Laura Frantz
Revell, 2021
415 pages
Amazon Description: Selah Hopewell seems to be the only woman in the Virginia colony who has no wish to wed. True, there are too many men and far too few women in James Towne. But Selah already has her hands full assisting her father in the family’s shop. And now she is in charge of an incoming ship of tobacco brides who must be looked after as they sort through their many suitors.
Xander Renick is perhaps the most eligible tobacco lord in the settlement. His lands are vast, his crops are prized, and his position as a mediator between the colonists and the powerful Powhatan nation surrounding them makes him indispensable. But Xander is already wedded to his business and still grieves the loss of his wife, daughter of the Powhatan chief.
Can two fiercely independent people find happiness and fulfillment on their own? Or will they discover that what they’ve been missing in life has been right in front of them all along?
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Thanks to the Revell Reads program for sending me a review copy of Tidewater Bride! All opinions expressed in this post are honest and my own.
I’m such a big fan of Laura Frantz’s books! She does a great job setting the scene so that you can really see the historical details and feel the struggle of colonial life.
Tidewater Bride had me hooked from the very beginning with a full cast nuanced characters, some likable, some intensely unlikable, and a few in between. There was plenty of conflict to keep me reading with the racial tensions between the local Native American tribe and the white settlers, and the disagreements within each group about how their relations ought to be handled. The way that the native people and the slaves that were beginning to be transported to the colonies were treated was devastating, but it also felt oddly relevant given the conversations that we’ve been having in our nation recently. I liked that the author didn’t shy away from showing that suffering because I feel like it’s important to acknowledge that part of our history along with everything else.
There were surprises, betrayals, and lots of action in this rich historical tale. I also loved the will they/won’t they romance between Selah and Xander and the way their story played out was lovely. Selah has such a big, gracious heart, which is something I admire, and Xander is honorable to a fault. I highly recommend Tidewater Bride to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.