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    A Reluctant Bride
    A Reluctant Bride
    A Reluctant Bride
    Audiobook10 hours

    A Reluctant Bride

    Written by Jody Hedlund

    Narrated by Esther Wane

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    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?
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateJun 4, 2019
    ISBN9781977341587
    A Reluctant Bride
    Author

    Jody Hedlund

    Jody Hedlund is the bestselling author of The Doctor’s Lady and The Preacher’s Bride, which won the 2011 Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award and the 2011 Award of Excellence from the Colorado Romance Writers, and was a finalist for Best Debut Novel in the 2011 ACFW Carol Awards.

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    Reviews for A Reluctant Bride

    4.5/5

    93 ratings14 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Title: A Reluctant Bride (The Bride Ships #1)Author: Jody HedlundPages: e-bookYear: 2019Publisher: Bethany House PublishersMy rating is 4 out of 5 stars.Mercy Wilkins is a young woman living in the slums of London in 1862. Mercy’s older sister has left home for the workhouse because there isn’t enough money to feed her. Mercy is next in line and has no prospects for a job other than the workhouse as well. She has seen the toll it has taken on her sister and wants to avoid that, but what can she do? She has no money and no work experience. She just knows she wants to do something to help others. Her sister has heard of a missionary society that is sponsoring women to travel to British Columbia. Mercy sees this as her chance to have a job at the end of the journey. She doesn’t want to leave her sister behind but has no choice if she wants to survive. She doesn’t realize until the ship has sailed that she is expected to choose a husband upon arrival. Mercy has no intention of marrying as she has seen the resulting heartache and too many mouths to feed in her own parent’s example.Joseph Colville is a doctor and a member of the aristocracy. He has spent the last several years running from his grief at the loss of his family. He travels on various ships to distant ports as a ship’s doctor. When he is home in London while awaiting a new ship assignment, he works at a clinic in the poorest area of the city. He meets Mercy there but has no idea they will be meeting again in the near future. He and she work together to help the sick aboard ship and a romance begins. Mercy doesn’t want to lose her freedom by marrying, and she knows she is not of the same social standing as Joseph. It wouldn’t be proper for him to marry her, even if she was willing. Her heart is troubled. What can she do?The story was a bit slow in parts, but I understand this first book has to set the tone, place in history/time, background, etc. I would have liked more information about Joseph’s background. I thought the descriptions of Mercy and her family’s lives were poignant and heartbreaking. I can’t imagine the desperation to be willing to leave your home, family and country for an unknown land, people, culture and future. Mercy’s compassion for others in the midst of her own hardships was stunning. I really enjoyed the Author’s Note, too. Book two in the series is set to be released in March 2020, and I will be reading it for sure!Note: The opinions shared in this review are solely my responsibility.
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed the storyline of this book! It was written with excellence!
    • 3/5
      A very slow moving story. Wanted more of a story.
    • 5/5
      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 HedlundPublisher: Bethany House Publishers Series: The Bride Ships Book 1Pages: 352First 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.
    • 5/5
      What an exquisite story of love, compassion, and faith! The narration was done with attention to the tiniest detail.
    • 5/5
      When offered the opportunity to escape hunger and poverty in London, care giver Mercy Wilkins agrees to join the first bride ship to British Columbia. On board she learns to assist wealthy and titled ships surgeon, Joseph Colville, in treatment of patients. They have to fight against their own feelings and society’s prejudice.A Reluctant Bride is the first book in The Bride Ships series by Jody Hedlund, and I listened to an audio edition published by arrangement with Baker Publishing Group. The plot is set in the poorest part of London 1862. We follow Mercy Wilkins as she tries to take care of her small siblings. Life seems a constant fight for survival, so when Mercy gets the opportunity to join the bride ship voyage to Vancouver Island, she accepts. On board she meets Baron of Wiltshire and ships surgeon Joseph Colville. Mercy learns to assist him in treatment of patients. They both fight against the mutual attraction they feel and know they come from different worlds, which makes a relationship between them unacceptable in the eyes of society. Main character is child caregiver and nursing assistant Mercy Wilkins who thinks she is going to