I recently read Jody Hedlund’s ebook Out of the Storm. It is a novella and I enjoyed it very much. Included at the end of that ebook novella were the first five chapters of Love Unexpected by Jody Hedlund. I read those first five chapters and couldn’t wait to get my hands on the book so that I could read the rest of the story.
My friend Lisa, Living Echoes, read the book and did a review on it, and last Saturday, she asked me if I would like to read it because I had commented on her review that I had never read a book by Jody Hedlund (I had read the ebook novella since making that comment). I was so happy, when she handed me the book. I couldn’t wait to dig into it. I began reading it that evening and finished it this afternoon.
Love Unexpected by Jody Hedlund is about a young woman who is traveling on a boat with her brother. Pirates attack the boat and Emma, the young woman, and her brother, Ryan, are rescued by the Presque Isle lighthouse keeper. Presque is a remote place in Michigan. There are only two other woman on Presque Isle when Emma and Ryan arrive, an older woman and her daughter-in-law.
Ryan is taken in by a family because he can work for the man, but Emma is not really welcome to stay with them. An unlikely solution presents itself when the lighthouse keeper arrives in town. His wife has just passed away and he is having difficulty caring for his two-year-old child and the lighthouse. A traveling preacher suggests that Emma marry the lighthouse keeper as a solution to both of their problems. She hastily agrees and finds herself unprepared for parenting an exuberant toddler and managing a household.
The story is suspenseful and romantic. I fell in love with Emma and Patrick, the lighthouse keeper, quickly and longed for them both to find happiness with each other. Jody Hedlund created such rich characters in Emma and Patrick that I couldn’t help but love them and route for them throughout a well-written plot; a plot that constantly created problems and emotional upset in their lives.
The story was spiritually inspiring, as Patrick lived a life of faith and had already learned some difficult lessons in his life. I was challenged by something that Patrick shares with Emma on page 94. (You’ll have to read the book to find out what those words are.)
This is the first book in a new series by Jody Hedlund; a series called “Beacons of Hope” and I look forward to reading each one as it becomes available. I highly recommend this book to adult women who enjoy well-written historical fiction stories that include good, clean romance.
I wrote this book review on my own. I did not write it for a publisher and I did not receive a free copy of the book. I simply borrowed the book from a friend, but I enjoyed it so much and loved the characters so much that I wanted to write a review and encourage others to read it.
Those of you interested in writing may also want to check out Jody Hedlund’s blog: Jody Hedlund. She does a great job encouraging writers. I’ve been reading her blog for months.
Kelly F Barr 