The second book in the Orphan Train series, Together Forever follows Marianne Neumann as she helps a group of children find families outside of New York City. Some are true orphans, some have been abandoned, and still others have relatives who cannot provide for them in the financial climate of the day. At times heartbreaking, at others beautiful, this is a special story of children, and adults, finding home.

The historical detail is incredible—I have heard of orphan trains in the past, but this book helped me to see the human lives behind the numbers and bare history. Hedlund deftly incorporates her research into her characters, letting us live the story with them, experiencing the sorrow at parting, and the joy at children gaining the family I have so often taken for granted.

This is a great book about forgiveness, especially that of ourselves. The past can hold us prisoner, chaining us to mistakes and shame for the rest of our days--unless we learn to let go of the guilt and move forward. I loved watching the journey these characters were on.

Part of their story is, of course, a romance. While the attraction is quick, the main characters still have much to overcome; lots of angst happens from the first page to the final, but there are also many moments of tenderness and several toe-curling kisses along the way.

Hedlund’s books never disappoint me, and I thoroughly enjoyed this one, too! I highly recommend it for older teens and up, especially for those who enjoy historical romance. With a fantastic plot and plenty of twists, this novel is my favorite by Jody Hedlund to date and I look forward to the next book in the series.

I received a review copy of this book from the author and publisher but was under no obligation to post a positive review. The opinions expressed are both honest and my own.

While Together Forever tells the story of the hardships of the children on the orphan trains (a term that became widely used after the fact) that took the orphaned, abandoned or homeless children from crowded Eastern cities to homes largely in the Midwest, it also tells the story of those agents who accompanied them. While today’s adoption process includes many safe guards to assure children are placed in an appropriate environment, agents accompanying the trains had to rely on brief first impressions and the opinion of those serving on local committees as to the suitability of these placements. Jody Hedlund successfully develops her readers’ empathy for all those involved.
Through this story Hedlund explores the themes of having the courage it takes to love when getting hurt is a likely outcome and trusting God to restore one’s joy. She also explores the prison that can be created by one’s insecurities and the path to freedom. I truly appreciate stories, such as Together Forever, that tackle deep themes within an interesting story line.
Marianne Neumann is very young to be a Children’s Aid Society agent but was able to secure the position by having her influential brother-in-law pull some strings. The position not only allows her some measure of financial independence, but it is critical in the search for her younger sister. Andrew Brady has come to be an agent after fleeing the memories of his life in the south. A former teacher, Andrew is well trained for supervising the children and youth on the trip west. Events along the way will tax both his skills and Marianne’s tender heart.
I thank NetGalley and Bethany House for providing me with an advanced copy of Together Forever in exchange for my honest opinion. I received no monetary compensation. I will look forward to reading more books by this author in the future.

Together Forever by Jody Hedlund is the second book in the Orphan Train series, the sequel to With You Always, which you can find my review of here.  While I suppose this book could work as a stand-alone, it will make more sense if you read book 1 to get background on the characters: who they are and how they came to be where they are at the start of book 2.

Marianne Neumann works with the Children's Aid Society placing orphans from the streets of New York with families out west.  While she works, she looks for records of her younger sister Sophie who disappeared in book 1.  In doing so, she befriends another placing out agent, Andrew Brady, and the two of them travel out on the orphan train with a group of kids and the two of them learn to love and let go along the way.

I definitely liked Together Forever better than With You Always, and if this Orphan Train series ends up anything like Hedlund's previous lighthouse-themed series, each book will only get better and better along the way.  The characters really drew me in with their passion for their work, and their flaws along the way made for a moving story of love and forgiveness.  I finished this book within a day or two because I simply could not put it down! I definitely would recommend this read.

Thank you to the author, Jody Hedlund, and her team at Bethany House for providing me with a copy of this book and read and promote! All opinions are my own.

