Jody Hedlund has penned another fascinating, page-turning novel .to remember with A Reluctant Bride ,the first installment in her new Bride Ships series.. Historical facts, compelling characters , a strong Christian message, and a swoon-worthy, clean romance are seamlessly woven together to create a tale you won’t soon forget!. A very meaningful quote from the book offers a great snapshot of the novel’s message: “Would not the world be a better place if a man simply lived in humility and loved his brother or sister as himself, regardless of one’s birth?” I have loved all of the books I have read by Jody Hedlund and this one can be added to that list. I eagerly look forward to the next book in the series and highly recommend this book!

So much love for this incredible book, the start of the ‘Bride Ships’ series by Jody Hedlund.

Let’s just start by saying, yet again, she seems to be able to root out a piece of little known history and create something amazing out of it. I’d never heard of the Bride Ships, and it fascinates me. The journey alone takes a 1/3 of a year. Such an epic voyage to take to get from England to Vancouver Island. What’s more telling is the desperation of so many to leave all you’ve ever known to start fresh - knowing that marriage to a complete stranger awaited you at the end.

I literally lost sleep over this book. It was so hard to put down. The characters were so expertly written, they felt real inside my head. You will live & breathe every experience with them. Both Joseph & Mercy are complex and their situation - one of the biggest taboo’s of the cultural day. Joseph being from the highest of aristocracy, and Mercy from the lowest rung of the dirt poor ladder. How could their lives even cross? Yet, they do, and this story is beautiful, intense & tender.

You will find yourself fighting for them with every obstacle and challenge they face. Of course each is strong enough to live life alone, but together they make a powerful force to be reckoned with.

Can not wait, for what comes next.

Thanks to Bethany House for the complimentary copy. This is my honest review.

'Are you seeking His leading or are you running away from it?

Jody Hedlund once again brings us a story straight from history with A Reluctant Bride. Mercy Wilkins goes from living in the poorest slums of London to boarding a bride ship, although she thinks she is going to British Columbia to find a job. She hopes to some day send for her sister, who is slaving at the work house.

Joseph Colville, a titled lord, but trained as a doctor, has agreed to serve as ship's surgeon, and requests Mercy's aid in helping him with the job. Soon they both begin to feel an attraction towards each other, but fight it because they are miles apart in their stations in life. However, obstacles are meant to be overcome. Aren't they?

Hedlund is wonderful at historical fiction and once again proves that she has a gift for creating stories crafted from actual historical events. Mercy and Joseph's story is mesmerizing and I recommend it very much.

*My thanks to Bethany House Publishers for a copy of this book. The opinions stated here are entirely my own.

Inspired by true events during the 1800s, A Reluctant Bride takes place on the Tynemouth, a bride ship sailing from England to provide brides for the colonies’ miners. The author does an impeccable job of portraying the conditions of those on board and displays the environment of women in the slums of London who were so desperate for food, boarding, and employment they were willing to endure the treacherous journey and uncertain outcome.

I instantly sympathized with Mercy Wilkins. Her gentle heart is apparent, and she is humble and engaging. The physician onboard, Lord Joseph Colville, is unconventional, looking past social differences and expectations. Both of these characters are strong in their own ways and teach each other so much. I like how their attraction slowly builds, making it feel authentic.

This story holds an abundance of history, and the slow-building romance is swoon-worthy. With themes of finding your worth, following the path God has for you, and persevering through hardships, this is an edifying and satisfying historical read. I can’t wait to read the future books in The Bride Ships series.

Author: Jody Hedlund
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Series: The Bride Ships Book 1
Pages: 352
First Line: “Hang on a little longer, my lamb.”
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and was under no obligation to post a positive review.

(4.5 stars) - a historical romance with a dash of fairytale

First, I have to say this book cover is gorgeous & perfect for the story. All too frequently the covers don't really fit their story well, but this one is everything you could want - whoever designed it deserves serious props.

Jody Hedlund's books are more than just engaging; they're immersive. Because of that, I struggled a bit with the beginning as her portrayal of the London slums was so realistically done that it was heartbreakingly depressing. However, from that we readily understand the environment that influenced Mercy's perspective & drove her to such a desperate step.

The journey is fascinating - especially when you learn that much of the story was based on an actual historical event.

