Laurie Alice EakesKirja-arvosteluja

I loved this book! The characters are so lively and likable. I found myself wishing the best for all but one - a despicable, ill-tempered, evil-hearted man. As you pick up this book prepare for an adventure that is filled with a myriad of twists and turns. With each turn of the page I fought the urge to turn to the last page to see how it all ended. The love story is beautiful but even more so is the theme of ultimate redemption and the healing balm of forgiveness. Throughout this story is the truth that we can not work for our forgiveness but that it is a free gift from God - we must surrender and accept it.

Tabitha Eckles, the local midwife healer, holds the secrets of the town in her hands. A wounded spirit and broken heart have left her disillusioned with God. Little does she know that the laying in of one woman would set her on a path that would forever change her life.

Falling in love was never a part of the plan for Dominick Cherrett. On American soil as a bondsman this fallen son of an English lord is out to redeem his name. He is in search for the information that will help prevent a war between his beloved home and this American land.

Truly and amazing story. Filled with love, action, intrigue and mystery.

A must read.

Thank you Revell for this review copy

I had a slow start in liking this story, but by the end I was fully into the story. Can be easily read as a stand alone book, but if reading the series, this story is about Esther Cherrett, the daughter of the main characters in book one. Esther leaves the home and family she loves because of a scandal and finds herself taking a job as a teacher (instead of a midwife) in the mountains of Virginia. There she will discover and be in the middle of a long standing family feud that will eventually turn deadly. To top that off she is being sought after by two different men, from the feuding families. One will win her heart, if she doesn't run away again.

The following is the review by Amazon and they said it so well, I just copied it here:

"It's 1813 and all Phoebe Lee wants out of life is to practice midwifery in Loudon County, Virginia. When Belinda, her pregnant sister-in-law, presses Phoebe to accompany her onto a British privateer in order to cross the Atlantic and save her husband from an English prison, Phoebe tries to refuse, then finds herself kidnapped.

Captain Rafe Docherty is a man in search of revenge. His ship is no place for women, but he needs Belinda in order to obtain information about the man who destroyed his family and his life. Between Belinda's whining and Phoebe's hostility, Rafe can't help but wonder if he made the right choice.
When it becomes apparent there is an enemy among them on the ship, the stakes are raised. Will they reach the English shore in time? Can love and forgiveness overcome vengeance?

Book 2 in The Midwives series, Heart's Safe Passage is a stirring tale of love, intrigue, and adventure on the high seas. Readers will feel the salt spray and the rolling waves as they journey with Laurie Alice Eakes's vivid characters on the treacherous path toward redemption."

Though this is in a series, you can easily read it as a stand alone story. I liked this story better than book one. Love stories about high seas adventures and this story had it all.

A story that gives you secrets you must solve, dangers to face and love to be discovered. This story takes place in the year 1809, on the shores of Virginia. There you will find Tabitha Eckles, a single woman who is the midwife (and much more) for the people in her village. She is also the keeper of many secrets and a loyal American, seeking to discover who is behind the taking of men in her village, to work on the British ships, never to return home. She will cross paths with Dominick, an indentured servant from England and will seek to discover if he is to be trusted or not. Dominick is a smooth talker and not ready for romance, but can't resist falling for Tabitha. Together they will seek to uncover what is going on and who is behind this mystery. I liked the interaction between these two main characters and the intrigue throughout this book.

Esther Cherrett has had a pampered upbringing that resulted in a spoiled, self-absorbed young woman...until one night changed her life completely. Afterwards, Esther's life is filled with regret, shame, and self-loathing...so much so, that she decides that she can no longer stay with her parents or even in their hometown. Esther decides to leave in the middle of the night and take a chance on a new life, in which no one knows her or her terrible secrets. When she arrives at the very rustic mountain community she is to teach for, she begins to wonder just what she signed up for. Two families are virtually at war with one another and all sides suffer. Can Esther help to bring peace to this community or will her sins of the past interfere with her future...will love conquer all or fuel the fires of familial war that needs to be extinguished before all are consumed in its' inferno.

This was a good end to The Midwives series my Ms. Eakes. I enjoyed seeing characters from the previous two novels and learning what had happened to them, as well as becoming acquainted with new ones.

