Laura Frantz transports us back to the very beginnings of our country, before we were a country. She uses vivid imagery and descriptive language to take us back to the early settlement of James Towne. Her use of the words, expressions and language that might have been used at that time help the reader to be a part of the story. My only complaint would be that at times it seems like she assumes we know the meanings of certain terms and expressions.
As I said , the story is set in old James Towne in 1634. Because of the harsh environment, clashes with the native Indians and illnesses, there were considerably more men than women so women were transported there as ‘tobacco brides’ Their passages were paid by tobacco farmers in need of wives.
Selah Hopewell is in charge of keeping track of the women until they marry. She has no obvious desire to get married herself. She seems content helping her father run his merchant business.
Xander Renick is one of the settlement’s prosperous tobacco plantation owners. At a time when the slave trade is just beginning, he vows never to own any. He has a unique relationship with the neighboring Indian tribe as he had married one of their ‘princesses’. Both of these things make him a target.
The author has obviously done a lot of research in the history of the times and of the early settlements which makes this story very interesting for those of us who like reading historical novels.
This is from the publisher’s website:
“They're both too busy for love . . . but love is not too busy for them
Selah Hopewell seems to be the only woman in Virginia Colony who has no wish to wed. True, there are too many men and far too few women in James Towne. But Selah already has her hands full assisting her father in the family's shop. And now she is in charge of an incoming ship of tobacco brides who must be looked after as they sort through their many suitors.
Xander Renick is perhaps the most eligible tobacco lord in the settlement. His lands are vast, his crops are prized, and his position as a mediator between the colonists and the powerful Powhatan nation surrounding them makes him indispensable. But Xander is already wedded to his business and still grieves the loss of his wife.
Can two fiercely independent people find happiness and fulfillment on their own? Or will they discover that what they've been missing in life has been right in front of them all along?”
I would love to have seen a map of the area and a glossary but that’s just my preference.
Christian faith is woven throughout the story but not in a preachy way.
It is a very enjoyable, clean, historical romance.
Go HERE to learn more about Laura Frantz and her books
I
received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell and Baker
Publishing Group 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.”