Ms. Hedlund grasped my attention from the very first page of this second book in the Orphan Train series. Each book can be read as a stand-alone, as it follows three sisters in the 1850's, each sister having her own story. While the first book is more concerned with the development of towns along the railroad, this story focused on the orphans that were brought west for nearly a half a century. As always, Ms. Hedlund's research is impeccable. My heart was not only invested in Marianne's story, but that of the orphans as well. Marianne Neumann and Andrew Brady work together as agents for the Children's Aid Society. Both share a love and passion for the orphans placed in their care. But both are running from past mistakes that haunt them, with guilt and insecurities keeping them chained to the past. Can they find the courage to break free, realizing God will help them pass through difficulties and find new strength, joy and love? While the overall plot is concerned with the journey and placement of the orphans, there are enough plot twists to keep readers turning the page wondering how Marianne and Drew will find their 'happily-ever-after'.
Together Forever has everything I look for in a good book: a spunky, tenderhearted heroine , a swoon-worthy hero, a great supporting cast and well-researched historical detail. Ms. Hedlund is a master at weaving a spiritual thread throughout her stories that are just as meaningful today as in the past. This is why she remains on the top of my list of favorite authors.

A couple of my favorite quotes:
"We're like a train conductor- there to help them during this part of the journey, this transition from one destination to the next."

" It took more courage to love in the face of loss than to close oneself off out of fear of getting hurt."

" She'd given freely of herself, poured everything into them. And in the end she'd had to let them go, which tore at her heart."

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley and the author/publisher. I was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Another great read by Mrs. Hedlund.. This book about the orphan train was very well researched. I enjoyed learning from the loveable characters about their lives as agents who worked for the Children's Aid Society. And all they endured to find homes for these unfortunate children.. This was a sweet romance and I look forward to more in the series.
*I was given a copy of this book by the publisher and was not required to leave a review. This is my honest opinion.

Set in 1858, New York, City, this is book two in the Orphan Train series. The research Author Jody Hedlund puts into her historical novels immediately draws you in. Marianne Neumann is working as an agent for the Children’s Aid Society helping other children as well as searching for her sister, Sophie. Marianne and fellow agent Drew Brady set out westward with 30 children needing to find homes. It is an adventure for all. My heart breaks for not only the children who were orphans but also for the agents charged with placing them. Some found loving homes, others were simply needed for the work they could do on the farm. Marianne is struggling to find where she belongs after living under older sister Elise’s wing and along the way needs to forgive herself for Sophie’s disappearance. Drew also has a past that haunts him. Will they find common ground and the path to forgiveness? When guilt overwhelms them will their faith keep them strong when they feel weak? I am looking forward to Book Three and highly recommend this series. Each is stand alone. Just keep the tissues handy!
I was provided a complimentary copy from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Marianne is desperate to find her missing sister, Sophie. To that end, Marianne gets a job with the Children’s Aid Society under Charles Loring Brace as that will allow Marianne to travel the US, looking for placed children. Sophie ran away from home and Marianne considers herself responsible. Due to Sophie’s age, there’s a chance she was rounded-up and sent out on one of the trains. As a “placing agent”, Marianne travels by train to actually place the children with new families. Some placements seem sure, others not so certain. There is very little time to evaluate the prospective families and there is some mistrust on the train line about the raggedy children that come through the placement system. The co-agent for the trip is Drew who is running away from an accident and death of a child under his care while in service as a school teacher.
Marianne, through the loss of Sophie, and Drew, through the loss of the child, are looking for redemption as they help the trainload of children find better circumstances. We also have Reinhold who finds out that his two younger sisters are going to be put into the system (by his aunt), unless he can change that certainty.
Thanks for a great story!

Last spring, since reading With You Always by Jody Hedlund, I have been anticipating the release of Together Forever, Book 2 in the Orphan Train Series. This series tells the story of children who were either orphans or from families who could no longer care for them. The financial crisis in New York, 1857, left many factory workers in dire straits worse than the tenement lifestyles we can only imagine today. Living on the streets was dangerous and many safeguards today were unheard of then. Charles Loring Brace founded the Children's Aid Society in 1853. This was an incredible movement and many children placed with families went on to live lives that would have been unheard of had they stayed in the poverty that laced the streets of New York City.


It must have been frightening for the children who rode the train to new homes and families. Placing agents, like Andrew Brady and Marianne Neumann supervised all aspect of the journey from the preparing for the trip, supervising the ride, placing the children with families and checking in with them at a later date. It must have taken a special person to be an agent and I believe Marianne and Drew fit that role well.


