Review by Booklist Review
Mercy Wilkins knows too well the horror of London's impoverished underworld, and traveling to British Columbia to find domestic work seems her best chance for escape. Dr. Joseph Colville may have been born into wealth, but his wanderlust urges him forward, attempting to outrun past tragedy and present pain in London's neediest districts. After Joseph becomes the ship's surgeon aboard the same vessel carrying Mercy, they are horrified to discover it is a bride ship ferrying women to populate the colonies. Will surviving storms, illness, and mutiny at sea improve any chance of them ever being together? Set in 1862, Hedlund's first in her new Bride Ships series is based on the real-life immigration of Christian women to British territories. Hedlund is an expert in grounding her wildly engrossing stories in historical facts, and capturing the plight of the poor with compassion. The sizzle between the main characters is palpable, their devastating and dangerous voyage heightens their chemistry, and their journeys toward vulnerability and bravery in the new world parallel their emotional awakening to self-worth.--Kate Campos Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Hedlund (With You Always) opens the Bride Ships series with a lively story about the Victorian class system; the workings of bride ships, which traveled to the English settlement of Vancouver Island; and the place of women in that society. In 1862, Mercy Wilkins lives in the London slums, and after finding a dying infant and bringing her to the hospital, she meets Lord Joseph Colville, an aristocrat filling in for the regular doctor. Then, desperate to escape her destitution, Mercy reluctantly signs up for a bride ship sailing for Vancouver, and she meets Joseph again onboard the Tynemouth, where Joseph is the ship's surgeon. Although she gets onboard by agreeing to become a bride, she actually has no intention of marrying once she arrives. Mercy becomes Joseph's assistant when seasickness strikes the passengers, and he comes to admire her caring spirit. There are many who want to keep them apart, with the rigid class system of the day and the ship's gossip forming a barrier between Mercy and Joseph. Once in Vancouver, they encounter new prejudices, but also new freedoms that allow them to get to know one another. Weaving in faith elements organically, Hedlund explores the prejudices, restrictions, and moral codes of the Victorian era, as well as what it means to know oneself and to love someone. This excellent series launch will leave fans eager for the next entry. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
