A Bride of Convenience is book three in Jody Hedlund‘s Bride Ships series. Where the women of the previous two books came to British Columbia on the Tynemouth, Zoe Hart has arrived on the second boat, the Robert Lowe. She has two qualifications for a husband: a man who can take care of her and take her to the mountains to find her brother.
That plan is complicated when she volunteers to take responsibility for an orphaned baby. Finding most potential husbands not interested in caring for the child, she takes the first proposal handed to her. But when Abe Merivale, a local itinerant pastor, learns of Zoe’s plan, he tries to dissuade her. The man she’s chosen is an unsavory one and Abe cannot let her make such a mistake. When his own engagement suddenly ends with a Dear John letter, Abe makes the impulsive decision to marry Zoe instead.
Marriage of convenience stories are some of my favorites and I loved the author’s twist in A Bride of Convenience. Zoe is a selfless with the way she steps in to take care of the orphaned baby, putting her own needs and desires behind caring for the little one. Especially since that child has both White and Native American blood, something that would destine the child to being an outcast, particularly by the White community.
Then there’s Abe. Oh Abe. The man needs a solid awakening to recognize just how obtuse he is. A very human hero, he is a beloved friend (and character) and a kind-hearted, but woefully ignorant husband. It is the latter, however, that could not only destroy his hasty marriage, but cost Zoe her life.
What I loved most about A Bride of Convenience was Zoe and Abe. Their characters came alive in the pages of the story and as a reader, I was rooting for them to figure things out before it was too late. There were a couple minor characters that were fun, too, like young Will.
I highly recommend reading A Bride of Convenience, especially if you love Historical Romance. It’s a story that will pull you into the mountains of British Columbia and introduce you a lovable and flawed cast of characters.
I received this book free from the author and Bethany House Publishers in order to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”