Mercy is a total sweetheart, and sadly, there really are people who look for ways to construe evil from those who are just trying to do good (look up St Zita, for example). This is an abstract Cinderella story with abuse from those who should be taking care of & looking out for her, and a Prince Charming who becomes infatuated & eventually pursues.

I confess that I had to shut off the side of my brain that kept arguing that a member of the aristocracy would never even consider marrying a slum dweller, no matter how sweet & pretty. But it wasn't a particular hardship to do so - Mercy was definitely atypical. This is one of those books that you can see some flaws but it's so good that you don't care.

The fairytale ending was just right, and I find myself hoping that we'll get to read Patience's happily-ever-after next!

Clean romance level: passionate kissing

Religion: an overtly Christian story but in a way that is natural to the story & not preachy. Non-Christians are not likely to mind it unless predisposed.

Jody Hedlund is one of my favorite authors of Historical Fiction. She does a fantastic job of researching the setting and subject matter. Her words convey vivid scenes that create pictures in my mind. I could feel Mercy's despair and desperation to find her own way in the world, but fear joining her life or heart to anyone else. I fell in love with Mercy's kindness and found myself cheering her on. Joseph Colville has a title and wealth, but not happiness. He is serving as a ships surgeon while he hides from the life God has planned for him. This was an awesome book and I look forward to the next in this series.
So grab some ginger tea to settle your stomach from the ups and downs of life aboard a ship and settle in for a great read.
i was given a copy of this book by NetGalley.com with no expectations. All thoughts are my own.

A Reluctant Bride, by Jody Hedlund






A Reluctant Bride
The Bride Ships - Book 1
Jody Hedlund
www.jodyhedlund.com


352 pages
Bethany House
www.bakerpublishinggroup.com
Available: June 4, 2019










A New Life Awaits Her across the Horizon
Living in London's poorest slum, Mercy Wilkins harbors little hope for a better life. So when she's offered the opportunity to join a bride ship sailing to British Columbia, she agrees. The journey abroad is her only prospect to escape a bleak future--both for herself and to help her sister, who's suffering in a workhouse.

Wealthy and titled Joseph Colville leaves everything behind and takes to the sea to escape the pain of losing his family. As the 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 along the shore of Vancouver Island, eager to claim a bride from the Tynemouth, will Mercy and Joseph miss their chance at true love, or will they overcome the obstacles that threaten to keep them apart?


Read An Excerpt


A Reluctant Bride is the first book in Jody Hedlund's new Bride Ships series. I have been a long time fan of Jody's writing and I count down the days until her newest release so I was very eager to read A Reluctant Bride. I thought the cover of this novel was pretty and would have caught my eye if I wasn't already familiar with Jody's wonderful storytelling.

I really enjoyed the characters in this novel and the interactions between them. I would say about half of the novel, maybe a little more is set on the ship crossing from Britain to Vancouver Island. You might think being set mostly on a ship would take the wind out the sails of this story, but it is far from dull. Based on actual bride ship voyages, Jody's extensive research added dimension and authenticity to the plot and setting. Mercy and Joseph face many hurdles on their journey west and learn to trusting and following the path that God sets before us is always the best course. I would recommend this book to those who love historical fiction and a good clean romance.


A Reluctant Bride, by Jody Hedlund will be available for purchase from your local or online book retailer June 4, 2019.

Thank you Bethany House and Net Galley for the free copy of A Reluctant Bride. The opinions expressed here are my own.

This book captured the times perfectly and I was captivated by the strength of character exhibited by both Mercy and Joseph. They were on quite the journey! I recommend A Reluctant Bride to everyone who enjoys historical romance!

From the first meeting of Mercy and Joseph, a sweet romance begins. With many challenges to overcome, these two people are on an amazing journey of faith, hope and finding love. Jody Hedlund again weaves a beautiful story from strong characters, history and wonderful writing. I greatly look forward to more in this series!

