The Runaway Bride (The Bride Ships #2)

Title:  The Runaway Bride (The Bride Ships #2)

Author: Jody Hedlund

Genre: Historical Fiction

publishing Date: Mar 3, 2020

Publisher: Bethany House

Length: 384 Pages

About the Book:

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?

My Review:

After devouring the first book in this series I’ve been impatiently awaiting the release of this one. Yet again, Jody Hedlund has penned an engaging read that the reader is sure to enjoy.

Arabella was a wonderful character. It was interesting to see the series continue with a leading character in very different circumstances from the first. She was born into privilege but found herself aboard the ship to due to desperate circumstances that was able to escape from. She was considered a higher class than many of the other women aboard the ship and while on her own she had to learn how to decide things for herself instead of listening to other around her. I felt that her growth as a character was very well written and it was easy for me to get inside her head and really root for her.

Both a pro and a con, this book read as more of a standalone than I was expecting. There were a few brief clips that mentioned other characters from the first book, but this ended up being more Arabella’s story outside of the journey aboard the ship. I would have liked to see more female companionship with other women who were aboard with her, but I can also understand why it made sense for her growth to be more on her own. I’m curious to see what the next in the series will read like.

Peter Kelly? Oh, how I loved Peter Kelly. But I won’t spoil him for you. You’ll have to read about him for yourself. But his witty, fun personality made me love him and I’m sure others will feel the same way.

This was another one that I enjoyed and I look forward to continuing with the next one in the series 🙂

*I received a copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers. Thoughts and opinions expressed are mine alone.

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