Hope and healing:
It was interesting learning more about life on the Great Lakes back in the late nineteenth century, especially how perilous fishing could be. Poor Gloriana had suffered so much loss during her short life yet I liked how she was still a generous and loving caregiver to those in her care. It was nice seeing her also find friendship and love from Luke and I was really rooting for things to work out for them.
I thought the message of learning to trust God in both the good and bad times was well presented and I appreciated the hope that was given. There was also an inspiring theme about forgiveness and restoration. Woven throughout the book was a light element of danger and mystery which added good depth to the story.
I really enjoyed this latest historical fiction by a truly talented author.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

"Destined for You" is set in the Fall of 1869 in Minnesota. Gloriana has lost many members of her family to disease or accident, leaving her wondering how she'll take care of her young brother by herself. She's also angry at God, asking "what good is it to be a Christian and serve Him if we cannot trust Him to protect us from evil and bad things?" She struggled with her faith, but Luke showed up in time to help her. He lost a brother and sister-in-law at the same time as Gloriana lost another loved one.

The main characters were complex, grew throughout the story, and reacted realistically to events. The focus of the book was on the struggles of everyday life along the lake and how the area was being built up. The author included a lot of historical detail about everyday life. The romance built slowly as Luke helped Gloriana through her grief and with the everyday struggles that she faced. They also worked together to care for Luke's orphan niece. Some suspense was added by the threat of someone trying to ruin Luke's reputation by interfering with the building of the railroad, but only a few pages referred to it. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable historical romance.

The first book in Tracie Peter's newest series, Ladies of the Lake, was a wonderful read. Gloriana Womack lives near Lake Superior in Duluth Minnesota, and she has lost much in her life. Her reaction has caused her to doubt the God she once held most important in her life. Lucas Carson has been sent to Duluth by his boss in order to help manage the completion of the railroad line that is being built across American in 1869. Lucas' faith is strong even though he has lost the most important person in his life. Can they help one another find their way in the midst of horrible weather, disease, problems with the railroad's completion, and a young boy and baby girl who need care?

Gloriana and Lucas were such realistic characters, and I enjoyed the way their romance played a background to the needs of J.T. and Sally. The two young ones added a warm touch of sweetness and laughter. Lucas' dad who was such a curmudgeon and elitist was intriguing as events caused him to see things in a different light. The depiction of both the time period and the developing town of Duluth were interesting to read as I knew little about this part of Minnesota.

I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions are mine alone. I was not compensated for this review.

Destined for You
by Tracie Peterson
Back of the Book: “In 1869, Gloriana Womack's family is much smaller since smallpox killed her mother and two of her siblings. She lives in a modest cottage in Duluth, Minnesota, with her father and young brother, and she has dedicated her life to holding her tiny, fractured family together--especially as her father is frequently gone on long fishing trips. Their livelihood may come from the waters of Lake Superior, but storms on the lake can be dangerous, even to those who know it well.
Luke Carson has come to Duluth to help shepherd the arrival of the railroad to the city's port, and he's eager to be reunited with his brother, Scott, who recently moved there with his pregnant wife. Competition for the railroad is fierce, with the neighboring city of Superior, Wisconsin, fighting for the tracks to come through their town instead. But the real danger lies in a resident of Duluth who is determined to have his revenge upon Luke.
When tragedy brings Gloriana and Luke together, they help each other through their grief and soon find their lives inextricably linked. If they survive the trials ahead, could it be possible they've been destined for each other all along?”
Impressions: This was a really sweet historical romance.
Rated: Shipwreck and death but not graphic
Liked: I really liked how this book was Biblically centered. Christian fiction is always enjoyable to me because it lets me see how someone else lives out their faith through life’s many difficult situations. I find it encouraging to gain wisdom through others journey.
Disliked: Endings are always tricky. How do you wrap up all the different story lines throughout the book? I think that the ending for Gloriana and Luke was nice but the way things turned out for Lucas’ father seemed too quick and hurried. The railroad mystery was also anti-climatic. I was not impressed with these conclusions.
Quotes: “A person must bear the consequences of their actions, or they learn nothin’.”
“We put our trust in You because You are faithful and worthy of our trust. Even when bad times come like these, we know Your love is perfect and casts out fear.” -Amen!
“A simple joy, to be sure. Remaining free of debts is the only way to live without fear. Debts bring a kind of shame that no one wants to bear. It’s far wiser to save for those things we cannot afford and to learn patience in waiting for them.” - Debt seems to be so normalized anymore. Credit cards are rampant in our culture and demoralizing ultimately. The need to keep up with a façade of others' debt seems to be an endless circle of madness. This bit of wisdom is gold.
“He’s a boy, Gloriana, and as such he will one day be a man. You cannot overprotect him from life. I won’t allow for it. Let him explore, let him dare great things. He will get hurt, but he will learn from his mistakes. He’s a good boy and he’ll practice a certain amount of caution, but not if he feels he needs to prove to you that he’s able to go beyond what you believe.” – Just go ahead and insert my name instead of Gloriana. There is a balance of protection and hurt in parenting and it can be so hard to know what to do all the time. I find myself in Gloriana's shoes in my parenting.
“Mama always said prayer should be our first resort, not our last.” -With habit this is true. I sometimes struggle to go to God first. I’ve tried to make an effort to pray about everything with my boys throughout the day to remind us of the importance of prayer and open communication. What a waste to have full access to God through prayer but to only talk with him on occasion when we need something. Let’s praise Him and seek his counsel regularly.
“Don’t let this fear take ahold of you, Gloriana. The devil wins then. He wants you to be so afraid that you’ll again put-up walls between you and God.” -Have you ever been in this situation? I have. Fear is an ugly pull and the devil preys on our weaknesses. He wants us to discredit who God is so we doubt Him. It is a slippery slope sometimes when we are hurting or afraid but we must remain faithful. Gloriana struggled with this pull but ultimately had a solid enough foundation in her faith that she kept being pulled back to God. It is also good to have friends and support as she had to keep her faith focused.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review shared here.