Phoebe Lee has known tragedy and heartache in her young life and now she wants the opportunity to help others. She has trained to be a midwife and is trying to begin her practice, but the response from her community has been less than enthusiastic. However, a light appears on the horizon when her friend Belinda Chapman asks her to be her midwife...but at sea? When Phoebe expresses concern for Belinda's and her baby's health if forced to deliver at sea, Phoebe finds herself kidnapped and forced upon Captain Rafe Docherty's ship. As anger rolls through her, fear strikes an even bigger blow as Phoebe must fight for her very life as well as Belinda's and her unborn child amid turbulent storms, dangerous enemies, and war...all to get to England and free Belinda's husband from an English prison. How will she ever escape?

This was book 2 in the The Midwives series and I really liked this one. While linked to the first, it really could be a standalone story.

Local midwife and healer Tabitha loves bringing life into the world and is proud to be an American. But, one night her she is called to the bedside of an injured woman she cannot save, nor can she save her unborn child. As Tabitha reals from this devastating event, she comes face to face with an English spy...literally! What was he doing on the beach late at night? Many of the local menfolk have disappeared from their fishing village...presumed to have been kidnapped by the British to help man their Nave warships. Could he have been helping the British to kidnap their men? Could he have been the one to kidnap her fiancee Rawley? As Tabitha begins to suspect this stranger, she also begins to discover herself being drawn towards him and his dashing good looks. Is he the spy helping to kidnap American men or is another game afoot?

This was book one in The Midwives series by Ms. Eakes. I enjoyed it very much and cannot wait to see what book two holds.

I absolutely loved the story but felt like it was rushed at some times. I would have loved it more if there would have been a little more of Ashley being a midwife. It's a romance/thriller and it's a good combination of both.

This needed some really good editing to pick up the pace and streamline the story.

The author writes in a very readable fashion and the book was a great support for midwifery...there was just a little too much praying by the characters, for me, which was fine. I don't generally pick up religiously oriented books and I only realized that this was one when I read in the author's acknowledgements her thank you to the Christian publishing branch of Harper Collins. Again, all well and good---well worth reading.½

This was a very long read for me. It took me almost all week to finish, but it was worth it! I really like Tabitha. She cares very much for those around her. She's also guarded. Raleigh left her...and she doesn't want to experience that pain again. (Who can blame her?) At first, I don't think she was really willing to admit that she liked Dominick. And she knew that there would be consequences if she allowed herself to love him. But I'm glad she followed her heart.

A Stranger’s Secret is the sixth book I have read by this author. In some ways, I might say it was better than the previous title in series, with its somewhat worn characterization of the superfluous and wonderful American hero. Morwenna was an interesting character in the last book, and is the protagonist in this one, which made things somewhat more interesting to see her come into her own, and her perspective on events.
I am sure though that her son’s name was changed- I’m sure I remember her calling him Conan after his father in the last one- but now he’s called Mihal- some kind of Cornish version of Michael, apparently. As for the hero- well like most in romance novels is was hugely handsome- though not as annoyingly sanctimonious as Rowan Curnow from the last book, and was at least credible. Except perhaps his Somerset accent.

There were also some wonderfully evocative and realistic depictions of the Cornish landscape, with some exiting scenes- but- I could say the first part of the novel was better. By the end I felt that the mystery was drawn out for too long, and events as well as the characters actions and responses became too predictable and repetitive. I mean David was poisoned something like three times- and the device of every chapter, or almost every chapter, having to end with some dramatic event or cliff-hanger just didn’t always work for me.
Could this reader be forgiven for mentioning Drama at the expense of other aspects of good storytelling?

Sadly also, this novel seemed to have a lot of the clichés of romantic fiction, with characters kissing and touching at really inappropriate or illogical moments- including in company- beating themselves up about how it was totally unseemly- then doing it again. I also found some of the characters attitudes annoyingly inconsistent. Morwenna’s grandparents for instance seemed to be presented as loving and having her best interests at heart one minute- then shortly after she would be griping about how ‘authoritarian’ they were. I have noticed that a few other books by this author seem to level the same accusation at authority figures such as parents- and it times it seems to be for no other reason than that they won’t let the protagonist do what they want- even if it’s dangerous, stupid or illogical, because it goes against their ideas of personal ‘freedom’.

