"Love Unexpected"

Beacons of Hope # 1

by Jody Hedlund

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful suspense and deception!

Description

1859
Presque Isle, Michigan

What Is the Secret That Could Shipwreck Both of Their Lives?

All Emma Chambers ever wanted was a home, but when her steamboat sinks just outside Presque Isle, she’s left destitute and with no place to stay.

An unlikely solution arises when the lighthouse keeper arrives in town. He’s just lost his wife and is having a difficult time caring for his child. So a traveling preacher gets the idea that the keeper and Emma might be the answer to each other’s dilemma. After a hasty marriage, she finds herself heading to the lighthouse with this handsome but quiet stranger. Nothing in her aimless life, though, has prepared her for parenting a rambunctious toddler, as well as managing a household.

Emma soon suspects Patrick may be hiding something from her, and then she hears a disturbing rumor about the circumstances surrounding his late wife’s death. It seems as if her wish for a home and family of her own could end up leading her once more into turbulent waters.

“Romance, an almost Hitchcockian mystery, and a tale of repentance make a fine mixture in Hedlund’s captivating and suspenseful inspirational novel.” -Booklist

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Biography

Jody Hedlund is an award-winning and bestselling author of inspirational historical romances for both youth and adults.

As a busy mama-writer, she has the wonderful privilege of teaching her crew of 5 children at home. In between grading math papers and giving spelling tests, she occasionally does a load of laundry and washes dishes. When she's not busy being a mama, you can find her in front of her laptop working on another of her page-turning stories. 

She loves reading almost as much as she loves writing, especially when it also involves chocolate and coffee.

Jody may be contacted at the following locations;

http://jodyhedlund.com/ https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJodyHedlund/timeline

My Review ~

The first in the Beacons of Hope series, Love Unexpected was much more than I expected from the book's description. The light keeper's wife suffered an untimely death, leaving Patrick with no means to care for his 2-year-old son and manage the lighthouse on Presque Isle. Steamboat passengers Emma and her brother Ryan, are victims of pirates overtaking their boat not far from the shore of Presque Isle. Rescued and destitute, Ryan secures a job in the local fishing industry, but Emma has no hope of a future until a marriage of convenience is arranged in order that she raise the lighthouse keeper's young son. Delighted at her good fortune in securing a home for herself, a life of untold secrets and deception threaten her future. 

The events throughout this book kept me wrapped up in this fast-paced, suspenseful drama filled with deception and untold secrets. Brimming with intrigue, tragedy and dread this book kept me riveted to my seat. Unexpected situations lurked around every corner, threatening Emma's safety and reputation. Jody Hedlund has a gift for creating a setting and relationships that are unforgettable. She portrays the lighthouse and the area surrounding it on Presque Isle with accuracy and beauty. Her research is impeccable. Her description of the eastern coast of Michigan and Lake Huron, as well as historic events are commendable. Her characters are also based on individuals who lived on Presque Isle as light keepers in the past. In her Author's Note at the end of her book the author relays information regarding the importance and significance of lighthouses along the shores of Michigan. Historically correct and written with a gift for realism, both in suspense and romance, I highly recommend this inspirational book!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own, and no monetary compensation was received for this review.