PAULA'S REVIEW:
Matchmaker Bellamy has a tough job his second time around. Each of his candidates is desperate and time is running out. Enya has been abandoned by her cruel husband and is pregnant. Sullivan has promised his father he will wed before midnight on Shrove Tuesday or his career as a steamboat captain is over. By midnight, the deed is done but the bride and groom are strangers.
This was a great marriage of convenience story with a very kind, patient, caring hero. Sullivan is truly a hero with scars to prove it from rescuing men from a burning boat. Enya carries her scars inside her as she tries to trust a man again.
I am glad there was a bit less sizzle to this romance as Sullivan and Enya try to deny that they care for each other. Other elements such as life on a steamboat, the scenery down the Mississippi, Enya composing music, a nasty slave catcher, and a very scary fire make this a well rounded story. In the end the couple find their way back to each other and regain their trust in God. *God did not prevent the hardships or the difficulties. Instead He pieced the shards together to create something new that would not be perfect and would not be without its blemishes, but the brokenness would be beautiful in its own way.*
* A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Bethany House through Interviews and Reviews. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are mine alone.*4 stars and a slight faith thread
REBECCA'S REVIEW
"She needs someone who will cherish her, so she does. And I have the feeling that you can be that man."
Sullivan O'Brien wasn't so sure, but time was running out; his father's ultimatum tightening like a noose around his neck convinced him to engage the sort of service that only Bellamy McKenna could provide. The young matchmaker's confidence in the matter was a bit unnerving, especially after Enya Shanahan's loveliness startled him into some sort of stupor. Something dreadful must have happened to precipitate the exquisite Irish beauty from a highly prominent family meeting him at the altar, just before the stroke of midnight on a Shrove Tuesday.
"He's perfect for you too, Enya. It's about time you have a man who doesn't fall down and worship the ground you walk on."
Enya Shanahan only had herself to blame; marrying a rogue for whom she was obviously a conquest (and conduit to her father's money), experiencing abandonment, suffering through a humiliating annulment, only to discover that a babe was on the way. This tall, broad river captain was handsome in his own kind of way, but kind of husband would he be? What kind of wife could she be?
"You don't have to let the scars of your past determine your future."
Predictably, this gifting of one to another between Sullivan and Enya gets off to a less than ideal start. Both bear burdens of deeply seeded mistrust and feelings of inadequacy, but combined with their two stubborn natures, it's no wonder the equation amounts to one rash decision after another. However, between the pen and paper of a very talented author their story comes to life in exactly the way that the matchmaker had so candidly predicted!
A wonderfully endearing and quite romantic marriage of convenience trope that deserves a hearty round of applause! (except I have a sneaking suspicion that Enya and Sullivan won't even hear it, because they will be otherwise engaged . . . )
*I received a copy of this book from the author and publisher. I also purchased a copy. The opinions stated above are entirely my own.
BackCover Blurb:
After her annulment is finalized, Enya Shanahan finds herself caught in a web of scandal and obligation while carrying a secret that threatens to shatter her family's reputation. Determined to find a suitable marriage for Enya, her father turns to a wily matchmaker to save them from their circumstances.Sullivan O'Brien, a steamboat captain committed to aiding enslaved people on their path to freedom, is faced with an ultimatum from his father. Forced to marry or lose his livelihood, a marriage of convenience seems to be the only solution. As he and Enya face the trials of their pasts and a city consumed by fire, they must confront their deepest fears and learn to trust in love, even when darkness threatens to engulf them.
No comments:
Post a Comment