On a personal level, I did not appreciate the passage in which one of the characters was scornful of the idea of freedom and equality- saying another character who believed it was as bad as an American- which seemed to be implying that such ideas were alien and abhorrent to ‘proper’ high-born Brits. To me, this seems a very arrogant notion, suggesting that Americans invented freedom and had some kind of monopoly on it.
American readers might attack me for this- but neither of the above is true.
Gripes aside, I would say this book was a marginal improvement on the last one, which annoyed me for several reasons which were mostly not present here. It is honestly not a bad novel, I just don’t think it’s that brilliant or has much to make it stand out from the crowd. Certainly worth reading as a decent regency with an interesting backdrop and a solid Christian theme. This series and author are not personal favourites, but others make like them better.

I received a free Kindle Edition of this book from Zondervan via Booklookbloggers for review. I was not required to write a positive one and all opinions expressed are my own.

A Necessary Deception was, overall, a decent Regency Romance with an interesting subplot involving espionage, a smattering of political intrigue, and some incorporation of historical events and issues current at the time period when it was written, such as the Luddite insurrection and the assassination of Prime Minister Spencer Percival. At times, however, the plot twists and turns were perhaps a little too ambitious, seeming to mae the story disjointed, lurching, and hard to follow in places.
There also seemed a little too much reliance to dramatic chapter-endings and cliff hangers to maintain interest.
Don’t get me wrong- drama can be compelling, but sometimes it’s possible to have too much of it, perhaps at the expense of other literary devices like character development or depth of plot.

I also found I had some of the same issues with the story as others by this author (and many others)foremost the use of various Americanisms by the ostensibly British characters, which appeared totally out of place for the time period.
These included ‘someplace’ instead of ‘somewhere’ as is more commonly used in Britain, or a location being several ‘blocks’ away.
Or said British characters using the terms England and Britain interchangeably (sometimes in the same sentence) as if they were synonyms for the same country- which they are not. Such would be expected from American characters, but not from British ones who ought to have known the difference.

I suppose such oversights or minor inaccuracies are to be expected, given the Christian Regency genre is dominated by American authors, and aimed at the US market. However, I suppose I would like a little more realism in terms of elementary details such as speech, language and dialect, especially in a novel that seemed to be generally well-researched in other ways.
I did also question the plausibility of Lydia’s notion that a person could be thrown into the Tower for sedition at the slightest hint of any criticism of the royal family. How could this have been so when there were satirical cartoons about the Prince Regent?

As for the characters- they were developed and well-rounded for the most part, but no always easy to identify or sympathise with. Lydia’s desire to protect her family was admirable, but her initial attitude towards men was very annoying. Basically, she believed that any man who wouldn’t let a woman do what she wanted, or pursue her own interests was an evil, repressive, autocratic, tyrant – but there was nothing remotely autocratic or controlling about her demanding men give up their careers to stay at home.
An opinion resembling too much the extremes of militant feminism for my liking- never mind being arrogant, immature and nauseating.
Admittedly, she seemed to realize this attitude was unfair and unrealistic towards the end, but a little too jarringly modern for my liking.

Finally, the villain, when he was finally unmasked, seemed to be largely lacking in any real motivation- apart from being the person least expected, and the Christian themes did appear a little forced or contrived at times.
I would consider reading the next two books in the series, to find out the story about Lydia’s sisters, and recommend this, but, like the Midwives Trilogy and A Lady’s Honor by the same author, it’s not a favourite.

3.5 Stars

My second read by Laurie Alice Eakes and the first title in her trilogy The Midwives has romance, intrigue, mystery and a cast of colourful characters. The writing style and short chapters make it an easy read, and which I found quite compelling once I began to get into the story.
In some places story did drag and could be repetitive, perhaps it was a result of inexperience being the author’s first full length novel, but it could have been wrapped up sooner and been shorter.
Also, I think that some of Tabbie and especially Dominick's behaviour would have been considered inappropriate and flirtatious in the extreme for an unmarried or not formally courting couple of the time, yet they seemed to sometimes wonder why people objected.

