A couple of years ago, I read and reviewed Sharlene MacLaren’s historical romance A Love to Behold. It was Book 3 in her Forever Freedom Series. It was one of the only two books I’ve ever given a five-star review. Although it is part of a series, I didn’t feel at all as if I missed anything by not reading the first two books—aside from an exceptional reading experience. As a member of the Celebrate Lit Blog Team, I chose to read and review it for that specific purpose.
Over the last few months, many of the books I’ve read left me disappointed. I just wanted to read something on par with A Love to Behold. So, I purchased one of her other ebooks, Her Steadfast Heart, which is Book 2 in her Hearts of Honor Series. You might wonder why I chose this particular book—why not read from a series I’d already started, or choose Book 1 in this series? Frugality. I made the choice based on the price. I’m always telling my husband, “You get what you pay for,” but when it comes to books, that’s not necessarily true. There are some wonderful reads for a very reasonable price. Of course, if I can find it in the library or on the library app to download onto my tablet, so much the better.
First off, I love the characters in this book. Captain Joseph Fuller is a Union soldier in the Civil War. His wife died leaving him with four children who are bent on chasing off any nanny he manages to acquire. Since the war is ongoing, he doesn’t have the luxury of staying home to care for them. I doubt he would want to, at least in the beginning of the story. He gets the brilliant idea to “marry” a woman in name only. She’d be legally bound to him until the end of the war. Then he’d pay her a hefty fee (previously discussed) and an annulment. Enter Faith Haviland who is being stalked by a repulsive man and desires a chance to start fresh somewhere new. She is agreeable to Joseph’s proposal.
Both of these characters are real and lovable. There are many other characters (aside from the four children) who round out the cast nicely. Joseph lost his faith when his wife died, but Faith is a strong Christian woman who stands up for what she believes and doesn’t cower in the face of difficulty. She is the perfect match for Joseph (of course) and is not deterred by his difficult children. I especially connected with her feelings of inadequacy when being compared to the beautiful and perfect dead wife. I think we all tend to put those we love on a pedestal once their gone.
There were a couple of things I struggled with. First off, the two main characters, who we assume will fall in love, spend much of the book apart. Joseph is off fighting a war while Faith is home with a challenging group of children. It feels like there is a lot of repetition in order to give the story the length it needs. Also, the man who stalked Faith has his own story as an aside. I don’t feel it added anything to the overall story arc and just dragged it down.
But if you love good writing (and who doesn’t?) and enjoy historical romance, I’m sure you’ll enjoy this book.
Four out of five stars.