British Columbia to find employment. That she has to marry upon arrival has escaped her notice. I find her a very kind and impressive character who manages to care for others when she has so little herself. She is my favorite character of this story.Supporting character Reverent William Richard Scott acts as chaperone for the brides on the trip. He is patronizing and demeaning, taking his position way too seriously. He was my least favorite of the story. His character will probably haunt me for a long time. I found the character development of this story fabulous.The vivid description of evergreen trees, sandy beaches and wildlife on Vancouver Island, I found were fantastic in all 3 books. I thoroughly loved the entertaining writing style, dialogue and vibe which make this series one of my absolute favorites. I can’t wait for the release of installment #4. My favorite part was the romance between Mercy and Joseph. During the voyage they live through hardship and become friends. The closeness increases. The plot has a distinct spiritual element and Mercy and Joseph pray for help with processing their grief. Mercy has not felt God’s nearness in her struggle to survive in London’s slums. She tries to pray, but feels she is not quite able to. Joseph is running from God and his grief. Nothing seems to have meaning and he prays to God to show him the next step. Fans of Jody Hedlund are sure to love A Reluctant Bride. Readers of historical romance fiction will enjoy it too. Similar authors to explore might be Julie Klassen or Elizabeth Camden. All opinions in this review are my own.Conclusion: This is the first book in the captivating series about young English women going to British Columbia to help populate the colony. I thoroughly loved the entertaining writing style, dialogue and vibe which make this series one of my absolute favorites. I can’t wait for release of installment #4. Rating: 5 stars / 5Main reasons: exiting plot, vivid writing, fabulous characters
    • 4/5
      Title: A Reluctant Bride (The Bride Ships #1)Author: Jody HedlundPages: e-bookYear: 2019Publisher: Bethany House PublishersMy rating is 4 out of 5 stars.Mercy Wilkins is a young woman living in the slums of London in 1862. Mercy’s older sister has left home for the workhouse because there isn’t enough money to feed her. Mercy is next in line and has no prospects for a job other than the workhouse as well. She has seen the toll it has taken on her sister and wants to avoid that, but what can she do? She has no money and no work experience. She just knows she wants to do something to help others. Her sister has heard of a missionary society that is sponsoring women to travel to British Columbia. Mercy sees this as her chance to have a job at the end of the journey. She doesn’t want to leave her sister behind but has no choice if she wants to survive. She doesn’t realize until the ship has sailed that she is expected to choose a husband upon arrival. Mercy has no intention of marrying as she has seen the resulting heartache and too many mouths to feed in her own parent’s example.Joseph Colville is a doctor and a member of the aristocracy. He has spent the last several years running from his grief at the loss of his family. He travels on various ships to distant ports as a ship’s doctor. When he is home in London while awaiting a new ship assignment, he works at a clinic in the poorest area of the city. He meets Mercy there but has no idea they will be meeting again in the near future. He and she work together to help the sick aboard ship and a romance begins. Mercy doesn’t want to lose her freedom by marrying, and she knows she is not of the same social standing as Joseph. It wouldn’t be proper for him to marry her, even if she was willing. Her heart is troubled. What can she do?The story was a bit slow in parts, but I understand this first book has to set the tone, place in history/time, background, etc. I would have liked more information about Joseph’s background. I thought the descriptions of Mercy and her family’s lives were poignant and heartbreaking. I can’t imagine the desperation to be willing to leave your home, family and country for an unknown land, people, culture and future. Mercy’s compassion for others in the midst of her own hardships was stunning. I really enjoyed the Author’s Note, too. Book two in the series is set to be released in March 2020, and I will be reading it for sure!Note: The opinions shared in this review are solely my responsibility.
    • 5/5
      Wow! Just wow! This book is beautifully written and captured me from the beginning. It is a lovely love story about learning to trust and recognize love, overcoming social expectations, and the plight of the poor. This is a story that I don't think I will be able to emotionally let go of for a while.As I read about the living conditions in London during the middle nineteenth century and the conditions on the boat for the poor, I started to think of my own ancestors who made the journey during that time period. I am sure that they traveled in steerage and lived in the less desirable areas. I am filled with greater gratitude for them and the sacrifices they made for themselves and ultimately for me. This book is filled with history and doesn't sugar coat life for the people during that time period.Jody Hedlund chose fictitious characters and put them in situations that really happened. I couldn't help but love the characters, the setting, and the time period. This book entertained me while opening my eyes to history. If you love romance and history, this is a book that I would highly recommend. It does contain kissing and Christian themes.Source: I requested a copy from Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