YES - read it!

Fabulous start to a new series by Tracie Peterson. The setting is the North Shore of Minnesota (one of my favorite places on earth). I liked the characters, I enjoyed the plot twists & turns and I loved the historical aspect of the book.

As a Minnesota girl, I truly appreciated the care & effort that went in the book to make it accurate.

So make sure you have this ordered when you make your reservations at Jay Cooke State Park (yes, there really is!) or Duluth this summer!

Thanks to Netgalley and Bethany House Publishers for an ARC to help me prepare my honest review

Destined for You, the first book in the Ladies of the Lake series, checked all the boxes for me. The captivating plot moves at a steady pace. The characters are lovable and believable and tug at your heartstrings. The 1869 Duluth, Minnesota, setting is described beautifully. You can feel the intensity of the storms on Lake Superior and the emotions of those who face the challenges of living in that area. The romance is sweet and endearing. Historical people and events are woven seamlessly into the fictional narrative. Strong, inspiring spiritual truths are thoughtfully infused into the story. I highly recommend this compelling, entertaining story of grief, revenge, family, and faith.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This one started out slow for me, maybe because the sadness was real, and if you've ever lost someone this brings up some of those feelings. I wasn't sure I wanted to continue, but I loved how Luke rose to the occasion, helping Gloriana out. From there the book progressed and it didn't take long to finish.
If you enjoy Tracie Peterson's books you'll enjoy this one. It's set in Duluth on Lake Superior and I loved the sea in the Bible references.. I don't know much about the Great Lakes region, so it was interesting to think about the railroad expansion and some of the history in that location I knew nothing about.
I could see some things coming, but it unfolded well. I'd recommend this to fans of the author.

I received this book from netgalley for my review and all opinions are my own.

When I discovered that Tracie Peterson had written a new novel set in my home region, I had to read it. In Destined for You, Tracie writes a sweet and sometimes tragic story of loss, forgiveness, redemption, and new hope. The story’s setting on Lake Superior is integral and at times its nemesis. Real historical characters pop in and out of the book, especially the famous Jay Cook. In it all, Tracie weaves a gently growing romance, and readers will cheer for the heroine’s chance to finally find love after all she’s lost and sacrificed. And such a hero he is!

The only downside for me was that the city of Superior became such an antagonist. While I’m well aware of the history of rivalry between the cities of Duluth and Superior, I felt that the town as a whole was made out be too much of a villain. I’m sure Superior’s citizens saw Duluth as the villain. There were a couple of historic details that I questioned, but not too severely, and overall, ardent fans of Tracie’s books will love this story as well.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher through Netgalley. Opinions are my own.

The setting for this book is Duluth, Minnesota in 1869. Gloriana Womack has given up on marriage. After losing her mother and two of her siblings as a result of scarlet fever, she has decided taking care of her fisherman father and her much younger brother should be her main priority. Life on Lake Superior is not easy, but it’s the only life Glory knows. When tragedy strikes hard, Glory becomes angry with God and even questions His existence. Then, Luke, a God-fearing man who works for the owner of the incoming railroad, comes to Duluth and Glory must re-examine her stance.

This is a great historical romance that has a bit of suspense interwoven. I found myself really liking Luke right away and I liked him more and more as the story progressed. Oh that we might have more men like Luke in our lives! I also enjoyed the scene that played out near the end of the book with Glory and Luke’s father. I was very impressed the character and patience Gloriana showed during that scene. I also enjoyed the setting of the book. Though I have visited Minnesota, I have never been to Duluth nor have I spent much time around any of the Great Lakes. I enjoyed learning about the area and about life on Lake Superior.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good clean historical romance.

Tracie Peterson's historical research is very well done, and skillfully woven through the story.

This story began with so much loss. It was eye opening to the dangers of life on the sea. But there was so much hope, as well.

Destined for You is a story of redemption, forgiveness and letting go. There was a bit of suspense mixed in as well, which I enjoyed.

