The Bride Wore Blue by Mona Hodgson - a book review

The Bride Wore Blue is the third book of Mona Hodgson's The Sister's of Cripple Creek saga.  This book focuses on the baby of the family, Vivian.  Her older sisters have all moved to Cripple Creek, Colorado.  I love historical romance and Hodgson didn't disappoint me with this one.  It starts out with Vivian's trip to join her sisters out west being interrupted by an exciting train robbery.  She is traveling with her Aunt as her chaperone, and a secret.  She hopes to begin a career in fashion design, but discovers that there are no opportunities in that field, In fact, there are no jobs at all, except one.  The local 'sporting house' offers her a job as a daytime hostess. The secret that she hides makes her feel that she isn't worthy enough to deserve that same kind of happiness that her sisters have found, so she takes the job, naively thinking that all she will be expected to do is greet the downstairs customers.  She keeps her job from her sisters knowing they would never approve, one more secret to keep.  She also keeps it from Carter Alwyn, a kind and Godly young man who is sweet on her, who also happens to be the sheriff's deputy.  She gets herself into some stressful and scarey perdicaments.


The publisher says:
"Headed toward a fresh start but tethered by her past, Vivian longs to break free, to find forgiveness and love.At last, the sisters are reunited! The youngest Sinclair, the family“ baby”, is moving from Maine to Cripple Creek, Colorado and joining Kat, Nell, and Ida. But Vivian is a young woman with a will of her own, and made some decisions back in Portland that have begun to haunt her. Will she be able to live up to the expectations of her three perfect and now happily-settled sisters?


The sisters warmly welcome Vivian to the mountain west, but the wild-and-woolly mining town isn’t ripe with opportunities for a respectable young woman. The youngest Sinclair sister is determined to make her own way, so
when she’s off ered a job as a hostess in a sporting house, she takes it, thinking the position is appropriate for a tainted, unlovable woman like herself. Although she’s convinced she’ll never be asked to entertain privately, Vivian
keeps her employment a secret from her sisters, knowing they’d be mortified—as will Carter Alwyn, the kind and godly sheriff ’s deputy who’s sweet on her.


Vivian is descending into a life of secrets, lying to the very people who love her and could help her heal from her mistakes. Will an outpouring of grace remind her that she is still God’s beloved and that her past can be washed as clean as Rocky Mountain snow?"

I have previously read and reviewed Hodgson's "Too Rich for a Bride" and loved it.  While this one doesn't have as many humorous story lines, her vivid desriptions and narrative draw the reader deeply into the story.


Throughout the book, Vivian struggles with feelings of shame, unworthiness and low self esteem.  This is a story of grace and redemption. 


 Even though this is the third book of the series, it is a good stand alone story, but I liked the two books by Hodgson so much  I ordered the first book of the series. 


Read an excert below and then check out the author's website HERE.

The Bride Wore Blue by Mona Hodgson (Chapter 1 Excerpt)


If you like historical Christian romance, you'll like this!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from WaterBrook Press through their book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed above are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”