Monday, March 14, 2011

Laurie Alice Eakes' Lady in the Mist ~ Reviewed


Lady in the Mist: A Novel (The Midwives) [Paperback]
Laurie Alice Eakes
Paperback: 402 pages
Publisher: Revell (February 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0800734521


Description:

By virtue of her profession as a midwife, Tabitha Eckles is the keeper of many secrets. Dominick Cherrett is a man with his own secret to keep: namely, why he, a British aristocrat, is on American soil working as an indentured servant.

In a time when relations between America and England rest on the edge of a knife, Tabitha and Dominick cross paths, leading them on a journey of intrigue, threats, public disgrace, and . . . love. But can Tabitha trust Dominick? Finding true love seems impossible in a world set against them.

With stirring writing that draws you directly into the story, Lady in the Mist takes you on the thrilling ride of love's discovery.

Review:

Lady in the Mist is the first in Laurie Alice Eakes' Midwives series and is a traditional Christian historical romance with two men vying for the lovely Tabitha, danger afoot and a non believer coming to faith in time to claim the woman he loves. The backdrop of English-American tensions as young American men are pressed into service on English naval ships and the constraints on Tabitha practicing midwifery as she is single, adds substance and interest to the story. I did find the romance a little hasty and wondered at Dominick's ability to get away with wandering around without his master's permission, given his status as a redemptioner which I found distracting. Overall however, this is an interesting read and will be enjoyed by many an historical romance lover.

Reviewed by: Rel Mollet

Bonus Review:

I hadn't read anything by this author and was thankful to receive a review copy of Lady in the Mist. I'm not a history buff so reading about midwives in 1809 was very interesting. Laurie depicts Tabitha as a strong women determined to do her job well in Seaborne, Virginia. I couldn't believe all that was expected of a midwife when a regular doctor was not in town.

I loved the way Laurie brought history to life. She shows a scary time in American history when the British boats were stealing American men off the shoreline at night and forcing onto their ships. Duty called all hours of the day and night and Tabitha found her unescorted on the same shores men were stolen from. For that reason she kept her eyes and ears alert as she made the walk on the beach to her home. Then one night she bumps into an unexpected visitor. Dominick Cherrett, a British aristocrat, on American soil working as an indentured servant. Tabitha’s world is never the same. Dominick is just as shocked as she is and fears she’ll turn him in to the Mayor (his employer) because he’s out at night. She says he’s British, and not to be trusted and after all the British were the ones stealing American men. She was in a quandary about what to do.

Dominick is charming, a man on a mission with a mysterious past. Could she trust him? He was a bit of a flirt it wouldn’t hurt to be his friend and see what he was up to. Both Dominick and Tabitha have something in common, each are trying to do their best in working for their redemption with God, to be good enough for him to love them. They found it hard to accept the free gift God gives.

I hadn’t expected a murder mystery and all the suspense and drama inside Lady in the Mist. I loved how this author wove this mystifying web and had the reader guessing who done it all the way till the end. I did find myself anxious for Tabitha as I really did want her to find true love, trust God like she once did and accept the love God offered her as a free gift. I love books that help me learn about history, what life was like back then and the part midwives played. This was one fascinating, suspenseful, charming, and fun read I most definitely recommend. I’ll certainly be looking for the next book in this midwife series.



Reviewed by:
Nora St.Laurent

The Book Club Network

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