About the Book

Book: Katherine’s Arrangement

Author: Blossom Turner

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction

Release Date: August 4, 2020

Marrying him is her only choice to save her family, but Josiah Richardson isn’t at all the man she expected.

Katherine William’s family was left destitute when their home was burned to the ground by Yankee soldiers, so the ready solution presented by the prominent Mr. Josiah Richardson seems almost too good to believe. He’ll provide a home, work for her pa, and a new beginning for her family…if only Katherine will accept his proposal. A marriage of convenience is the last thing she wants, but there doesn’t seem to be a better option for her family or herself. Setting aside her dreams of love, Katherine agrees to the arrangement.

The gentleman in Josiah Richardson can no more force his frightened bride into his bed, than he can force her into loving him, so he sets out to gently woo her. He works hard to befriend her, to earn her trust and win her love.

Katherine is pleasantly surprised to find herself drawn to the man she thought she would never love, until an unexpected friendship tears apart all they’ve worked for. Where once the promise of love had budded between Josiah and Katherine, now they wonder what to do with their so-called marriage. Is love strong enough to weave its healing power through two broken hearts?

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My Review

I love reading historical fiction, so I was very excited to sign up for the Celebrate Lit Blog Tour for Katherine’s Arrangement by Blossom Turner. As a former middle school teacher, history is close to my heart, and none more so than Civil War history (or in the case of this novel, post-Civil War history).

What young woman hasn’t dreamt of marrying the love of her life and living happily ever after? Aren’t we inculcated with that ideology from a very young age? And it wasn’t any different for Katherine Williams, the heroine in Katherine’s Arrangement. She’s put into an impossible situation—marry widowed Josiah Richardson, or watch her family further disintegrate in the aftermath of the war.

Blossom Turner is gifted at tapping into her characters’ emotions and then communicating them to her readers with beautiful prose. She navigated the sexual tension and interactions between the couple in an appropriate, yet realistic, way. Always a difficult task when writing Christian fiction. There was a lot of emotional drama from both Katherine and Josiah—so much so, I felt it was a little overdone. The genre is listed as Historical Christian Fiction, but I think it would be better suited as Historical Christian Romance.

With history in mind, Blossom did a wonderful job in detailing how Katherine’s poor family lived differently than former plantation owner, Josiah. Although Josiah must find a way to recoup the losses incurred by the war, he is able to provide for Katherine beyond her childish romantic dreams. Blossom handled the spiritual growth of both characters in an organic way, which didn’t feel contrived, as is often the case with Christian fiction.

There was mention a few times of antagonism by the post-war racists toward Josiah for his non-traditional views, and it played into a scene near the end. However, I expected it to be expanded throughout the story, which I felt would have given the reader a bit of a relief from the constant emotions that plagued the characters—a natural outlet that would better educate readers of the ramifications for someone who was willing to stand firm in the face of cultural bigotry.

The characters are not only believable, but lovable. The depth of their pain is relatable and definitely tugs on one’s heart strings. I highly recommend the first in this series by Blossom Turner. If you love romance, you’ll love this novel.

I was given a complimentary copy for reviewing purposes through Celebrate Lit, but the opinions are my own.

About the Author

Blossom Turner is a freelance writer published in Chicken Soup and Kernels of Hope anthologies, former newspaper columnist on health and fitness, an avid blogger, and author. Her authentic understanding of the power of love is woven through the pages of Book One in the Shenandoah Bride series—Katherine’s Arrangement. She and her husband, David, have two grown children and live in beautiful British Columbia, Canada. Read more at blossomturner.com.

More from Blossom

From the time I was a little girl I had a love for reading, a wild imagination, and the desire to write. At twelve, I received my first Bible and read all the way through a King James Version. My love for Jesus was cemented. I day-dreamed of a Cinderella happily-ever-after story. The traumatic childhood I was living in was gentled by the dream of being whisked away by a handsome prince and truly loved. Put that all together, and the building blocks for writing romantic fiction are all in place.

But how did I get to writing historical romance? Well that was for one reason only…I loved reading stories of arranged marriages and wanted to write one. The drama, the tension, the love that can flourish out of nothing, I just loved the concept but…the scenario had to be believable to me. Thus, the wheels of imagination started turning. What better than right after the Civil War, in the Shenandoah Valley where houses were burned and people left destitute? I’m Canadian and had a smattering of knowledge of that time period, so had to do extensive research to pull it off. To be historically accurate was much more difficult than writing my first novel, Anna’s Secret, set in today’s era. Now I am hooked on writing historical romance. I’m both a sensitive and an old soul and it fits my personality perfectly. Who knew? God did.

I think when you read Katherine’s Arrangement, you will agree that the drama that brings this couple together is both believable and engaging. I am so excited to write this five-book series on five sisters and their love stories, as I come from a large family with six sisters and one brother. I write from family dynamics I know all about.

The reason I write is two-fold. I believe when writing fiction that one must deliver a love story that touches the heart, that draws people in, that makes them both laugh and cry. The entertainment value must be there. Then, I weave in my love for Jesus in a non-preachy, realistic way, with the hopes and failures of everyday people. The resounding theme in Katherine’s Arrangement is that God can work all things for good when we choose to place our life in His trustworthy hands. It is uncanny how love can grow in the fertile soil of good choices. But don’t be fooled, as with most of us, Katherine had to go through her gamut of bad choices before she surrendered.

I pray you will find a little bit of your story in Katherine’s story, and that, above all, you will enjoy the read.

Blog Stops

Inklings and notions, August 4

lakesidelivingsite, August 4

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 5

For Him and My Family, August 6

21st Century Keeper at Home, August 6

Texas Book-aholic, August 7

Ashley’s Bookshelf, August 8

deb’s Book Review, August 8

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, August 9

Betti Mace, August 10

reviewingbooksplusmore, August 10

Artistic Nobody, August 11 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

Connie’s History Classroom, August 12

Read Review Rejoice, August 12

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 13

Splashes of Joy, August 14

Pause for Tales, August 15

Happily Managing a Household of the Boys, August 16

Where Crisis & Christ Collide, August 16

Simple Harvest Reads, August 17 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

 

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Blossom is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/fe96/katherine-s-arrangement-celebration-tour-giveaway