Marianne and Drew both had secrets from their past that they were reluctant to share with each other. It is only with the realization of true love that one can relinquish their fears only to discover that those who love us can do so without reservation. It is within that safety net that understanding and faith for the other reside.


Drew was indomitable in his pursuit of her. No reminders of her implied engagement to Reinhold could dissuade him. He was falling for her yet he wouldn't tell her because he just knew he was unworthy of her. He believed his past, once she found out, would stop any chance he may have had in winning her heart.


Marianne admired Drew. He was a wonderful agent and had such a way with the children, especially the older boys, who could easily get under her skin. It wasn't easy to be a young woman who was not much older than 15 year-old Liverpool. He was hardened after living on the streets since he arrived in New York alone at a tender age. He knew he could get to Marianne and it was Drew who stepped in and kept the young man in check.


She could easily fall for Drew, a handsome, capable man, but she reminded herself often that she took her job with the Children's Aid Society solely to find Sophie. Besides, if he found out that she had "lost" Sophie he wouldn't want anything more to do with her. She was determined to concentrate on the children she was responsible for as her job as a placing agent. The children came first to both of them.


It is only when tragedy strikes and one of them is on the line with responsibility, they find more than anything just how much they were united through the children. In a surprising turn of events, Marianne proves much stronger than I would have guessed. She reached an independent maturity that helps her rise above what she perceives are her dark past.


I recommend Together Forever with 5 stars. The writing is what I expected from Jody Hedlund. Her research is thorough, and her characters are well developed and come alive. My heart was with the children who expressed their fears and delights. The wit between Drew and Marianne was filled with humor yet they were very intentional in other aspects of their roles as agents. Their story and the story of the children riding the train is worth reading!

“Always remember, our responsibility is to God for these children. We bear in mind One died for them as for the children of the rich and happy.”

Once again Jody Hedlund entangles our hearts in the plight of orphans in 1858 and portrays both the difficulty of the children, and of the agents involved in what's called “placing out”. It was equally hard to invest in trying to make the children's lives better by giving them to good families as it is to make sure the families they do go to are going to treat them well and raise them right. Without modern day records, they had a rather crude way to record each placing out, but all too often the need outweighed the data recorded. Thousands of orphan children found new homes along the railroad route, from the youngest to the oldest. And in spite of the best intentions on the agents side, many of those weren't good; children going to families just to provide extra working hands and treated little more than slaves. It's heart-wrenching to think of this even though it really happened in our history.

In this story, we meet Drew who has a heart of gold & soft spot for each child under his care and Marianne who we met in the previous book. She came to be an agent under the guise of wanting to find her younger sister Sophia, who disappeared along the orphan train somewhere. Even though her sister is sixteen, Marianne feels a deep responsibility for losing her when she didn't watch her closely enough. Drew has similar feelings after a tragedy happened to one of his students under him. Both are struggling with guilt and forgiving themselves for situations that they aren't truly responsible for. It takes the realization that they can't change the past and to move on in their faith in God for their hearts to heal. They also wrestle with an attraction that's forbidden between agents. Drew has an impulsive nature while Marianne is more cautious and wanting to be above board in everything.

As with the first book, I thoroughly enjoyed this. I loved the faith message that Jody incorporated throughout and how both Drew & Marianne struggled with real life things that we all do; both in our thinking and actions. I enjoyed getting to know the children right along with them and how hard it would be to keep our emotions bottled up towards them. Lastly, I enjoyed learning more about how the orphan trains operated and what it took to organize a placing out trip. This is an emotion packed history lesson in fiction that will tug at your heart and leave you with a satisfied ending. You'll definitely be left wanting more!

* I received a complimentary copy provided by Bethany House via Netgalley. I was under no obligation to write a favorable review and all opinions are my own. *

'God wasn't about to listen to her prayers, much less answer them."

Marianne Neumann's one priority in life is to find her younger sister Sophie. She hires on with the Children's Aid Society so that to have an insider job and maybe find her sister. The year is 1858 and children are being taken by orphan train across the country to find parents and escape the brutal life on the streets they have been living. But Sophie has seemingly disappeared and Marianne has to find her.

