Elizabeth Morrison has inherited a small fortune, but a woman in 1840 doesn’t usually go it alone. With her sister Katherine missing and both parents gone to be with the Lord, she has no choice but to find her own way. Her journey takes her through an abandoned orchard, and she falls in love with derelict Sweet Grove – and its previous owner, Jonathan Bryant. No longer the owner of Sweet Grove … owner of Sweet Grove but just a laborer, his bitterness hasn’t been sweetened by the fruit of his labour.
Can Elizabeth carve her own journey and make a home for herself while her sister is still missing? Can Jonathan be brave enough to put the past behind him and find purpose again?
Or will they both learn that life never goes in the direction you think, and love is always ready to take you on a different journey?
This is the first in the Sweet Grove Beginnings series that explores just how the town of Sweet Grove was planted.
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Love’s Journey
By Emily Murdoch
Love’s Journey is a wonderfully sweet and an intriguing accounting of new beginnings, founding love in the Sweet Grove community; following a loss. An enjoyable, Christian historical novella, and a fabulous story to start a new series; which can be read as a standalone story. A gripping story that spiked my interest from the first chapter and held it to the last word, I was so involved by the story that I was wanting more when the book ended; I am looking forward to reading the stories to find out more about the rest of Sweet Grove.
Ms. Emily Murdoch has created a strong plot with lovable, wonderful and believable characters with a balance of the chemistry between the characters and the challenges facing them. How they meet & fall in love, and the HEA; with a touch of humor thrown in for good measure. The leading lady, 1840, she is a strong heroine, that is hardworking, independent and bold; yet sensible, loving and compassionate modern woman; preferring to rely on only herself. But, at the same time the theme in this story teaches us about of priorities, and where our priorities should be; people rather than land or possessions, and how we should swallow our pride and accept help that is offered.
Ms. Emily Murdoch writing enchants her readers with a superb story-line, drawing her reads in to the story with hope and anticipation for what will happen next. A good, clean read; that made me smile and sigh the whole way through. Ms. Murdoch knows how to write about strong characters, mystery and a sweet and gentle romance; a perfect blend in a book. I received this book for free in return of my review, although one was not required, and all views expressed are my own and I am giving this book a 5-star rating.
Elizabeth Morrison stumbles upon Sweet Grove apple orchard when she is searching for her lost sister Katherine. To Jonathan Bryant’s dismay she decides to use her inheritance to buy his family’s former property. There is more to running an apple orchard than she realizes and her pride initially prevents her from accepting his help. But she realizes she can’t do it alone and he teaches her about different varieties of apples and all that goes into running an orchard. They fall in love, but is he in love with her or the thought of getting the orchard back? It was a good story, but it seemed to jump from one topic to the next, which made it hard to follow at times.
*3.5 stars. I thought this was a very sweet and lovely story. I loved how this story tells how Sweet Grove started. Elizabeth is a brave, strong heroine and Jonathan is a man with a good heart. The two of them together form a very strong bond and the reader will love it.
I liked this short story – perfect to brighten a lazy day.
Its nicely written, the story flows, the characters are well portrayed and I loved the relationship that blossomed and flourished in the ‘apple orchard’.
A free advance copy of this book was supplied by the author and this is my honest and unbiased review.