Jody Hedlund’s Bride Ships series gets off to a strong start in A Reluctant Bride.
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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?
Ever since reading Voyage of the Dawn Treader as a kid, I’ve loved any kind of adventure on the high seas. Something about the thrill of the unknown, being at the mercy of the unpredictable ocean, and journeying to far off lands is so fascinating and exciting to me. So when I first saw Jody’s Bride Ship series coming out, I couldn’t wait to read them!
I’m happy to report that, so far, the series hasn’t disappointed me. I loved A Reluctant Bride and look forward to reading book two (which I just downloaded on Kindle) and the rest of the series as it releases.
My favorite thing about this book was the fact that Jody put a handsome English lord with a penniless woman from London’s slums, and all in a way that felt realistic. There are plenty of love stories between two aristocratic or wealthy people, but it’s not nearly so common to find a book where one of the main characters is from the lowest rung of society. Mercy wasn’t just from a family with a modest income and few social connections. She was downright poor, in the truest sense of the word. This made the entire story more interesting and full of depth, especially during the first third where Mercy gets the opportunity to join the bride ship and adjusts to life aboard.
The conditions the Victorian poor lived in are appalling to imagine, and after viewing the world through Mercy’s eyes, it’s easy to understand why these women would leave everything they’d known behind for a chance at a different life. Even the cramped quarters and ship-board rations during the voyage were better than anything they’d ever had in their former world.
As I said, Jody was able to make the relationship between Joseph and Mercy feel realistic and not like a too-perfect fairy tale. There were real consequences for their love, and the decision to break past class barriers was not made lightly.
Joseph and Mercy’s journey across the seas–and of self-discovery–was a ride worth taking, and it ultimately made me so grateful to live in a nation where people are free to build whatever kind of life they want no matter who they are or where they come from. We are all created equal in God’s eyes and are each deserving of joy and a life well lived.
4.5/5 Stars for A Reluctant Bride! If you enjoy a good sea voyage–like I do!–or stories set in Victorian England, or just want to read a sigh-worthy romance, you are sure to love this book.