She meets a fellow agent, Andrew Brady, a former schoolteacher who has a way with children and they travel the train together making sure the children are settled. Drew is a handsome and charming man, but he carries a deep burden within his heart. He and Marianne are drawn to one another, but a shocking tragedy threatens to forever separate them and destroy their work.

Jody Hedlund became a favorite with her very first book. She does great research into the subject of her books and writes in such a way that the reader is drawn right into the book. This one warms the heart and breaks it at the same time. I can't imagine a child having to be chosen after traveling cross country on an orphan train. But yet this happened in our nation. Hedlund tells the story and tells it well.

*My thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book. The opinions stated are entirely my own.

The first book in this series (and these are not stand alone books), was not about the traditional orphan trains as much as I thought it would be. This one was more traditional.  I enjoyed the storyline, and following up on Marianne's story a bit more, getting to know her, as it were. 
Ms. Hedlund is talented at pulling out pieces of history that actually happened, real life stories, both the sad and the good. This book was no exception. 

It addresses something that many of us face, the ability to blame ourselves for things that we are not responsible for. It often seems easier to blame us as we believe it of ourselves. 
This story could be used to demonstrate lessons, but also if you were studying history, a way to learn about some of the orphan trains and their history. 

I obtained this book from NetGalley and the publisher. The opinions contained herein are my own.

I like Jody Hedlund’s writing. I didn’t read book one of this series but that wasn’t a problem. There are some “spoilers” but nothing you wouldn’t expect from reading the description of the first book ;)

Marianne works for the Children’s Aid Society and is embarking on her first placement trip. Andrew Brady is her fellow agent and sparks fly immediately. The only minor “problem” was that the attraction and intimacy was a bit more descriptive that I like. Although Jethro’s quip about “eating Miss Neumann” is so hilariously accurate. When people are crazily kissing it looked like they are eating each other’s faces. 😝

Anyway, the theme is heavily on accepting God’s forgiveness and unconditional love. Both Marianne and Drew are carrying around guilt for things that were out of their control. Only when they leave the past to God and accept His Truth, can they move forward with their lives.

A common remark in relationships is how one is not worthy of the other. Nope! Neither of you are worthy of the other person.

I was kind of thinking that Jethro might end up with the Grays!

A really nice story and I have hows for the next one! Now to see if I can get my hands on a copy of the first book.

4.5 stars

Jody Hedlund can take a little known historical event and turn it into a masterpiece of fiction! This second book in her Orphan Train series, is as emotionally gripping as the first. This time we get to explore the human element in this movement - literally, as The Children's Aid Society seeks to rehouse orphaned and abandoned children from New York City throughout the West. It follows the travels of one such trip, led by two of their agents as they take a group of children out to Illinois. These trips could last for months, as they travelled by railroad, stopping at towns along the way. They would hold meetings in the churches and children were picked over and chosen, or not. At the end of the trip the agents would then travel back and do checks on each of the children. Sounds simple, but in a day of sparse record keeping and very little in the way of background checks, there was a lot that could and did go wrong.

I appreciate just how much research Jody has put into this series. She uses real life events from men and women who acted as agents for the Society as she tells this intricate tale of the highs and lows of the consequences of crippling poverty, the division of families and the harsh fate that awaited many children in their new homes. There is enough between the chosen major 4 children's characters, to give a fair idea of the reality this was. That despite the high moral ideal of giving children from the slums a better of quality of life, it was sometimes not the case. It certainly came with many challenges.

I could not put this book down. The author had me emotionally engaged with the plight of the children, fairly quickly into the train journey. Marianne Neumann, who as the younger rather impetuous sister of Eliza from book 1, is 19 and desperate to find 16 year old sister Sophie. Feeling responsible for her welfare after Eliza went West looking for work, she has taken a job as an agent in her efforts to search the routes the orphaned children have been placed in. Sophie is missing, along with the two younger children in Sophie's care. She hopes to find her sister and the peace she desperately needs. She berates herself for her past mistakes and is convinced she is in love with Reinhold Weiss. He himself features in this story, as he works to provide for his sisters who are living under the charity of an aunt back in New York. Reinhold suffered unrequited love as he pursued Eliza and lost her to Thornton In book 1. As the story opens he has no knowledge of Marianne's hopes where he is concerned.