    • 5/5
      I could not go through what Mercy did. She gave up everything and still kept her sweet helpful nature. She had people looking down on her just because of where she was born, but did not let that stop her. She was able to find the best in her circumstances and I loved how it all turned out. Mercy finds herself on a bride ship as she is trying to get out of a bad situation. While on the voyage over, she finds herself helping others, a carry over from her previous life. She was able to make the long voyage from London to British Columbia more bearable for many on the ship. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to the next one in the series.
    • 5/5
      What an enjoyable story from beginning to end the author held me spell bound, and then I didn’t want to leave.We get and up-close look at the poverty that was prevalent in1860’s London, England, and the difference between the classes, and see the constant death because of the conditions. Times and people so desperate for food and any comfort that they are willing to leave and travel to the unknown, or leave on a bride ship to the Canadian North West.I am excited that there are more books in this series to come!I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Bethany House, and was not required to give a positive review.
    • 5/5
      “Our whole lives are going to be filled with challenges, and our job is to keep growing and seeking after what God has next for us.” Jody Hedlund ranks among the top Christian fiction authors in my book, and “A Reluctant Bride” is the perfect illustration of why. Her writing impeccably integrates plot, history, characters, and setting to create a stunning journey that sweeps the reader into the story right from the first page and stays in mind long after the last. A seamless coalescing of elements breathes life into each chapter, both informing and resonating with the reader. Fans of such authors as Connilyn Cossette, Tessa Afshar, and Kate Breslin will not want to miss out on Jody Hedlund’s own repertoire, and “A Reluctant Bride” is an excellent starting point. Based on a true story, “A Reluctant Bride” opens in London, England, in May of 1862. While she keeps the narrative clean, Hedlund does not shy away from the gritty details, which is so important not only in maintaining historical accuracy but also for the sake of appreciating the characters’ perspectives and drawing contemporary parallels. This is Dickens’ London, with its rampant disease and strife, its destitute population, and its permeating hopelessness. It is this milieu from which the aptly named Mercy Wilkins emerges, a tenderhearted young woman forced to make her way in the world apart from her family and the life that she has always known. Encountering Lord Joseph Colville, a physician running from the pain of his past, the two would seem to be polar opposites. However, circumstances draw them together and cause them both to examine their lives. One of the best aspects of this novel is the fact that the main characters’ faith is not deeply rooted to begin with but grows and matures throughout their journey as a result of their struggles. Moreover, all of the characters are three-dimensional and authentic, with plausible motivations. Two of the secondary characters, Miss Lawrence and Mrs. Moresby, particularly intrigued me. Given the time period, concerns regarding women’s propriety and social class disparities pervade the story. How Mercy responds reflects her subservient upbringing and serves as a call to action for readers today: “Don’t get stuck thinking you don’t matter or you’re not important enough. God didn’t create some people to be better than others. He created everyone to have equal value.” Infused with a strong faith component, “A Reluctant Bride” encompasses several prevalent themes. The romance is swoon-worthy yet clean, and it does not fall into the typical formulaic patterns of so many love stories but rather embodies a stirring complexity. The story encourages readers to challenge the status quo in a world where compassion and loving one’s neighbor goes against the grain. Helping the downtrodden and putting others before oneself reap eternal rewards and can change the world, one person at a time. As Joseph ponders, “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?” Most importantly, “A Reluctant Bride” emphasizes surrendering everything to God, a habit that requires continual practice and that brings true peace and contentment. For a thought-provoking, inspiring, soul-stirring read, look no further than Jody Hedlund’s “A Reluctant Bride.” I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author and the publisher and was not required to post a positive review. All opinions are my own.
