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A Reluctant Bride (The Bride Ships) Paperback – June 4, 2019
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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 sixty 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?
- Print length352 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherBethany House Publishers
- Publication dateJune 4, 2019
- Dimensions5.5 x 0.88 x 8.5 inches
- ISBN-100764232959
- ISBN-13978-0764232954
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Editorial Reviews
From the Back Cover
Living in London's poorest slum, Mercy Wilkins harbors little hope for a better life. So when she's offered the opportunity to join a bride ship sailing to British Columbia, she agrees. The journey abroad is her only prospect to escape a bleak future--both for herself and to help her sister, who's suffering in a workhouse.
Wealthy and titled Joseph Colville leaves everything behind and takes to the sea to escape the pain of losing his family. As the ship's surgeon, he's in charge of the passengers' welfare aboard the Tynemouth, including sixty 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 along the shore of Vancouver Island, eager to claim a bride from the Tynemouth, will Mercy and Joseph miss their chance at true love, or will they overcome the obstacles that threaten to keep them apart?
"Weaving in faith elements organically, Hedlund explores the prejudices, restrictions, and moral codes of the Victorian era, as well as what it means to know oneself and to love someone. This excellent series launch will leave fans eager for the next entry."--Publishers Weeklystarred review
"Hedlund is an expert in grounding her wildly engrossing stories in historical facts, and capturing the plight of the poor with compassion. The sizzle between the main characters is palpable, their devastating and dangerous voyage heightens their chemistry, and their journeys toward vulnerability and bravery in the new world parallel their emotional awakening to self-worth."--Booklist
"The Christian faith elements are introduced seamlessly into the narrative, along with the class prejudices of that era. London's slum life is lucidly imagined, and the descriptions of the confined life, sickness, and weather on a lengthy sea voyage are vividly recounted. Readers will look forward to the second book in the series."--Historical Novels Review
About the Author
Product details
- Publisher : Bethany House Publishers (June 4, 2019)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 352 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0764232959
- ISBN-13 : 978-0764232954
- Item Weight : 11.4 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.5 x 0.88 x 8.5 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #710,717 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #3,291 in Historical Christian Romance
- #4,285 in Christian Historical Fiction (Books)
- #9,026 in Clean & Wholesome Romance (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Jody Hedlund is the best-selling author of over forty books and is the winner of numerous awards. She writes sweet historical romances with plenty of sizzle. Find out more at jodyhedlund.com.
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Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2020
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Mercy Wilkins lives with her large family in the slums of London. Her sister has been asked to leave so the family can provide for the smaller ones. Mercy is next to be asked. She decides to embark on a journey to British Columbia as a bride for those men who have settled there. There are sixty brides-to-be on the ship sailing for British Columbia. The voyage was very difficult because of seasickness and other ailments. Mercy becomes the ship’s doctor’s assistant.
By the time they arrive at their destination, they both have a deep love and respect for each other. According to t rules of the committee that set up this bride ship, Mercy is bound to follow through with the demand that she marry one of the men from British Columbia. I found that the rest of the story was quite a novel experience for all involved.
I received a Kindle copy of this book from NetGalley.com in return for my honest review.
Top reviews from other countries


Nella seconda metà dell'Ottocento i missionari sbarcati nella British Columbia avevano scritto alla madrepatria per farsi inviare giovani donne disposte a sposare i coloni, minatori e cacciatori di pellicce che non potevano formarsi una famiglia in mancanza di femmine disponibili. Su una di queste navi si imbarca all'ultimo momento Mercy Wilkins in cerca di un futuro migliore rispetto ai quartieri più malfamati di Londra in cui la sua famiglia sta letteralmente morendo di fame.
Mercy è un prodotto insolito per quella zona: è bella, è buona e si dà moltissimo da fare per tenere a galla la famiglia nonostante le enormi difficoltà ed ha, in qualche modo, allacciato un rapporto di stima con il vecchio medico che lavora indefessamente nel dispensario locale. Nel dispensario incontra per la prima volta un giovane medico ricco e titolato Joseph Colville, che immediatamente riconosce l'intelligenza e il grande cuore di Mercy.
I loro mondi tuttavia sono socialmente agli antipodi.
Quando, per disperazione, Mercy si imbarca, non sa che anche Lord Colville si è imbarcato sulla stessa nave in un viaggio che per lui è un modo per rendersi utile e per girare il mondo.
La descrizione del viaggio e dei pericoli incontrati sono realistiche e le difficoltà delle donne a bordo vengono raccontate con crudezza e con partecipazione. A quanto pare anche coloro che potevano permettersi di pagare il viaggio, avevano sistemazioni scarne e un trattamento che non era poi così diverso da quello dei passeggeri più poveri.
Il rapporto che pian piano di approfondisce fra Joseph e Mercy è dolceamaro perché minato dalle aspettative sociali e dalle insicurezze dei due protagonisti, pur essendo chiaro fin dal principio che l'attrazione reciproca è profonda e piena di rispetto.
Ho molto apprezzato lo stile di scrittura che letteralmente "risucchia" il lettore nelle vicende di una umanità coraggiosa, resiliente e disperata di cui non si può fare a meno di seguire con partecipazione i destini.
Se il libro ha un difetto, e non è un difetto da poco, è che Mercy è troppo educata e delicata nel parlare rispetto alla sua provenienza.
L'autrice cerca di dare fondamento questo fatto introducendo la figura di una suora che aveva seguito in passato Mercy e sua sorella ma è troppo poco per far pensare che sia possibile che una ragazza possa uscire dagli slums parlando meglio di Eliza Dolittle!
Non c'è da stupirsi se Lord Colville si sente attratto.
Il finale poi, per rendere le cose più drammatiche, è un tira e molla di "parto" e "non parto" che ho trovato un tantino ridicolo.
Più interessanti sono le descrizioni delle difficoltà e degli imbarazzi di un gruppo di ragazze che si trovano in una terra sconosciuta e selvaggia e che sono trattate come poco più che merce in vendita. La realtà di alcune scene sarebbe rivoltante se non il lettore non conoscesse l'ambiente spaventoso di provenienza di queste creature e la terribile sporcizia di mesi trascorsi in mare senza potersi lavare!
Comunque la mia valutazione globale è più che positiva perché mi sono resa conto che tutte le volte che interrompevo la lettura, non vedevo l'ora di riprenderla.