What I loved about this book is the ability in which the author captures your interest right from the start. The encounter between Marianne and fellow agent Andrew Brady in the office is humorous and intriguing. I was hooked immediately and couldn't wait to see where this story would take us.

The writing is impeccable. I felt every emotion, both young and old - along with all the fears and concerns for the children they were placing. I still find it so heartbreaking to read about children as young as 6 having to fend for themselves, on steamships, on the streets of a unfamiliar city. I cannot imagine it, and it breaks my heart. Both Marianne and Andrew are pillars of compassion and I imagine their job would have been satisfying and tender at times. The scene after the loss of a child touched me greatly and was pivotal in the connection between the two main characters. As always the inspirational messages are beautifully done. Written with a Christian angle in mind, it is not heavy or overdone and compliments the story.

Some may say the plot is a little one dimensional, but I feel that to stay true to the message of what is being attempted to be told in this book, it is needed. There was one goal. To find loving or just better homes for these impoverished children. We are taken on a literal journey to see this through. I loved little Jethro! I won't tell you more, but his conclusion ended in such a perfect way. I excited to find Sophie, and find out her experiences in the Orphan Train series.

I love this cover. Beautiful. It perfectly illustrates what is about to happen, and the fear and anxiety these trips created for the children. Fantastic. Loved everything about this book and all the history given in the author notes. Read them, you'll be glad you did.

Thank you to Netgalley for the eARC. This is my honest review.
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Together Forever by Jody Hedlund is a delightful Christian historical romance. It is the second book in the Orphan Train series but can be read as a stand-alone.
This novel has its roots in the orphan train movement of the mid nineteenth century. A movement set up to resettle New York City's street orphans. Jody Hedlund has researched thoroughly and combined fact with fiction to produce a fabulous tale.
There is the theme of new beginnings. We can all have a fresh start with God. Sometimes we hold on to the baggage of the past, refusing to believe we are worthy of a second chance. "He needed to trust that God was in control and that He would... loosen the chains that had bound him."
Sometimes we let our guilt define us. "He's clung to his guilt for so long he didn't know that he could let go." We take a moment in time and if we are not careful, we linger there. God wants to free us from the prison of our own making and give us a new future. Do we trust Him enough to release our guilt and move forward into new life?
God's love is for all. "No one was too far beyond the reach of God's love." There were some poignant moments in the novel where small orphans believe themselves to be unlovable. Words spoken over them remain. We must make sure that we speak life over everyone we meet.
God's guidelines are to give us a good, healthy way of life. "A lot of people ignore the guidelines He set in place, do it their way instead, and get hurt." Far from constricting us, God's way of life brings freedom. "Sinning never accomplished anything worthwhile." Sin will always weigh us down.
Family is important. Everyone wants to be loved. Adults are looking for children. Children are looking for parents. There are some beautiful moments in the novel.
Together Forever is an amusing, light hearted read in spite of the gravity of the situation at times. I loved the characters. They were well drawn and elicited an emotional response from me.
This Orphan Train series is wonderful. It transports the reader to another time and place with detailed descriptions. I was educated as well as enthralled by the action. I can highly recommend it.
I received this book for free from Net Galley. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

This novel captured my attention and maintained it until the very last page. I quite enjoy historical fiction novels by Jody Hedlund, and this one did not disappoint. I find it fascinating how she creates stories from real life events.
Together Forever is the second novel in the Orphan Train series, which is about the beginnings of the Children’s Aid Society, and its roots in New York City. I haven’t read the first novel but it wasn’t needed to enjoy the story in the second. This particular novel follows Marianne, a new agent to the CAS who’s on a mission to find her lost sister and two infants who had been taken to the orphan train without Marianne’s knowledge. Throughout her first journey west with 31 orphans and another agent, Marianne finds love and discovers that telling the truth is less complicated than weaving lies in order to spare others from getting hurt.
CAS Agent Drew has a past that he’s not proud of but he’s excellent with the children as they travel from New York City to Illinois on the orphan train. He’s funny, witty, charming, and a man of integrity though he struggles with the demons of his past. He provides quite a bit of entertainment for the children, Marianne, and for the reader. A strained relationship with one of his family members comes to restoration through a bizarre circumstance which the reader really can’t blame him for, but it’s satisfying to see it resolved.
There’s lots of excitement in this novel right from page one (I won’t spoil it but there are some really fun scenes that leave the reader wanting more). Miscommunication, faked relationships, and jumping to conclusions make for some awkward but entertaining moments. There are also moments of stress, suspense and raw emotion that make this novel complete.
As for the history of the CAS, it was interesting to read about its early beginnings and to read about the reception of the program, challenges, and procedures of its infancy. It’s come a long way since the start.
I quite enjoyed Together Forever.
I received an advanced reader copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All the opinions expressed are entirely my own.

