The Making of Mrs. Hale (#03 in Regency Brides: A Promise Of Hope Series)

Even better the second time! Another Great Read from Carolyn Miller in the style of Georgette Heyer and Jane Austen, but with the added bonus of a beautiful Christian story of forgiveness and restoration. A story of a runaway marriage to Gretna Green and how doubt and grief caused by separation and misconstrued heresay can negatively affect a relationship. I loved the story of forgiveness and reconciliation not only between Julia and Thomas, but the forgiveness of God and the assurance this gave them of their reconciliation and restoration with God. The message of hope and healing comes through strongly and is a great picture of what a relationship with God looks like

We all have story plots we love and those we don't. I'll be clear this review is solely based on what I learned from the next series and the little I read of the sample of this book. I didn't finish the sample which I borrowed from my library. Why? This book wasn't for me. I don't like bad boys, especially if they have been unfaithful after marriage. Yes, the author clearly wrote the hero was horrified and disgusted with himself to the point of feeling ill. However, the little I read helped me see I didn't want to finish reading the book and wished I hadn't even read the parts I did. There was just too much detail about his past sins for me even though he was now sorry and repentant. I will say that Carolyn can write beautifully, but a story where a man betrays his wedding vows and needs to be forgiven isn't something I wanted to read, especially since his wife also spends time with a man who isn't her husband (although, as I understand it from another book, nothing actually happens between them. They just spent time together). To be honest, I was hoping her husband having 'left' her was all a misunderstanding on her part as the blurb wasn't clear on that score. Why he left, I still don't know, but he wasn't faithful after marriage and certainly not before it either. That's just not a book I want to read and I wish the blurb had been a little clearer about the content.

Another captivating story by Carolyn Miller. In this novel the reader is taken back to the elopement of Julia and Thomas from the 1st Novel in the series. This novel captures the challenges they both faced in the first years of marriage and how forgiveness and grace redeems their marriage again. This is a captivating story of revenge, faith, love, hope and forgiveness set in the Regency era, that gives a realistic glimpse of what life would have been like at that time. The story is engaging and will sweep the reader away to another time and place.

It's refreshing to read a historical romance, that moves past the first sparks of attraction to what can go wrong in a marriage and how God can redeem relationships. \\r\\nAlthough this story of Miller's is a little out of the ordinary of her classic historic romances, there is so much to love about the characters and their journey of forgiveness and acceptance. It's a must read, particularly following Miller's fifth book """"miss Serena's Secret"""".

Carolyn Miller's third instalment in the Promise of Hope series is so much more than what I expected the story to be (but I shouldn't be surprised - Carolyn's writing challenges and inspires me every time!)\\r\\nThere is a raw-ness in this story as we read of both Julia and Thomas on the road to redemption. \\r\\nBoth characters have a bumbling reality (not due to the writing!) as they make mistakes and take small steps towards trust. \\r\\nA beautiful picture of God's grace and restoration. \\r\\nLooking forward to the next book!