I love Canadian surprises. It’s so rare to find a Christian historical fiction from well-known American authors set in Canada. I was delighted to read Jody Hedlund’s upcoming June release which is partly set in the slums of London, with a final destination of Vancouver Island, B.C. (while it was still an English colony).
The story follows aptly named Mercy Wilkins, who is considered amongst the poorest of the poor in 1860s London, England. Mercy takes pity on those who live in her community and is always found trying to rescue children and families from the suffering that defines their lives. She is well known by local dispensary doctor, Dr. Blake who is on a similar mission to help one person at a time though the times overwhelm him.
Lord Colville has his own demons he’s running from and has found some semblance of solace in practicing medicine. Having lost his entire family to illness, Joseph runs from his responsibility of what his title entails. Instead, he is found helping Dr. Baker when he visits the city, or is off on adventures assuming responsibilities as ship surgeon for his voyages.
Mercy has no intention of marrying ever, not if marriage is what she sees in the slums where she lives. When an opportunity comes along to escape the heartache and grief she’s faced with daily, Mercy takes the last spot on a bride ship headed for British Columbia.
Dr./Lord Colville takes the position of Ship’s Surgeon on the same bride ship as Mercy, and the rest is, well, history. The journey is long and full of illness, and few are of strong enough constitution to be of assistance to those ill with various ailments. Mercy is blessed with a strong constitution, and Dr. Colville finds himself relying on her more and more, until…
The vivid descriptions of the stench of the filth, illness, and the plight of Londoners/travellers evokes such empathy that one can’t help but to see exactly the details described in this first installment of The Bride Ships series.
The cast of characters are full of personality, and Mercy’s chaperone Reverend Scott resembles the bumbling Mr. Collins of Pride and Prejudice fame (at least he does in my mind). There is such depth to the lives of Joseph and Mercy that one can’t help but to root for them the entire time, and want to kick them for some of the choices they make – but this is a romance novel so it’s to be expected that they will each make a dumb decision that will separate them for a while…
In my latest review of another book of Jody Hedlund, I wasn’t thrilled with the “intimate” scenes. In The Reluctant Bride, great emotional tension is created and the intimacy level is acceptable. She does a fabulous job creating that inner battle of class tension/integrity/vows to refrain from fraternizing but strong attraction to the other.
Perhaps what impressed me even more about this story is that it is based on a true story about a ship’s surgeon falling in love and marrying one of the passengers who was meant to be a bride for one of the men in British Columbia. The ship’s journey, details of what a bride ship was, and illnesses on board are all true. Fact and fiction are beautifully woven together.
No wonder this story was so compelling.
I received an ecopy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

A Reluctant Bride by Jody Hedlund is the first book in The Bride Ships series and I found it very hard to put down. So hard that I stayed up until 3:00 am to finish it.

Two major themes of the book are realizing how valuable you are no matter your station in life, and that you can't run away from God. Mercy Wilkins is an angel of mercy to those around her and she attracts the eye of Dr. Joseph Colville. Mercy is painfully aware of her position in life and has submitted to harsh treatment from those above her, but she discovers through Joseph that love has no such barriers. Joseph, for his part, is running away from his past, and God, and finding it is not an easy thing to do.

I loved this story! I loved that Canada was featured in a small way. I had no idea about the bride ships and I'm from Canada! I loved how Joseph could look past Mercy's station in life and love her anyway. I loved that Mercy eventually came to realize her worth as a human being.

I will miss these characters and hope I see them again as this series continues. The Reluctant Bride releases June 4, so pre-order your copy now! You won't be disappointed.

This book was provided by Bethany House through NetGalley.

I always enjoy reading books by Jody Hedlund and this one did not disappoint. This is a clean, historical romance with faith in God weaved throughout the story. The main character, Mercy, a poor girl, has a spirit of kindness as her name applies. To escape poverty and provide for her sister, she boards a ship to leave her home country and sail to British Columbia. Throughout the journey she helps the handsome doctor, Joseph, and despite their different stations they form a friendship. But Mercy realizes the ship she is on is actually a “bride ship” meaning when they land, she will be expected to marry.
I loved the main characters! Their compassion and love was so inspiring and really drew me in to the story. I hope there are more books in this series with the other ladies that were on the ship.
I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

A Reluctant Bride is a story of a poor English woman that accepts the opportunity to board a ship to go to America, but she doesn't understand that she is going as a bride. She is to marry a man once she arrives. During the journey, she meets and falls in love with the ship doctor, even though she insists on remaining unmarried. It's a lovely tale and I greatly enjoyed reading it..

I really enjoyed reading A Reluctant Bride. Jody Hedlund is a talented author and her books are hard to put down. I enjoyed learning about the harsh living conditions in the London slums and the bride ships. The reason I am not giving a full five stars is for the focus on the physical aspect of Mercy’s and Josheph’s relationship. There was too much physical heat so to speak.

