Review: A Hope Unseen by Nerys Leigh

Excellent!

The first book in this series, No One’s Bride, was one of the best books I read in 2016, so author Nerys Leigh had a keen volunteer when she was looking for reviewers for A Hope Unseen, the second novel in her Escape to the West series … but she’d also given herself a hard act to follow.

But she managed it.

Sara Worthing wants a marriage where she is loved for herself, not for her dowry. She becomes engaged to Daniel Raine, a man she has met only through his letters but who she is confident doesn’t want her for her money. When she meets she is pleased to find he’s as attractive in person as he was in his letters. And he seems just as attracted to her.

But, at the risk of using a cliché, the course of true love never did run smooth and it’s practically a rule of romance novels that trouble must come. As it does. And while I’m not going to spoil the story by telling you what happens, I will say it was great to see both characters turn to and rely on God in their difficulties.

Despite the romance, I think my favourite character was Will, Daniel’s brother who lives on the farm with Daniel and Sara. He is a loveable reprobate who provides a lot of the comic relief in the drama with lines like this:

I do hope Will gets his own happy-ever-after at some point in the series …

The unusual thing about this series is that the books aren’t sequential – A Hope Unseen takes place on the exact same timeline as No One’s Bride. This does provide a few moments of confusion when it references No One’s Bride—while I thought it was excellent, I don’t remember every plot detail and I’ve read dozens of books since then. On the plus side, this concurrent setting means it doesn’t matter what order you read the books in.

Recommended for fans of Christian Western romances, especially mail order bride stories.

Thanks to the author for providing a free ebook for review.

Author Interview: Nerys Leigh

Today I'd like to welcome Nerys Leigh to Iola's Christian Reads. I reviewed her Christian Western Romance novel yesterday (you can read the review here), and heartily recommend it. I'll be looking forward to future books in the series.

Welcome, Nerys! First, please you tell us a little about yourself. Where are you from?

I was born and grew up in the UK, in the county of Essex.

What was the last book you read? Would you recommend it? Why/why not?

I’m currently reading The Book of Things to Come by Aaron D. Gansky, a Christian YA fantasy. I don’t usually read YA, but I’m enjoying it. It’s about four teenagers who wake up as characters in a video game world that two of them created. I haven’t found out why yet! I would recommend it, especially to readers in that age group. It’s well written and clips along at a good pace with lots of action.

Tell us about your latest book. Who will enjoy it?

My latest book is No One’s Bride, a Christian historical mail order bride romance set in Northern California in 1870. It tells the story of Amy, who has no intention of even meeting the man who thinks she’s coming to marry him. But when her plans go awry and she stays to earn the money to pay Adam back her train fare, she begins to doubt her determination to start her new life elsewhere. It’s filled with lovable characters, humour, and even some excitement. And, of course, romance. Always romance! I think anyone who likes romance will enjoy it, although one reader who is more into science-fiction and zombies said she loved it, so maybe I should just say anyone could enjoy it!

Who is your favourite character in No One’s Bride and why? 

That’s like asking me to pick a favourite flavour of ice cream – practically impossible! I love Amy because she’s strong and determined to make a new life for herself, but not so inflexible that she’s not able to recognise when God is leading her in another direction.

I love Adam because he’s forgiving and kind and won’t let what others think prevent him from doing what he knows is right. I also love George, the ornery owner of the livery who reluctantly hires Amy to work for him. He was a lot of fun to write!

Do you have anything in common with him/her?

I think that for all authors some aspects of their personalities come through in their characters, without even thinking about it. It just happens! The way my characters speak, their moral compass, their relationship with God, I think those come from me. And probably their insecurities too!

What is the hardest part of getting a book written, edited and published?

To be honest, the writing, editing and publishing is the easy bit. It’s what comes after, bringing the book to the attention of the readers who will enjoy it, that’s much more difficult. I’m still working on perfecting that part!


Thanks for visiting, Nerys!  You can find out more about Nerys at her website (http://nerysleigh.com) or Facebook page, and you can buy her books at Amazon or other online retailer.

Review and Giveaway: No One’s Bride by Nerys Leigh

I'm visiting Australasian Christian Writers today, to review No One's Bride by Nerys Leigh. I'm also offering a giveaway of a Kindle version to one lucky commenter, so come on over and join the discussion. Click here to visit.