Love Unexpected (Beacons of Hope) by Jody Hedlund

The prequel to this book is "Out of the Storm", which is good as well, but this book can stand alone if you so choose. From the opening this book is engaging. It is a page turning book that grips you quickly with out loosing your interest even while being soaked in History. Dying on board a ship isn't a great option. Emma survives, but at what cost? Having lost everything, she is now homeless and penniless, and frankly without and in need.

Patrick has lost his wife, and has a child to care for. Thrown together Emma is soon wife to a man she hardly knows, and mother to a boy named Josiah. As daily life progresses, it looks like Patrick and Emma could have a good life, and a happy family. However there are secrets. Patrick has some deep, dark hidden things that are coming to light.

Can grace and forgiveness be allowed to work in their lives or will the dark hidden things destroy them all?
Redemption is a wonderful thing and so was reading this book.

Carol :)

 About the Book:

1859
Presque Isle, MichiganWhat Is the Secret That Could Shipwreck Both of Their Lives?
All Emma Chambers ever wanted was a home, but when her steamboat sinks just outside Presque Isle, she's left destitute and with no place to stay.

An unlikely solution arises when the lighthouse keeper arrives in town. He's just lost his wife and is having a difficult time caring for his child. So a traveling preacher gets the idea that the keeper and Emma might be the answer to each other's dilemma. After a hasty marriage, she finds herself heading to the lighthouse with this handsome but quiet stranger. Nothing in her aimless life, though, has prepared her for parenting a rambunctious toddler, as well as managing a household.

Emma soon suspects Patrick may be hiding something from her, and then she hears a disturbing rumor about the circumstances surrounding his late wife's death. It seems as if her wish for a home and family of her own could end up leading her once more into turbulent waters.

"Romance, an almost Hitchcockian mystery, and a tale of repentance make a fine mixture in Hedlund's captivating and suspenseful inspirational novel." -Booklist

  About the Author 

Jody Hedlund is the bestselling author of seven novels, including Captured By Love, Rebellious Heart, and The Preacher's Bride,winner of the 2011 Award of Excellence and a finalist for the 2011 Carol Award in First Novel. She received a bachelor's from Taylor University and a master's from University of Wisconsin, both in social work. Currently she makes her home in Midland, Michigan, with her husband and five busy children. She can be found online at www.jodyhedlund.com.

http://www.amazon.com/Love-Unexpected-Beacons-Hope-Hedlund/dp/0764212370

Thanks to Bethany House for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.