CFBA Tour and BOOK REVIEW: The Preacher's Bride by Jody Hedlund

This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingThe Preacher's BrideBethany House; Original edition (October 1, 2010)byJody HedlundABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jody has written novels for the last 16 years (with a hiatus when her children were young. In May of 2009 she double-finaled in the Genesis contest, a national fiction-writing contest for unpublished writers, sponsored by American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW.) Shortly after the final, Jody acquired an agent, Rachelle Gardner of Word Serve Literary. Her agent spent the summer of 2009 working on selling her books. In September of that year, Jody signed a three-book deal with Bethany House Publishers. Jody’s debut novel, The Preacher’s Bride, releases in Oct. 2010. Her next book will release in 2011 and a third in 2012.



ABOUT THE BOOK

In 1650s England, a young Puritan maiden is on a mission to save the baby of her newly widowed preacher--whether her assistance is wanted or not. Always ready to help those in need, Elizabeth ignores John's protests of her aid. She's even willing to risk her lone marriage prospect to help the little family. Yet Elizabeth's new role as nanny takes a dangerous turn when John's boldness from the pulpit makes him a target of political and religious leaders. As the preacher's enemies become desperate to silence him, they draw Elizabeth into a deadly web of deception. Finding herself in more danger than she ever bargained for, she's more determined than ever to save the child--and man--she's come to love.

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Preacher's Bride, go HERE.

My Review: 

Characters that speak to the heart, a historical setting that shines with vibrancy and a story draws the reader into the heart, THE PREACHER’S BRIDE is a historical gem that will not be leaving my favorite shelf.

While loosely based on John and Elizabeth Bunyon, this story and its characters swept their way into my heart in this charming debut novel. I loved the dialogue. Elizabeth is a witty and quick tongued young woman that stills knows how to remain humble and true to her beliefs. There were moments of laughter and despair through the story that kept me turning pages. I had a terrible time putting this book down. The grace of the words and the flow of the story is a beautiful lyrical quality while griping the reader’s heart with characters that move across the page with ease.

The romance is sweeping and beautiful to quicken any heartbeat. I savored the moments of joy and love… and longed to throttle the villains.

Compelling characters, a story that is well researched and brought into the life of the reader and a romance that made me hungry for more of their story, I can say without hesitation that I loved this book and never wished it to end.

This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to the publishers through CFBA for my copy to review.