The Runaway Bride by Jody Hedlund {A Book Review}

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for consideration. All thoughts are 100% my own.

Wealthy Arabella Lawrence flees to British Columbia on a bride ship still wearing the scars of past mistakes. One of the few single women in the boomtown, she immediately has suitors, but she is determined not to find herself trapped again by a poor choice.

Vying for her hand are two very different men. Lieutenant Richard Drummond is a gentleman in the Navy and is held in high esteem. Peter Kelly is the town's baker and has worked hard to build a thriving business. He and Drummond not only compete for Arabella's affections, but clash over their views of how the natives should be treated in the midst of a smallpox outbreak.

As Arabella begins to overcome her fears, she discovers someone in dire need--a starving girl abandoned by her tribe. Intent on helping the girl, Arabella leans on Peter's advice and guidance. Will she have the wisdom to make the right decision or will seeking what's right cost both her and Peter everything?

Jody Hedlund is the bestselling author of over 20 historical novels for both adults and teens and is the winner of numerous awards, including the Christy, Carol, and Christian Book Award. Jody lives in central Michigan with her husband, five busy teens, and five spoiled cats. Visit her at www.jodyhedlund.com.

The Runaway Bride is book number two in Jody Hedlund's The Bride Ships series. While readers will be able to revisit Mercy who was introduced in book one, you do not have to have read the first book to be able to appreciate this one. I personally had not read the first one yet, but I loved this one regardless.

Before reading this book, I'd never heard of a bride ship... but I must admit the idea intrigued me and inspired me to pick up this book. Who would make a trip on such a ship and why? This story introduced us to Arabella- a woman running from her past and hoping for a new life in British Columbia. I couldn't help but enjoy getting to know her character and her story. Seeing her grow into who she was meant to be--- and not who everyone expected her to be was a real delight. But even more than Arabella, I enjoyed Pete's character--- a little cocky, but in a way that made him hard not to like. The chemistry between the two just leaped off the pages, and I absolutely loved it. While I couldn't wait to see how their story would turn out, I also wasn't quite ready to say goodbye to them either. I hope that perhaps we'll get to catch a glimpse of them in future books in the series too... after reading this one, I know without a doubt I'll certainly be reading more.

If you love a good historical romance, this is one book you definitely do NOT want to miss.