A Reluctant Bride Audiobook By Jody Hedlund cover art

A Reluctant Bride

Bride Ships, Book 1

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A Reluctant Bride

By: Jody Hedlund
Narrated by: Esther Wane
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Living in London's poorest slum, Mercy Wilkins has little hope of a better life. When she's offered an opportunity to join a bride ship sailing to British Columbia, she agrees. After witnessing so much painful heartache and loss in the slums, the bride ship is her only prospect to escape a bleak future, not only for herself but, she hopes, someday for her sister.

Wealthy and titled Joseph Colville leaves home and takes to the sea in order to escape the pain of losing his family. As ship's surgeon, he's in charge of the passengers' welfare aboard the Tynemouth, including 60 brides-to-be. He has no immediate intention of settling down, but when Mercy becomes his assistant, the two must fight against a forbidden love.

With hundreds of single men congregating on the shore eager to claim a bride from the Tynemouth, will Mercy and Joseph lose their chance at true love, or will they be able to overcome the obstacles that threaten to keep them apart?

©2019 Jody Hedlund (P)2019 Tantor Christian Fiction Clean & Wholesome Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Historical Fiction Romance Heartfelt Feel-Good
Engaging Storyline • Historical Authenticity • Excellent Narration • Clean Romance • Enjoyable Performance

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a story about a girl refusing to love a man just because of dumb excuses was quite irritating but I suppose it ends well.

Quite reluctant

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Nice story. A little drawn out unnecessarily at times. I didn’t like the narrator’s voice for the FMC. Unfortunately, the book ended rather abruptly too. Overall, a good listen, but I won’t be listening to it again.

Nice Story

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I needed something a little different because everything was starting to sound the same in my favorite historical Scottish or Duke type romances. This was a great change up. Aside of the drawn out inner monologue (that I find all romances seem to have) I LOVED this story!

Great change up from Scottish/Duke romances

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A little different story that travels from the slums of London to British Columbia. A journey of unexpected highs and lows and a love that could not be denied

New series

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The tale of Mercy and Joseph is interesting on many levels. First, the history of the Bride Ships is fascinating by itself. The route and method of propulsion, the perils and sights all make for interesting reading. Second, the imbedded tale of class differences, attitudes and the idea of whether rank and privilege are adequate judges of intelligence and ability not to mention humanity and a determination of worth made this novel in a rare class above the basic romance. Cheers to Jody Hedlund on this excellent work.

Sweet and interesting

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Great story that warms the heart, love that makes you literally smile. Joseph and Mercy both find healing that so many of us need.

Lovely character and amazing narrator!

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This story was awesome! I highly recommend for anyone wanting a wholesome, warm storyline. Narrator did a great job as well!

I love this book!

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I enjoyed this book. It was a good listen. I like a good love story without any vulgarity

Good listen

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I enjoyed the romance of the main characters. JH does a really great job of using romantic tension in her stories and yet keeping it clean.
I agree with previous reviewers that the repetitive inner dialogue made the story drag at times.
After such a drawn out romance the story ended too abruptly for my preference. After so much angst I’d have enjoyed more depth in the
resolution.
While other reviewers didn’t care for the narrators FMC voice I liked it. I thought the narrator portrayed the FMC’s purity and naivety well.

My conflict-there is so much Christian bashing in our world today, I was disappointed to read a Christian author create a villain who is a church leader. Not that we are perfect as Christians but I find it tiresome when the church is constantly bashed in novels. I understand it in secular authors as that’s their view of the church but disappointed in authors who share the faith.
I did like the portrayal of other heroic Christian characters so I suppose J H did show a balance.
Overall I liked the book and will read more of the series.

Conflicted

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Over all I enjoyed the storyline. I do wish the narrator had used a different voice for Mercy, she sounded like she was a little girl. It made it difficult to really get into the story because it sounded like a love story between a 40 year old man and a 10 year old girl.

Wish Narrator had used a different voice.

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