Oh I loved how this one was based on a story from history! Don't get me wrong, I love historical fiction normally but I loved how this one used a true story to inspire the reluctant bride and her doctor.

A RELUCTANT BRIDE by JODY HEDLUND is a beautifully written love story that takes place in the most unpleasant situation imaginable. Lord Joseph Colville, the ship's surgeon on the Tynemouth, and Mercy Wilkins, get to know one another whilst working amongst the sick, often literally in the bowels of the ship. There is huge class distinction at play here, with Mercy having escaped the poverty of the London slums by joining the "bride ship", although she has no intention of getting married or bringing any more children into the world, and Joseph who everyone feels is way above her in station. Their relationship is misconstrued by those who are either jealous or legalistic, but, as we see their humility and compassion in ministering to the sick, we see the love of Jesus working through them.
Both Joseph and Mercy have been defined by sadness in their past, and we see how the Lord delivers them from this as they turn to Him. In Joseph's case, he deals with it by running away from his responsibilities. Mercy learns to stand up for herself as a child of God when she feels the love of those she befriends on this new voyage, leaving behind the memory of her mother's lack of affection towards her, and of being in a place where there is neither room nor food for her. We wonder if anything will develop out of this unusual friendship that has so much against it!
It is an emotional story of second chances and unconditional love, as contrasted with the horrors of social injustice and man's inhumanity rowards his fellow man. The filth and overcrowding in the slums in London during the 1860's, leading to sickness and death in many instances, is well portrayed. The author has done a great deal of research into the history of the time, and, in fact the voyage on the Tynemouth did take place much as it is described in the story.
Having read the author's Orphan Train series, which I thoroughly enjoyed, I was delighted to read about the "bride ships". The author has an in incredible understanding of human nature and describes what the characters are going through, so that we know what they are feeling. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
I was given a free copy of the book by NatGalley from Bethany House Publishers. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

Anything by Hedlund is worth reading, but A Reluctant Bride is a real treat. Rooted in history this book is authentic to its setting of 1862. an era when Bride Ships were indeed sailing with women aboard set to marry stranger -- English colonists in the New World. The book introduces Mercy Wilkins, a kind and loving young woman who has seen and experienced some of the worst of the effects of extreme poverty, but who largely manages to stay positive and look ahead. She meets Lord Joseph Colville who is also a medical doctor with a caring heart. They end up being on the same ship, Mercy as a reluctant bride-to-be, and Joseph as the ship's doctor. What the reader can see as a perfect match is thwarted by many obstacles including position in society and weath (or lack thereof). Themes in the book include misunderstandings, the role poverty and low social rank play in self-esteem, our worth to God, and following His calling. This first book in THE BRIDE SHIPS series is a delight that makes me look forward to others in the series. I'm happy to give this book five solid stars.

I've been a fan of Jody Hedlund's novels that retell fairy tales. Her new novel, A Reluctant Bride, is the first of her historical fiction novels that I've read. While the idea of vicariously experiencing what a bride ship might be like is interesting, I find that the novel is much too focused on the love story aspect for me. In fact, what I appreciated about her fairy tale novels is that they focus more on the heroines of each story and their unique life experiences their struggles and their growth, while the love stories were just in the background.

Don't get me wrong, A Relcutant Gride is a good read and an escape from every day life. But in a world where romance novels (yes, even the Christian ones) follow a pattern and usually present men as more emotive and communicative than in real life, I find they often set up relationships and marriages to fail. So when a book focuses more on the love story aspect than the characters' real-life struggles, growth and transformation, the plot loses something for me. Again, it's a Christian tale, so you won't find any of the garbage you'd find in secular novels. It's entertaining and clean. If that's what you're looking for, the Hedlund's novel A Reluctant Bride will not disappoint.

My thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
For those who enjoy historical romance, this tale of a young girl who signs up to sail from London to British Columbia, Canada to become the future bride of a miner will be of interest. It wasn't to my taste, and I found the romance between the ship's surgeon and Mercy to be improbable. Yes, Mercy is a pretty, kind and decent girl, but it was Joseph Colville's character that didn't ring true. In her Acknowledgement, the author reveals that a ship's doctor had in fact married one of the "miners' brides" but in this story, Joseph Colville is a wealthy and titled peer of England, as well as being a doctor. That was stretching it a bit for me. I rate this a 3 out of 5.