The War of 1812 and its preliminaries is a subject that receives a fair amount of attention in Christian Historical fiction- especially since the 2011 release of this novel was approaching the bicentenary. The author provided an original ‘spin’ on the subject matter in some ways, with a heroine whose work and connections bought her close the action, and perhaps something of the ‘other side’ with the British hero Dominick, as well as questioning the view that impressment was the official policy of the country he represented.

That said, a major complaint I have with not only this story but those set in this period in general is how they make out impressment alone caused the war- or the threat of war in this book. No mention made of the invasion of Canada or the policies and activities ‘war hawks’ in the American government. If anyone wanted war it may have been them, not the British. I don’t know whether Americans are simply taught that the 1812 war was all the fault of the British but to find that even Christian Fiction does not seem to tell the whole story strikes me as sad.
One pitfall of novels like this in my opinion is that they tend to represent the stereotype of what some Americans think British people and society are like, not necessarily the reality. Not all Brits are snobbish aristocrats, nor wealthy.
The common error of using the terms ‘English’ and ‘British’ interchangeably and synonymously is also made-sometimes even within the same paragraph. England and Britain are not the same country as the latter includes Wales and Scotland- though not apparently in the minds of most of the characters- including Dominick who ought to have known the difference. So the British navy was not comprised entirely of Englishmen.

Historical and cultural concerns aside Tabitha’s religious doubts seemed plausible enough considering how many people she lost, and her ‘faith journey’ was not easy. Her former fiancé and other characters struggling for redemption and freedom seemed credible.
His wanting real faith instead of hypocrisy or expediency was an idea which appeared relevant to real life, but perhaps the specifics of his background were not entirely plausible even for the time. There was a valuable message about not trying to make God fit into our plans, my only gripe was that sometimes that characters discussions of faith seemed like platitudes, or difficult circumstances descending into preachiness.

Altogether, Lady in the Mist was a well-written story with some great descriptive passages by an author who has clearly immersed herself in the setting, worth reading again but not a five-star read for me.
I received a copy free from the publisher in exchange for a review and was not required to write a positive one.

Like Laurie Alice Eakes Midwives Trilogy which I read recently, my opinions of her latest novel were rather mixed. On the one hand it did have a sound Christian and important message about not putting one’s trust in earthy treasures, and some wonderful descriptive passages, it was weak in places but improved towards the end.
On the other hand it was blighted by the two things I dislike most in historical fiction. Judging the past by modern standards or imposing them upon it, and anachronistic or otherwise out-of place language. The British characters used a number of Americanisms in their speech on a fairly frequent basis like ‘someplace’ instead of 'somewhere’.

In the case of the former the novel seemed to be imbued with a prejudice against the aristocracy, their culture, attitudes, values and way of life. It may be that as a Brit I have a different outlook on these things, and I know the central theme of the story was looking for heavenly treasures instead of earthly- but I don’t believe there is anything intrinsically wrong with being born to wealth and privilege, owning land or having servants in and of itself.

Then there was Elizabeth. I never really warmed to her, and she came across a selfish, spoiled madam. I think this was how the author intended for her to be portrayed, and she acknowledged this fault in the end- but not for the reasons I found it most annoying. Basically, she hated the lifestyle her class and upbringing expected her to live, and shunned social expectations because she couldn’t do what she wanted, like go horse-riding on her own, or go swimming and was expected to do things she found boring or tedious instead such as sewing or attending parties.
Elizabeth the self-centred brat who had everything, was still not happy- and really just because she found her lifestyle ‘stifling’ it does not mean it wholly bad.

Most women in Elizabeth’s position would have been happy with the provision her grandparents were willing to make for her, giving them financial security for life. Yet even this was not good enough for Elizabeth- I could understand why she did not want to marry a potential murderer, but of course she was determined not to enter into an arranged marriage for the sake of money, land and power… and it was assumed that all such arranged matches not based on modern notions of romantic love were unhappy. Yet history shows they were not always.

