Hope Reaches Across the Centuries Through
One Single Bottle, Inspiring Five Romances
Joanne Bischof, Amanda Dykes, Heather Day Gilbert,
Jocelyn Green, Maureen Lang
(Barbour Publishing)
ISBN: 978-1683220916
March 2017/448 pages/$14.99
Five historical romances inspired by a messaged passed down through time.
Join the journey as one word etched in Latin on an ancient bronze bottle travels through the centuries to reach five young women who are struggling to maintain their faith in God and love. An Irish princess, a Scottish story weaver, a Post-Colonial nurse, a cotton mill worker, and a maid who nearly drowned each receive a message from the bottle just when they need their hope restored. But will the bottle also bring them each to a man whose love will endure?
The Distant Tide by Heather Day Gilbert
1170: County Kerry, Ireland
When a Viking bent on revenge mistakenly raids the castle of a bookish Irish princess, will she cast her fears aside to befriend the enemy, finally realizing God’s plan for her life?
A Song in the Night by Amanda Dykes
1717: Scotland and England
When a Scottish story-weaver loses her family in a clan war, she finds herself aided by a handsome, secretive bagpiper in a race against time to reunite with someone she never dared hope she'd see again.
The Forgotten Hope by Maureen Lang
1798: New York
As a champion of the sick, a young New Yorker never doubted her worth until a new doctor arrives to work with her father, one who believes her to be nothing more than a social butterfly. Can she gain his respect—and his love?
A River Between Us by Jocelyn Green
1864: Roswell, Georgia
When a Georgian cotton mill worker is arrested and sent North, the Union officer who tries to protect her is the last person she wants to forgive—and the only man who can bring hope and healing to her heart.
The Swelling Sea by Joanne Bischof
1890: Coronado Island, California
After washing ashore on the California coastline, a young woman’s yearning to discover her past leads her to the courageous oarsman who helps her find the key.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
MY THOUGHTS
What a charming collection of novellas! Stories of someone finding a message in a bottle have always fascinated me, and the concept of one traced through centuriess makes a delightful read. From the opening set in a ninth-century monastery to the final modern-day resolution, these stories tie together by an ancient bronze bottle etched with a single word, Spero, and pointing the characters--and the reader--to the hope contained on the message within. I had not previously read any of the authors except Jocelyn Green, whose writing I highly esteem and who is the reason I eagerly read this book, and I enjoyed each of their stories and "meeting" new-to-me authors. Though varied in setting and time period, the overarching theme, as well as writing styles that intertwined seamlessly, smoothed the transition from one story to the next. While the end of each novella is a natural place to set aside the book for another day, it was difficult not to forge ahead into the next one! As spring weather warms, this is the perfect beach read. You might even find your own Message in a Bottle!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from Barbour Books. I was not required to write a 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.”
Thanks so much for this thoughtful review, Linda! We are so thrilled you enjoyed this collection!
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