ABOUT THE BOOK
Rose Island Lighthouse, Rhode Island
June 1880
Will she betray his trust to stay on the island she loves?
June 1880
Will she betray his trust to stay on the island she loves?
Abbie Watson is content to spend her days clamming, crabbing, and tending Rose Island Lighthouse. Her grandpa is the head light keeper, but his senility may lead to their eviction. Since leaving the island would kill her beloved Gramps, Abbie will do anything to keep him in the one place he knows and loves.
Wealthy Nathaniel Winthrop III’s wild living has gained him a reputation as the ‘bad boy’ among the elite social circles of Newport. After a blow to the head in a yachting accident washes him up on Rose Island, Nathaniel has no memories of his past.
Abbie tends the wounded stranger in her home only to realize he assumes they’re married. Although she knows she needs to correct Nathaniel’s mistake, his presence calms Gramps and provides a way to prevent eviction from the lighthouse.
The longer the charade continues, the harder it gets for Abbie to tell Nathaniel the truth, more so as she begins to fall in love. Everyone she’s ever loved has abandoned her. Will Nathaniel leave her too, once he discovers he’s not really her husband?
A richly detailed and superbly characterized historical romance, Never Forget offers nothing less than a captivating and swoon-worthy read. Deceitful lies, undeniable chemistry, ultimate redemption—it’s emotionally gripping and full of twists and turns. As I delved into the story of desperate yet determined Abbie Watson and injured yet maturing Nathaniel Winthrop III, I simply wanted to read more and more, and when I reached the wholly satisfying end, I couldn’t help but smile about the experience. It captured my heart and imagination, and I loved it.
And as Never Forget concludes Jody Hedlund’s Beacons of Hope novels, I can’t neglect to compliment the series as a whole. Linked together by not only the lighthouse setting, but also the spiritual truths represented by a traveling wooden cross, these novels delight with heartwarming and uplifting stories, and any lover of historical romance should not leave them unread. I highly recommend Never Forget and the rest of the Beacons of Hope series.
★★★★★
Thanks to Celebrate Lit, I received a complimentary copy of Never Forget and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jody lives in central Michigan with her husband, five busy children, and five spoiled cats. Although Jody prefers to experience daring and dangerous adventures through her characters rather than in real life, she’s learned that a calm existence is simply not meant to be (at least in this phase of her life!).
When she’s not penning another of her page-turning stories, she loves to spend her time reading, especially when it also involves consuming coffee and chocolate.
GUEST POST FROM THE AUTHOR
Which Do You Prefer: Series or Standalones?
Readers usually have strong opinions about whether they like series or standalones.Some readers refuse to read books that are inter-related. Others can’t get enough books about their favorite characters.
I see the pros and cons of both.
For series, I don’t like feeling lost as I try to wade through previous characters along with their backstory. I recently started a series by a well-known author and was disappointed to realize the first book was connected to a previous series she’d already published. From the get-go, I felt left out, as though I didn’t quite know who all the characters were or their significance.
On the other hand, for standalones, I sometimes feel as though I would like the story to continue. I’ve invested in the setting and characters and so enjoy when I can return to that place and continue to glimpse the characters I’ve fallen in love with—even if from a distance.
My favorites are books that fall in the middle between standalone and series. I like to think of them as standalones within a series. Becky Wade’s Porter brother series is like that. Each of the books centers around one of the brothers (and a tomboy sister). While characters from other books make an appearance in the stories, each plot is separate and complete without any reliance upon another book.
My Beacons of Hope lighthouse series falls in the middle too. The books are related in that they all take place at lighthouses and share a symbolic “cross of hope” that is passed on from one book to the next. A minor character in a previous book becomes the hero or heroine in the next book. But each book can be read by itself without having read any of the others.
In other words, readers can pick up my newest release, Never Forget, which is the fifth and final book in the series, and they wouldn’t be confused about who the characters are or what their history is. The plot starts with a bang and ends with a satisfying sigh. It is complete story unto itself.
And yet, for those who’ve read other books in the series, they’ll get to see the happily-ever-after of a character from a previous book. And they’ll also get to find out where the cross of hope finally ends.
If you’re not a fan of series, I encourage you to give the Beacons of Hope series a try. It might satisfy the need for standalones and series all in one neat little package.
To that end, I’m giving away all FIVE books in the series as part of the Celebrate Lit blog tour to one lucky winner!
Tell us—what is your preference: standalones, series, or standalones within a series?
GIVEAWAY
To celebrate her tour, Jody is giving away the entire Beacons of Hope series. Click here to enter—be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries!
January 11: Faithfully Bookish, Inklings and Notions, Blossoms and Blessings
January 12: Smiling Book Reviews, Genesis 5020, Christian Chick’s Thoughts
January 13: God’s Little Bookworm, The Scribbler, Bibliophile Reviews
January 15: Moments Dipped in Ink, Books. Books. And More Books.
January 16: A Greater Yes, Bigreadersite
January 17: Connie’s History Classroom, D’S QUILTS & BOOKS
January 18: Book by Book, Jeanette’s Thoughts
January 19: Carpe Diem, A Bakers Perspective, Splashes of Joy
January 21: Radiant Light, cherylbbookblog, His Grace is Sufficient
January 22: Neverending Stories, A Path of Joy
Hi Hallie, Thank you so much for the lovely review of Never Forget! I'm so glad to hear that you enjoyed not only this story but the whole series! Thank you for hosting me for the Celebrate Lit blog tour! Blessings! Jody
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure! I'm happy to host and talk about your wonderful books!
ReplyDelete