Then there was Rowan godly heroic, and handsome, yet perhaps something of a cliché- and apparently possessed of the notion that anything which did not line up with his proletarian ideology was unchristian and bad. He was probably the source of most of the prejudices about the upper classes- lazy because they did no manual work, uncaring because they were only about appearances and reputation ... and apparently regarding people in domestic service as little better than slaves. No- especially considering that Britain abolished slavery before America did.

What got to me was how he thought Elizabeth’s grandparents worthy of his wrath for sending her brother away because of his involvement in smuggling because this was ’unmerciful’. Seriously…what were they supposed to do knowing their grandson was mixed up with ruthless killers? As for his apparent admiration for Thomas Paine- well no mention that he was a deist who regarded Christianity as an ‘invention’ that held back the progress of humanity, and helped Napoleon to formulate plans to invade the land of his own birth- just that he influenced the American Revolution. Gosh- so that automatically made him a good guy?

Altogether, a fairly good story with a hint of mystery and decent as a one-time read, and maybe pass onto unbelieving friends or relatives. Just too much kissing, or thinking about kissing for me, and I personally prefer my historical fiction more accurate and less judgemental for no other reason than that it does not fit in with modern ideals.

I received a free copy of this book free from Booksneeze for review, I was not required to write a positive one and all opinions expressed herein are my own.

Heart’s Safe Passage started well and was an interesting angle on the nautical or privateer setting chosen by other Christian authors. As the story developed, there seemed to be an over-reliance on dramatic events to keep the reader’s interest. This was also the case with the sequel, and whilst a certain amount of drama makes for a good story, so many dramatic and tragic events in such a short time and small ship stretches credibility a little, which seemed to be the case here.

As with the other two books in the trilogy, the Christian theme of forgiveness and having genuine righteousness, rather than preaching at others whilst nursing hatred in one’s own heart was woven well into the story, and honestly portrayed. That said, the characterisation suffered for the cliché used so many Christian fiction novels- the handsome protagonist who has lost his faith because something terrible happened to him, and love of the godly woman that helps bring him back. A little too much on-deck public kissing and touching for a supposedly respectable and well-born lady with a man she was not married to for my liking too.

Also, whilst the details of the setting seemed well researched (most of the terms for the parts of a ship were lost on me) other parts were not so accurate or well researched. There did seem to be some stereotyping of the main Scots characters, for instance, complete with red hair and the obligatory dialectal phrases like ‘bairn’, though I don’t know of many Scots who say ‘ken’ instead of ‘know’- at least not those from Edinburgh. Also, whilst it could be understandable for American characters to confuse England and Britain, or not distinguish between the two, even Rafe and his Scottish crew used the two terms synonymously, when they ought to have known better.

Altogether, this was a good book to read once, but not a favourite I would keep to read over and over again. 3.5 stars. Nothing against the author personally, but I think I am going off some of these ‘fluffy’ romance novels, which all seem to have good looking characters, predictable endings and similar plot lines, and this one didn't have a lot to make it stand out from the crowd.
I received a copy of this book free from the publisher for a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Review can also be seen on blog here http://crossromance.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/choices-of-heart-by-laurie-alice-eake...

Choices of the Heart was another first with a new author for me. Once again, I read this title the third in a trilogy without having read the other two. Perhaps I really ought to start reading series at the beginning as intended!

The story itself was good enough, with a fairly original concept and some interesting characters. It was not hard to sympathise with poor Esther, who it seemed really could not have done anything that bad, yet was effectively driven out of her hometown by the hatred of his neighbours. The device of the feuding families adds tension and danger .

Esther, though hurting and in many ways still afraid was a strong and bold enough character, as were the two male leads Zach and Griff, both of whom were manly men with a soft side who seemed to genuinely care for the city girl thrown into their midst.
Some of the minor characters were also likeable for their unique characteristics or personalities, like Zach’s sister, with her desire to like the well-bred uptown ladies, and the mischievous younger children. The elements of faith, and meaningful messages also seemed to be woven well into the story, with some passages that really spoke to me. Some of the descriptions of Medical practices and herbal or ‘folk’ remedies could prove interesting.