Luke and Gloriana’s story was very sweet. Although there was attraction at first sight, their’s was a love that grew slowly and had to jump many hurdles that came their way. From sorrow, to having to quarantine due to a measles outbreak, fear for the future, sabotage . . . and then there was the issue of Luke’s father.

If you enjoy themes of redemption and family brought together through tragedy and necessity, this one should interest you.

Tracie Peterson is a well-known author with many books to her credit, for one reason alone--she's good at what she does. She knows how to pull together a plot that engages her readers from the beginning until the very end.

Gloriana is the daughter of a fishing captain and is helping her father raise her younger brother. Sally and Scott are the renters in the cottage next door and are expecting their first baby, and Scott works for Gloriana's father. Lucas is Scott's brother and is working for Jay Cooke--a railroad magnate.

Lucas' boss wants to run a railroad through Duluth so that it can connect to the Pacific Northwest and sends Lucas to oversee the project. Lucas arrives in Duluth as Sally finds out that Scott has drowned in a storm that also took Gloriana's father and all the men on the boat. Lucas is there when Sally asks Gloriana and him to raise the baby she's having. Now Lucas has some hard things to do: contact his father about the grandchild, find a way to adopt the baby, and do something about his growing feelings for Gloriana.

Tracie adds conflict and suspense in the book by the addition of one significant character--Theodore, a man who embezzled money from Lucas' father's bank years ago. Lucas is the one who caught the discrepancies in the books. Theodore blamed Lucas for ruining his life. He has decided he wants to ruin Lucas one way or another, even if it means taking Lucas' life.

The characters in this book grow through hardship, faith, and love. They are empathetic, believable, honest, and mostly likable. This is a solid four star book.

Bethany House and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

What a great story! Gloriana lives with her father and younger brother in a fishing village that is growing.Luke comes to stay with his brother, Gloriana's neighbor. When tragedy strikes, they find that they need to rely on each other for support as well as assistance. Soon, Luke discovers someone is trying to sabotage his railroad plans, but he doesn't understand why .This is a lovely and clean story I really enjoyed.

Beautiful Story!

Tracie Peterson takes readers on a heartfelt and spiritually uplifting ride in Destined for You, book #1 in her new Ladies of the Lake series. This beautiful and poignant story was so filled with a depth of emotions it may have you grabbing for a tissue box for a variety of reasons. The characters and the feelings they experienced seemed so real and authentic it was almost like the reader got to know them personally.
I loved the hero and heroine, Luke and Gloriana, and how they helped each other through their shared tragedy. The spiritual growth and development that Gloriana and some others experienced was so inspiring. Baby Sally and JT, Gloriana’s brother, also added much interest and warmth to the novel. Peterson did a wonderful job depicting the hard yet optimistic life people lived near the top of the lower 48 states in Duluth, MN in 1870 and tied up the story beautifully. This was such a touching and heartwarming book that should definitely be added to your to-read list! I can’t wait for the next book in the series!

I received an advanced review copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

A new series begins with this story about life on Lake Superior shortly after the Civil War. Duluth and Superior are both vying for the new railroad. The author brings to life Gloriana, her family and friends' lives on a cold and sometimes brutal lake. The support and love of this close knit fishing community speaks volumes. The characters are realistic, relatable and likeable. I loved Luke's kindness to JT and JT's love for his sister. Loved it! Highly recommended!

DESTINED FOR YOU by TRACIE PETERSON is a well written historical romance novel with unforgettable characters and a Christian message which underlines the importance of forgiveness and of never losing faith in the God who never gives up on us.
It is a most enjoyable book. I love the railroad theme and the whole idea of bringing people together and exploring new areas, and the fishing theme.
The story takes place in 1869 in Duluth Minnesota where Gloriana Womack lives with her fisherman father and little brother JT.
Luke Carson is sent by his boss, Jay Cooke from Philadelphia, to head up two railroad projects. It is an uphill struggle with the competition between Duluth and Superior, made even harder by someone on the inside wanting to destroy him.
He is looking forward to seeing his fisherman brother Scott who lives in Duluth with his pregnant wife Sally. Both Scott and Luke have a bad relationship with their wealthy father, who is completely different to Gloriana's very loving father.
The story is full of intrigue and surprises, and I will not say any more for fear of spoiling the read for you.
I highly recommend Destined For You to anyone who enjoys a good historical romance novel.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bethany House Publishers. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

An amazing story of God's grace and mercy through some tough times. It reminded me of how much God has blessed me and of doing what he's called me to do. There's such freedom in following the calling of God.

I love romance, and Tracie Peterson is the very best at what she does: historical, heart-felt romance!

A new series for Tracie Peterson based on Lake Superior. I found this book interesting with it's historical context and not knowing much about Duluth. It was a good read and had themes of trusting God with all things including pain and suffering as well as being obedient to Him.

I got this for free in exchange for an honest review. This is a book that I would seek out to purchase for my library even if I hadn' been able to read it this way. Tracie Peterson books have a wide appeal to a variety of people and issue well.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and if you like historical romance, you will enjoy it too.