Thursday, August 20, 2015

A Bride at Last by Melissa Jagears, 2015

Silas Jonesy has become used to riding the train with his round trips between his Kansas farm and those he has left behind in Missouri ~ only... he didn't know the whereabouts until recently. Receiving the name of the town from his runaway wife, he arrives a day too late. She has passed on. Unknown to him, she has a child; a nine-year-old son named Anthony. Anthony has someone who cares for him and thought she would be his overseer until Silas shows up and Richard, who Anthony had known as "Pa." Only it is more complicated than that. Richard's wife is barren and he comes looking for his son. Which of the three will be awarded Anthony by the court?

A Bride at Last is a story of trust and letting the past go to be able to live in the now and future. It reveals the hearts and longings of those in the story, even those who are out for their own gain without regard for another. Miss Kate Dawson is the school teacher who had cared for Anthony and his mother, thinking she would continue to be his caregiver because of the closeness of her heart to him. Entanglement with Silas, although innocent, to the teachers' rules, becomes imminent that her future is unsecure. How can the welfare of a student become a search for more than she expected?

I liked how the protagonists find out who they truly are by their willingness to risk sharing their weaknesses; foibles hidden even from themselves until they are awakened to the liability of them? How much of what we try to hid, or avoid, becomes the very thing that will free us, once it is revealed and dealt with? Finding they could rely on God when their own decisions waiver, becomes the very stepping stone needed to move forward.

The Unexpected Brides series by Melissa Jagears:

Intimacy with God and man cannot be had without trusting them with your weakness, Love by the Letter, to accept you despite your past, A Bride for Keeps, to help you succeed in your present, A Bride in Store and stick with you in the future, A Bride at Last. The novella, Blinded by Love, in The Convenient Bride Collection is an unofficial part of the series, taking one of the characters from Love by the Letter and giving him a happily ever after.

Melissa Jagears is a homeschooling mom who writes Christian Historical Romance after everyone is asleep. Shes the author of the Unexpected Brides Series with Bethany House. The prequel ebook novella, Love by the Letter is free to try. You can learn more about her, her books, and where she hangs out online at her website.

***Thank you to author Melissa Jagears and to Bethany House Publishers for sending me a review copy of A Bride at Last. This review was written in my own words. No other compensation was received.***

A Bride At Last is my first book to read by Author Melissa Jagears. This is a fantastic book from the beginning to the end. I was totally captivated and intrigued while reading plus it has a lot of twists and turns in the storyline. Definitely keeps it interesting. I am not disappointed with this book in any way. I highly recommend reading A Bride At Last by Author Melissa Jagears. I'm looking forward to reading her next book.

I received a complimentary copy from the author in exchange for my honest review. This review is one hundred percent my opinion.

A Bride At Last is the third installment of the Unexpected Bride series. I think this one is my favorite of the three books. It is fun, sweet, clean, romantic, and at times gut wrenching.

I cannot tell you how much I loved and enjoyed reading this book. I do not keep many books on my keeper shelf, but this book and the others in the series are considered my keepers and that's where they will stay.

Fabulous book!

5+ stars

How do you trust your heart to the one person who, by their very nature, has the power to break it? That is the dilemma both Silas and Kate grapple with throughout this story. An interesting dilemma which the author carries out to nail-biting perfection.

A Bride at Last is the kind of book with multiple layers and storylines that make it hard to tear yourself away. Ferreting out both Silas and Kate's backstories kept me on tenterhooks the entire read. There's such depth to their hurt and it's easy to understand why trust is an issue for both of them. Understandable perhaps, but also deliciously infuriating. And while they both have reason to be wary of the other, it doesn't stop the sparks from flying! Beware, potential readers, you might just get your fingers singed while turning these pages!

Fans of the Unexpected Brides series will be thrilled to meet up with quite a few familiar faces from earlier books. In fact, Silas is a secondary character from A Bride in Store and definitely not hero material, or so I thought. But Jagears proved me wrong when she wove the strength of testimony into his wounded heart.

A mesmerizing read that will hold you captive right to the very end.

My thanks to Bethany House and the author for gifting me with a complimentary copy of this book.

A Bride at Last by Melissa Jagears

Unexpected Brides Series Book Three

Silas Jonesey had brought a beautiful mail-order bride to help him in building his homestead in Kansas, she wasn't quite the homesteading type though and had left him ten years ago. Silas traveled to Missouri after receiving a letter from her, not knowing if she were dead or alive all these years, he needs to ask forgiveness and for a second chance. Instead, he gets an unexpected surprise.

Kate Dawson may not have all the perfect credentials as a school teacher, but she has plenty of love for her students. Especially for young Anthony. His mother was dying and then he would be in Kate's care. It should have been easy...only nothing is that easy. Kate suddenly has two men who are there to claim the boy.

Silas, Kate and Anthony all have pasts that make it hard for them to trust. Silas has made some poor choices and has demons to fight. I love these characters and the ones I have met in the previous books from this small town. A wonderful series with heartwarming characters.

**Received through Bethany House for an honest review