Yet Choices of the Heart is not a story I would list among my favourites. It was pleasant and enjoyable but probably not a book I liked enough to want to keep and read over and over. Like another book I read this year, it seems to be that this novel it about standard fare for this genre. There were some elements that could make it stand out, like the heroine being a member of a profession that doesn’t seem to get much coverage.

Yet there also seemed to be a certain amount of (forgive the term) ‘fluffy’ romance. The hurting protagonist having to overcome their personal demons, emotional angst and painful past or risk losing the opportunity to embrace true love is a formula that may have been used before.
Really also, Esther’s behaviour did at times seem a little inconsistent, with her being afraid of getting close to any man one minute, then letting him kiss her the next.

Some things seemed a little too quick and easy, such as Esther’s overcoming of her religious doubts. As I recall in one place she was convinced God had abandoned her entirely, and that she would have to leave, then not long afterwards realizing this was not the case and getting reconciled with Griff.
A little bit of a too easily and quickly wrapped up resolution perhaps, after all the tension and high emotion? This tension itself could be argued to be a little too dependent on overly dramatic events, with one stabbing and one shooting... in about 100 pages.....

Overall Choices of the Heart was a good read, but it is still not a period setting that I find myself too enamoured by, and the story did always seem to really stand out from a lot of others in the genre.

I received a copy of this book free on request from the publisher for review. All the opinions expressed therein are my own.

Sweet Christian historical romance set in 1893. Lucinda follows in her father's footsteps, and those of her ancestors before her, by becoming a lawyer. She didn't have a brother, so she knew it was up to her. She had grown up reading her father's lawbooks, so it was a natural for her. She felt a calling to help defend women with issues like pension claims and land disputes. Complete with a college education, she is ready to set up shop, but her home state (Virginia) would not accept women lawyers. So her father set her up in Massachusetts, a state that accepted women lawyers, in a practice recently vacated by a friend of his. Only neither of them realized the danger that might put her in.

There was also a different kind of danger in town, a handsome carpenter, the best artisan for miles around. But his mother's background kept him from being truly accepted by the society in town. It doesn't keep him from falling for Lucinda, or her from falling for him, but it does place some obstacles for them to overcome.

The story unfolds in ways that you probably won't completely expect - at least I didn't. Each comes to realize the importance of God's love and guidance in their lives, accept who and what they are, and their love for one another - regardless of what they thought of others' opinions or even their own.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the Barbour Publishing - Netgalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements andTestimonials in Advertising.”

Publisher's Description
Join Lucinda Bell in 1893 as she leaves behind her family and fiancé to buy a dying law practice in Massachusetts, determined to prove herself in a male dominated profession. Matthew Templin, a local carpenter with a questionable past, is in need of a lawyer but knows hidden truths could destroy her ambitions and endanger their lives. When faced with a choice, will Lucinda choose career over love? Also includes a bonus historical romance, A Love So Tender by Tracey V. Bateman.
Sweet Christian historical romance set in 1893. Lucinda follows in her father's footsteps, and those of her ancestors before her, by becoming a lawyer. She didn't have a brother, so she knew it was up to her. She had grown up reading her father's lawbooks, so it was a natural for her. She felt a calling to help defend women with issues like pension claims and land disputes. Complete with a college education, she is ready to set up shop, but her home state (Virginia) would not accept women lawyers. So her father set her up in Massachusetts, a state that accepted women lawyers, in a practice recently vacated by a friend of his. Only neither of them realized the danger that might put her in.

There was also a different kind of danger in town, a handsome carpenter, the best artisan for miles around. But his mother's background kept him from being truly accepted by the society in town. It doesn't keep him from falling for Lucinda, or her from falling for him, but it does place some obstacles for them to overcome.

The story unfolds in ways that you probably won't completely expect - at least I didn't. Each comes to realize the importance of God's love and guidance in their lives, accept who and what they are, and their love for one another - regardless of what they thought of others' opinions or even their own.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the Barbour Publishing - Netgalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html

I enjoyed this story set in the early 1800s when England and American tensions were high and war was threatened. Some interesting historical perspectives on the relationship between the two countries. Also great insights into the life of a young unmarried midwife, Tabitha, whose story this really is. It has something of 'Call the Midwife' about it, and this aspect is well written, with Tabitha being a great character. The romance is a love triangle, which is quite satisfying but which dragged and circled a bit. I thought the novel would have been better a little shorter as the conclusion was a bit long in coming. Overall, an enjoyable read.