    • 5/5
      There are so many reasons that I love this book. The history fan in me loved learning, for the first time, about the bride ships that transported young women to become the brides of strangers. These journeys from England to Vancouver Island and British Columbia in the 1860s were often filled with dangerous storms, overwhelming hunger, devastating illness, and they always held the uncertainty of what was waiting at the end of the trip.The romantic part of me swooned at the overwhelming attraction between Mercy Wilkins and Joseph Colville. I was touched by Mercy's sweet nature and her nurturing abilities and no one deserved to be named Mercy more than her. Joseph Colville answered to both Dr. Colville and Lord Colville and I admired his dedication to helping everyone regardless of their social status. I also appreciated that he wasn't a lady's man and actually valued and respected women. But most of all, I loved this story of a young, poverty-stricken young woman who felt that she would never escape the slums of London. As I read of the living conditions during this time, I was appalled but I also couldn't help thinking that these same situations still exist and there are young women today who never have hopes of a better way of life. As a very young girl Mercy received kindness and support from a doctor who chose to treat the people in her London slum and it was through him that she first learned about a Higher Power. "Whenever Dr. Bates talked about God, she didn't know how to respond. He spoke as if God truly cared about her. Yet, if God cared, she hadn't felt it, hadn't felt His nearness, hadn't felt His directing her. If anything, she'd always felt as though her life hadn't mattered." As Mercy endures this long journey from England she begins to experience romantic feelings for Dr. Joseph Colville. She starts to understand that she is worthy of respect and love and she realizes that she herself has also been judgemental about people. She finally understands that she "was as guilty of making assumptions about the wealthy as they were of forming their views about the poor. She'd do well to stop rushing to judge and instead see beyond the surface to the real person."A Reluctant Bride allows us to witness Mercy and Joseph's ability to work through their painful pasts and to make plans for their futures. It also shows their Christian growth and reaffirms the ultimate fact that we are all equal in God's eyes. Yes, I am a fan of both this book and of author Jody Hedlund and I highly recommend A Reluctant Bride. I look forward the next book of The Bride Ships series!I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher and I was not required to write a positive review
    • 5/5
      “Though her hair was damp and unkempt, face smudged and weary, her garments soggy and splattered with all manner of filth, for a reason he couldn’t explain, she had grown more beautiful and not less.”What an incredible journey! Jody Hedlund is well-known for her beautifully written historical fiction and this beginning of a new series about bride ships will surely delight her fans and garner more followers. The story sets out in Victorian London where squalor, poverty, and hopelessness abound and moves across the oceans to Vancouver Island (British Columbia) where untainted beauty and new opportunities await. Truly this story enveloped me completely and had me right there next to Mercy and Joseph as they battled the darkness of London, the trying and emotionally confusing voyage across the different oceans and waterways, and the uncertainty in a new world.Mercy, in her sweetness and goodness, is instantly lovable. Though meek by practice in her world of poverty, she has a fire and persistence that allow her to keep loving those around her and tend to the sick with gentleness and care. She’s been beaten down by the difficulties of life yet still holds on to her desire to help others in their suffering. Joseph is a privileged peer who has chosen to become a physician and finds himself at home serving others. But he’s running away from responsibility because of his deep-seated wound of having lost his family at a young age. Separated by class and so much more, their friendship is unlikely and frowned upon, especially since she’s unwittingly become one of the prospective brides on a bride ship to Vancouver Island and he’s the ship’s surgeon. Yet their like-mindedness in caring for the sick and their shared life experiences bring them together and their relationship unfolds ever so sweetly. This book is a must-read for all fans of historical fiction. I received a copy of the book from Bethany House Publishers and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.
    • 5/5
      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 HedlundPublisher: Bethany House Publishers Series: The Bride Ships Book 1Pages: 352First 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.