A Noble Groom Tour +Giveaway
By Jody Hedlund
Published on April 1, 2013
Published by Bethany House
Source: ARC from publisher
Published by Bethany House
Source: ARC from publisher
Recently widowed Annalisa Werner has the feeling her husband was murdered but can't prove it. Alone with her young daughter in 1881 Michigan, she has six months left to finish raising the money needed to pay back the land contract her husband purchased, and the land is difficult to toil by herself. She needs a husband. With unmarried men scarce, her father sends a letter to his brother in the Old Country, asking him to find Annalisa a groom.
For nobleman Carl von Reichert, the blade of the guillotine is his fate. He's been accused and convicted of a serious crime he didn't commit, and his only escape is to flee to a small German community in Michigan where he'll be safe. He secures a job on Annalisa's farm but bumbles through learning about farming and manual labor.
Annalisa senses that Karl is harboring a secret about his past, yet she finds herself drawn to him anyway. He's gentle, kind, and romantic--unlike any of the men she's ever known. He begins to restore her faith in the ability to love--but her true groom is still on his way. And time is running out on them all
This is my second book by Jody Hedlund. My first impressions of this author was correct- she knows drama and she knows how to write it well. The book starts slowly, and builds on interactions and conversations for the first half of the book. You can feel the intensity of the book growing- and in the second half of the book, the author unleashes on the characters. Typhoid, fires, angry men with guns- this second half of A Noble Groom has it all.
The romance between Annalisa and Carl is believable and grows slowly- there is no insta love in this book, which I appreciate. I also really enjoyed the interactions between Carl and Annalisa's daughter Gretchen- so sweet. I appreciated that the children in this story actually played a role, rather than background characters.
I wish that the author would have explored Carl's family more. Although we are told his history and about his family- they share no scenes together in the book. I know that would have added a ton of length to the story, but it was one part that left me wondering.
All in all this was a great book. I love Jody Hedlund's super dramatic style and slow growing romances. This is a solid read and one I polished off in one sitting (which is rare with a 3 year old and a 4 month old). I highly recommend it!
Jody Hedlund is celebrating the release of A Noble Groom by giving away a Kindle Fire and hosting a Facebook Author Chat Party {5/8}!
- A Kindle Fire
- A copy of A Noble Groom by Jody Hedlund
So grab your copy of A Noble Groom and join Jody on the evening of May 8th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)