Sunday, February 14, 2016
The Mountain Midwife by Laurie Alice Eakes, © 2015

Brooks Ridge ~ Appalachia
Southwest Virginia
Another wonderful story by Laurie Alice Eakes. I so enjoy her stories so tightly knit together that you will not want to put it down until you have finished. The Mountain Midwife will have you holding on from the very beginning as midwife Ashley Tolliver has a late night visitor ~ a young pregnant woman she has not seen before ~ ready to deliver. Trying to stanch the bleeding following delivery of her baby, Ashley calls the local hospital on her cell phone to tell them to expect them soon. But as the youth are leaving, they take off, chased by a large black truck in pursuit.
~*~
Great Falls
Northern Virginia
Hunter McDermott's face is plastered all over the television news. Before returning from business in Portugal, he rescues a young child from running out in traffic as her family is close behind him. From this simple action, they are diverted from an explosion of a car bomb. From this media exposure, he receives a phone call from a woman, unknown to him, who claims to be his mother. Her last name is Brooks.

Thus begins an adventure that will change the focus of his life and that of nurse-midwife Ashley Tolliver as they unravel the daily happenings that bring them together. Ashley has plans to attend medical school to become a doctor as her two brothers, returning to Brooks Ridge to have expanded knowledge to further be of help to the people who trust her. Hunter finds his beginnings are different than what he thought.

I was so involved in Ashley's service to her patients and connection with her friends; loyal and putting them before herself, she brings comfort and stability to those near her. She is trustworthy and compassionate; steadfast in purpose. Over two hundred years, women in her family line had been trained as midwives. One such woman she is named after, as Ashley Esther Tolliver, is Esther, you may have read about in the third book in the Midwives series, Choices of the Heart.

***Thank you to author Laurie Alice Eakes for sending me a print copy of The Mountain Midwife for review. This review was written in my own words. No other compensation was received.***

I loved the story line and as well as the writing style. While the Christian message is simplistic, it was done well as I was never able to guess in what direction things were going. God doesn't always answer our prayers with what we want, don't you know?
There was a nice element of mystery which was more of the mainstay than anything else, and I found it drew me in and sealed the deal.

Ashley Tolliver is continuing the tradition of midwifery, something that the women in her family have been practicing for several generations. She has always hoped to go back to medical school but for now her patients need her in this tiny Appalachian community where plenty of the new mothers are single and life can sometimes be messy. Births aren't always easy and one night while a teen mother is giving birth at Ashley's clinic she starts bleeding and needs medical care, but when she disappears with the baby Ashley can't help but wonder if the mother and baby survived and where they went. Hunter McDermott want's to find his birth mother which allows his life to intersect with Ashley in the hopes that she can help him figure out who his mother might be.

There are two mysteries going on within the pages of this story, which makes for an interesting read, but honestly there are so many things that held my attention with this book. The setting of the Appalachian mountains was easy to imagine, from the rich descriptions one can easily imagine the people and places.Brooks Ridge is unique and the characters really seem real and their life situations really grab you. The mystery and suspense are make this a good story, but for me it's the characters and setting that kept me reading. I found myself thinking about a few of them long after I finished the final page.

A complimentary copy of this book was provided for review.

The Mountain Midwife by Laurie Alice Eakes is a heartwarming Christian novel two mysteries in it. Ashley Tolliver is twenty-nine years old and a certified nurse midwife. Women in Ashley’s family have been midwives for over two hundred years. One night she is awakened by pounding on her door. A young woman with a man are on her doorstep. The young woman is in labor and needs assistance. Ashley lets them in and delivers the baby. The young woman then starts hemorrhaging. Ashley tries to call for help on her house phone but it is not working (not a good sign). She steps outside to use her cell phone (to get coverage) and is almost run over by a big truck. When she goes back inside, the couple is gone. Who were they and why did they run away?

