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297 pages Bethany House publishers December 12,2023 publication date grab a copy here.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Haunted by the death of her sister, Finola Shanahan has resolved that she’s not worthy of a family of her own and commits to spending her days caring for immigrants in the slums. When Finola sabotages yet another unwanted relationship her parents arranged for her, her father calls upon the local Irish matchmaker, who pairs her with successful wagonmaker Riley Rafferty. Finola quickly realizes her usual tricks won’t work on him, however, as she cannot outsmart or outwit the dashing, determined, and daring man.
A candidate in the St. Louis mayoral election, Riley is confident a union with the wealthy Shanahan family will help solidify his chances of winning–and even more assured he and Finola can make a difference together. When a cholera outbreak begins to take St. Louis by storm, they must navigate a burgeoning attraction and growing danger testing all they know about love and sacrifice.
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MY THOUGHTS
It’s great to see a historical fiction book based on immigrants from Ireland. Seeing the characters settling in St. Louis as opposed to New York is new and exciting to me.
The way the author describes the slum area is so realistic but tragic. To give everything to move to a new country, leaving behind family and friends, never to be seen again. They had such hope to see their family prosper but in many cases that never came about. The Irish were discriminated against and had such a hard time finding work. My ancestors came over from Galway and settled in Pennsylvania in the 1800’s.
There is a lot going on in this book which makes it interesting. A young woman, Finola Shanahan who blames herself for the death of her baby sister feels unworthy of marrying and having children. When she is almost trampled by horses, she is saved by wagonmaker Riley Rafferty.
When her parents realize that she is not interested in any of the matches they’ve made for her they enlist the help of a local Irish matchmaker. Now this is where the fun comes in as she’s paired with none other than Riley Rafferty, a man she already feels attracted to with her senses on high alert when he’s around.
Convinced she’s doing the right thing; she knows she must become a nun and not marry.
If only the sparks didn’t fly when the two are together.
Touching on a lot of important historical topics I found the book to be relevant and interesting. I love the sense of humor the author injects into her books making the characters fun and realistic.
I greatly look forward to reading more books in this series.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.
THE AUTHOR
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Jody Hedlund is the best-selling author of over forty books and is the winner of numerous awards. She writes sweet historical romances with plenty of sizzle. Find out more at jodyhedlund.com.
Have any of you read this book or plan on it? What is your opinion on the spice level in the book? She has been increasing the spice level in her books in the past few years. Thoughts?
Have a wonderful day. Thank you for stopping by.
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