready and willing to work hard to repay them yet also earn some land and a home for themselves in this land of opportunity, they sail over – but nothing is easy anywhere along the way.  They enter a loveless home and Uncle Einar and Aunt Gird expect way too much from them, with little thanks, but Rune and Signe – and their children - have strong values and deliver 110%. Clearing the large trees is a dangerous job and when overworked it becomes more so. Because Uncle Einar is so single minded about getting the trees cleared, Aunt Gird is very ill and the household has gone severely downhill. Plus, for some reason the community does not welcome Rune and his family. Standing firm on strength and kindness, their faith grows stronger through the difficulties and threads its way to the others who surround them.

I wish I could give Lauraine’s books 10 stars – I can’t recommend them highly enough. They are get-lost-in-and-fully-enjoy stories where you can clearly picture the characters and settings. As always, I eagerly look forward to the next book in the series! I really like the references to Ingeborg as I know she is living a full life not far from Signe and Rune in her piece of America.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the Bethany House Publishers - Netgalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

From the Publisher:
Beloved Author Lauraine Snelling Launches New Immigrant Series
When Signe, her husband, Rune, and their three boys arrive in Minnesota from Norway to help a relative clear his land of lumber, they dream of owning their own farm and building a life in the New World. But Uncle Einar and Aunt Gird are hard, demanding people, and Signe and her family soon find themselves worked nearly to the bone in order to repay the cost of their voyage. At this rate, they will never have land or a life of their own.

Signe tries to trust God but struggles with anger and bitterness. She has left behind the only life she knew, and while it wasn't an easy life, it wasn't as hard as what she now faces. When a new addition to the family arrives, Signe begins to see how God has been watching over them throughout their ordeal. But after all that has happened, can she still believe in the promise of a bright future?

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