Uncertain Heart, Seasons of Redemption Series #2
4.5
5
12
12
In 1866 most young women looked forward to getting married and having a family. Sarah McCabe was one of the minority, who did not. Instead, she couldn't wait to teach music in Chicago. While waiting for the new school year to begin, she takes a position as a governess to four young children.
Sarah meets two men as she works in the Sinclair household. The first is Richard Navis, the handsome steward who helps her find her way to her new home and lends a hand with anything she needs help with. The second is Captain Brian Sinclair himself, a suave handsome man who could offer her the chance at the life she wants to live, a life of luxury.
Step into Sarah's life as she decides which path to take. As she learns that there is more to life than luxury and money.
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I received this complementary book from Charisma House in exchange for my honest review.
June 1, 2012
Wonderful story with good insight into the heart.
There was something about this story that struck a chord with me. Not only was it charming and heart-warming, but it was deep when it came to answering the question... "What is love?" In some ways it reminded me of the family in "The Sound of Music," but the story went so much deeper than that. I loved the spiritual themes in the book and how it shows that we need to ask God to align our will for our lives with His will. It was a subtle point, but an important theme in the book.
I also loved how real the characters were and how complex the author made them. They weren't simplistic or stereotyped, but felt like they could be real people I'd know. I like that a lot. The heroine was dazed by the captain and his image. I could see the temptation coming every time he got close to her. But I also felt her desire to resist him and to do the right thing, not to mention her shame at the notion that people thought more was going on than mere service as a governess.
The hero was a fantastic guy and a wonderful friend... until he allowed his thoughts to take a negative turn and jealousy to blind him. That was very well portrayed. Sheesh, I wanted her best friend to return as much as she did. That was a very touching scene and nearly brought tears to my eyes. I sensed her confusion, too, because of scriptures pertaining to love, including the most well known verse that states "love never fails." I understood how she felt like he'd failed her when he allowed jealousy to get in the way of his normal interactions with her. I can't say much more without spoiling some key points in the story, so I will leave it at that.
Uncertain Heart was a perfect title for this book. The author showed the deceitfulness of the human heart very well and it made me think about my own life. I also found the plot to be engaging, the romance to be powerful, and the characters to be lovable and complex enough to hold my interest. Did I mention some powerful kisses? Ahhh....loved those, too. All in all this was a great story and I read it in two days. In fact, I had a hard time putting it down to go to sleep yesterday. I highly recommend it.
September 4, 2011
Uncertain Heart
If you enjoy sweet, take-me-away romances, then you'll enjoy Andrea Boeshaar's Uncertain Heart, a gentle love story set in post-civil war Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The setting in itself is a delightful change of scene from either Amish or prairie romances which, while engaging, flood the market. Bringing the heroine, Miss Sarah McCabe, to Wisconsin's largest city and a major Great Lakes shipping port, make it an interesting, yet rarely touched on setting in Inspirational fiction.
Another aspect to this was not that the city girl came to the country, but that the country girl came to the city. Sarah, a young woman with wanderlust, not only thought she knew what she wanted, but her desires came out of an indigenous desire to be part of something different than she knew growing up in Missouri.
Richard Navis and his employer, Captain Brian Sinclair know what they want too, and it's the deep, yet awkward relationships between these three, and their sharp contrast of desires, that make the interchange between them was often sharp and witty.
Wh the pacing of the story was not exceptionally fast, it did keep me intrigued. My curiosity piqued as to how Ms. Boeshaar would solve the characters' problems toward the end, and she kept me wondering right up to those last pages. She also left some clues pointing toward the next book in the series, clues that make me think the journey of this cast might not be completely over.
Though I prefer a story with a bit more tension, I can whole-heartedly recommend Uncertain Heart to anyone wanting to settle in with a nice cup of tea while drifting away on the tide of a romantic story.
December 8, 2010
A Great Gift for Historical Romance Fans
Andrea Boeshaar creates an engaging historical romance with the second book in her Seasons of Redemption Series, Uncertain Heart. This was my first introduction to Boeshaar's writing, and I was not disappointed. The plot and characters are well-developed and believable, and I found the contest of wills between the hero and heroine both entertaining and realistic.
Headstrong Sarah McCabe travels from Jericho Junction, Missouri, to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for a taste of big city life. Convinced that independence is the key to happiness, she accepts a position working as a governess for successful businessman and former navy captain Brian Sinclair. While she finds her employer handsome and intriguing, it's his associate Richard Navis who serves as her protector and confidant. Richard is smitten from the moment he and Sarah meet, but his dream is to finish his indenture and move back to the family farm. Though Sarah admires Richard, she has no desire to settle for the simple country life she knew growing up.
It's clear from the beginning that these two are a perfect pair, but the constant tug-of-war between what Sarah wants from life and what Richard lovingly offers her creates an ongoing conflict. When Sarah's infatuation with Captain Sinclair leads to salacious rumors that compromise her reputation in the community and threaten her friendship with Richard, she realizes indepenence isn't all she hoped it would be. The lessons learned in this struggle change Sarah's perspective and refine her faith.
Boeshaar paints an excellent portrait of a naive young woman out on her own for the first time. While the love triangle theme is familiar, it is in no way cliche. Sarah's attraction to her employer both fascinates and embarrasses her. Her battle to find the truth between what looks good and what is good and her desire to know a different life than that of her parents both resonate with the reader, lending authenticity to the conflict and resolution. I came away from this story entertained, satisfied, and eager to read the rest of the books in this series.
November 21, 2010
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