As noble as Marianne Neumann knew becoming a placing Agent with the Children’s Aid Society, she had another goal in mind when she applied.  Marianne had to find her lost sister.    Along with Marianne was another Agent who accompanied her with all of the orphans - Andrew Brady who she discovered had once been a former schoolteacher.  Marianne couldn’t help but notice how wonderful Andrew was with the children and as the journey continued, she couldn’t help but admire his dedication and love for their charges.   They couldn’t help growing closer during the journey but, unfortunately, a tragedy changes all the plans they were developing for a happily ever after.  

***  First of all, I found this this novel fascinating.  I had never heard of the Orphan Trains but I must admit I think I would have signed up to be a volunteer to help find these children a better life than living in the cramped and unsanitary conditions most were pulled out of in search of a better life.   Yes, some probably weren’t better off but the fact that some folks were dedicated to help them makes my heart glad.  

It was also wonderful to have this focused on the people were such good Christians that they saw and felt the hand of God helping them to get the best placements in the best situations they could and that they went back to check on the children to make sure the children were happy.

I loved the characterizations of all involved from the two protagonists to the orphan children who were written with such care, love and emotion.  When the author is as good as this you can totally visualize the children and all the characters as real people as well as hear their voices.  

The journey was not an easy task keeping the children from boredom and keeping them amused, but the author showed how competent both Marianne and Andrew were at making the best of a tough situation.   Eventually it was a no brainer to see these two wonderful kind and beautiful people come to admire then love one anther.  

Bottom line:   A most endearing story I didn’t want to see end.  

Marilyn Rondeau

"Together Forever" is a Christian romance set in June 1858 in New York City and Illinois. While the storyline about the orphan trains and the work of the Children's Aid Society was interesting, the romance felt more like something written for Hollywood than Christians. A child in the story asked Drew on several occasions why he was "eating" Marianne. They repeatedly got too physically intense. In public. In front of children. And when they weren't even engaged.

Drew and Marianne spent a lot of time kissing and touching. Marianne had doubts about marrying Drew, but she was very supportive of Drew and was willing to do the things he wanted to do. By the end of the story, she had learned to forgive herself for past mistakes but was unwilling to hurt anyone and so allowed herself to be pressured into wrong behavior.

Drew behaved selfishly toward Marianne and cared only about what he wanted. He briefly wondered how he was going to support Marianne but cared more about bedding her. This issue was never really resolved. He lost all my respect when he asked Marianne to go on a midnight walk alone with him. And then he pushed her to do something that frightened her and was potentially dangerous.

He didn't support her concerns or consider her feelings as more important than his desires. Instead, he decided to do whatever he had to to get his way. But Drew and Marianne were presented as a perfect love-match instead of a lust-motivated romance with a self-centered, manipulative hero. Yes, he's good with the children and they work well together, but there is more to marriage than that and physical attraction. There was no sex or bad language.

Marianne Neumann started working with the Children's Aid Society in order to try to find her sister Sophie, who has she believes might have been placed with a family somewhere. On her first trip taking orphans west to try to find homes for them, she is paired with Andrew Brady, who is handsome, charming, and wonderful with the children. Marianne is hoping to find Sophie as well as Reinhold, the man Marianne has long hoped to marry. She's certainly not planning on falling for Drew.
Drew likes to flirt but he knows better than to get involved with a woman--last time he did, things didn't work out well at all. But Marianne's sweet heart and tenderness with the children, combined with her spunkiness, make her entirely too hard to resist.