Hunter McDermott is returning home after working on a project overseas. He has the press hounding him (in person and on the phone) after rescuing a little girl and her family from a car bomb. Hunter receives a call from a woman named Sheila Brooks claiming to be his birth mother. Sheila Brooks claims his sister needs him. She even uses his first name (that he changed years ago). When Hunter confronts his parents, he gets unexpected revelations. This leads him to a small community in the Appalachian Mountains. Hunter has the name of the midwife that delivered him thirty-two years ago which leads him to Ashley. Can Ashley help him find his birth family?

Hunter and Ashley are in for some adventures as they both seek answers. Some people do not wish them to get the answers they seek. The Mountain Midwife was a wonderful book. It captured my attention from the very beginning. It is very well-written and has such a good flow (you do not even realize how much time is passing as you sit there and read). I liked the characters for the most part (Ashely got on my nerves sometimes), the mountains sound beautiful, lonely, and dangerous. I enjoyed the two mysteries (Ashley’s mysterious guests and Hunter’s search). They were intriguing (I just love mysteries as you can tell). The only thing that got on my nerves was Ashley’s desire to go to medical school (wait and see). She felt she would be able to help her community more with the degree (she was wrong). I just wanted to shake her and show her what a great help she is to the people in her area. Overall, The Mountain Midwife is a book that you will not want to put down. I give The Mountain Midwife 4.5 out of 5 stars. I will definitely be reading more books by Laurie Alice Eakes.

I received a complimentary copy of The Mountain Midwife from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ashley and Hunter paths cross in unexpected ways, and their lives and all that they have ever believed have then shaken to the core.
Ashley has put her life wish of becoming a doctor on hold as she gave up her studies and came home to help her Grandmother and in the end take over her practice. She is still saving and planning to eventually go back to school and fulfill her dream.
Hunter is and engineer and has lived a very affluent life in the Washington, D.C. area. He is the odd one in the family as the rest are all lawyers. He is on the news and seems everyone is recognizing him, and that is the catalyst to the phone call from someone claiming to be his mother. No way, he loves his mother, and doesn’t have another!
The story is set in the rural Appliatian Mountains of Virginia, and we travel the back roads here, and meet a lot of the people. This place really requires a truck or four-wheel drive, and someone is trying to kill them on these dangerous gravel roads.
Why is there danger, and what is pulling these two together? A really fast pace read that will keep you page turning and wanting the answers. In the end will there be answers but will they survive? There are several sub stories and some are unanswered but most have conclusions and we have to be satisfied with the answers whether we agree or wanted what happens.
I received this book through Net Galley and Zondervan Fiction and was not required to give a positive review.

Title: The Mountain Midwife
Author: Laurie Alice Eakes
Pages: 352
Year: 2015
Publisher: Zondervan
My rating is 5 stars.
Laurie Alice Eakes is a new author to me and I loved the main characters, Ashley along with Hunter. Ashley is a descendent of women in her family’s line who practice midwifery. Ashley is also a nurse who would love to be able to seek a doctorate in order to bring better care to the women she serves. Hunter is an engineer who has traveled all over the world as he loves being outside rather than being in an office.
The way the author brings these two characters together was brilliant as in the middle of the night Ashley is disturbed by a woman needing her help bringing her baby safely into the world. Ashley is concerned and prepared to take the young woman and her “husband” to the hospital as after the safe delivery the woman begins to hemorrhage. Both the man and woman along with the baby disappear while two trucks attempt to run down Ashley.
When Hunter’s picture is flashed across the TV worldwide as a hero, he finds getting back to the USA and home without being accosted by news people a hard task. Though he would love to get some sleep Hunter is asked to come to his parents’ house where he confronts them regarding his true parentage. When he speaks with them, it sets him off to locate the truth as to where or whom is birth mother might really be as well as the father.
The mystery kept me up until I finished the book. I wanted to see how the author would wrap up the plot she introduces and builds throughout the whole story. The characters reveal the internal issues they face as they seek to help or find the truth as to where Hunter was born. While in the pursuit, a romance begins to builds between the two main characters. It was also fun to reach the end of the tale to see if some of the questions I had about what happened to secondary characters were answered.
I hope you will read and enjoy this story plus consider giving the book to friends or family this holiday season so they can be captivated by a great novel!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255. “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”