I loved this book! Drew was dashing and charming, but also caring--and hurting. Sophie was gentle and thought she wasn't strong, but I loved seeing her come to understand what courage really is and to find ways to solve problems. I loved the romance and the banter between Drew and Sophie, but this book is so much more than just a romance. There were terrific themes of forgiving one's self for mistakes and sins and moving forward with life. Following along with an orphan train as Marianne and Drew try to find good situations for the orphans was enlightening and heartbreaking and hopeful all at the same time. This is emotionally gripping and the writing is terrific. I loved this book, as well as the previous book in the series. I cannot wait for the next book!

I read a copy from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The second book in Judy Hedlund’s Orphan Train series features Marianne, the middle sister Neumann sister. Marianne, impetuous and big-hearted, struggles to find her way in life outside of her big sister Elise’s capable shadow. Elise, featured in With You Always, splits her time between Quincy, her husband’s town, and New York City. Marianne, newly employed (with the help of her influential brother-in-law) as a placing-out agent with the Orphan’s Aid Society embarks on her first journey to resettle 31 orphans in Illinois.

She has vowed to find their missing youngest sister, Sophie, as well as the two small children she and her sisters had cared for during one of the darkest epochs of their young lives—when they found themselves orphaned and abandoned in New York City’s heartless streets. Marianne hopes she’ll find a record of what happened to Sophie and the other children—after all, she can’t forgive herself until she’s solved the mystery of their disappearance. She’s also hoping to find Reinhold Weiss, the object of her affection.

Andrew Brady, fun-loving, entertaining, and hiding a tragic secret, looks forward to his placing-out trip for the Orphan’s Aid Society—especially when he discovers that his companion is the young and very beautiful Marianne Neumann. He’s not looking for romance, but a mild flirtation will help to pass the time.

The trip turns out nothing like either one of them expected. Andrew finds himself drawn to Marianne’s generous heart and forgiving nature. Marianne discovers that maybe her feelings for Reinhold had more to do with infatuation than a real relationship.

Most of all, they discover that before they can find true love with another person, they need to make peace with their past mistakes and learn to love themselves.

Together Forever, by Jody Hedlund







Together Forever
Orphan Train Series - Book 2
Jody Hedlund
www.jodyhedlund.com

352 pages
Bethany House Publishers
www.bakerpublishinggroup.com
Available: May 1, 2018










Will the Mistakes of Their Past Cost Them a Chance at Love?
Determined to find her lost younger sister, Marianne Neumann takes a job as a placing agent with the Children's Aid Society in 1858 New York. She not only hopes to offer children a better life, but prays she'll be able to discover whether Sophie ended up leaving the city on an orphan train so they can finally be reunited.

Andrew Brady, her fellow agent on her first placing-out trip, is a former schoolteacher who has an easy way with the children, firm but tender and friendly. Underneath his charm and handsome looks, though, seems to linger a grief that won't go away--and a secret from his past that he keeps hidden.

As the two team up, placing orphans in the small railroad towns of Illinois, they find themselves growing ever closer . . . until a shocking tragedy threatens to upend all their work and change one of their lives forever.


And he said unto me My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:9


Together Forever is the second book in Jody Hedlund's heartwarming Orphan Train series. It can be read as a stand alone, but I really enjoyed the first book in this series (With You Always) and would recommend reading it purely for the enjoyment of it.

If you are familiar with Jody Hedlund and her writing, you will come to expect sizzling romances, characters you come to love and root for, and a plot line with a twist you didn't see coming. Together Forever does not disappoint. Jody Hedlund expertly weaves historical fact into her novels which adds a richness and authenticity to her stories. Together Forever highlights the positives and the negatives of The Children's Aid Society's placing out program during the mid 1800's from the perspective of the children as well as the placing agents. There were some portions of Marianne's romance that I found a little far-fetched, I think it was intended to add a bit of humor to the story, but it did not in any way detract from my enjoyment of the book.

I'm looking forward to reading book 3 in this series, Searching For You, which will be available December 4, 2018.


Together Forever will be available for purchase from your local or online book retailer May 1, 2018.

Thank you Bethany House and Net Galley for the free copy of Together Forever to read in exchange for my honest review.