Felicity’s father dies, leaving her stranded at Ft. Laramie, Wyoming, one-third the way to homestead 640 acres in the Oregon Territory. She has money and supplies to continue her journey, but a woman alone cannot claim the free land. So, she advertises for a husband. Ben’s got massive debt and Gold Rush fever and heads to California. But at Ft. Laramie he’s robbed of everything he owns, including … owns, including his horse. His only recourse is to strike a bargain with Felicity.
At the fork in the trail, will he trek to Oregon to help her homestead, or will she accompany him to dig for gold in California? Can these two stubborn people with very different goals make the right choice?
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The Choice proves once again why Anne Greene is an award winning author. Her very human characters and the realistic situations completely transported me to Fort Laramie in 1850. Felicity Daniels and Ben Bonneville join a wagon train at Ft. Laramie but their final goals aren’t the same. What if they could join forces and each achieve their dream? Could they make this journey together until the wagon train reaches a place where they could branch out and reach their individual destinations?
I felt like I was right there as Felicity and Ben endured the tremendous hardships along the journey. Rugged terrain and uncertain weather conditions presented many challenges but it is their personal relationship that suffered the most and their ‘marriage in name only’ seemed to be the biggest obstacle of all. I witnessed Felicity’s stubbornness and determination to get to Oregon and I marveled at Ben’s gentleness and his longing to share God’s Word in California. The only thing that they appeared to agree on was that they were beginning to have feelings for each other. It was apparent that a choice would have to be made but I doubted that there could be a happy solution.
If you like historical fiction and Christian romance, you will want to read The Choice. It is an enjoyable novella and it left me wanting more of Felicity and Ben’s story!
I received a copy of this book from the author but I was under no obligation for a favorable review. I am voluntarily sharing my honest thoughts.
Felicity is a strong pioneer woman whose father died on their way to the Oregon Territory. I admired Felicity’s determination to reach Oregon but maybe she should have been a bit smarter when she advertised for a husband! God rescued her when he sent preacher Ben Bonneville for her husband. After the wedding, Ben discovers Felicity wants a husband in name only! I enjoyed this short book and recommend it to other who enjoy historical fiction. I received a complimentary copy of The Choice from the author. This is my honest opinion.
This was a wonderful short novella of eighty pages. Felicity needs a husband to take her to the Oregon Territory in 1850. Her father and she headed out on this journey but he died at Ft. Laramie and she remained there waiting on a husband. To claim free land of six hundred forty acres to homestead she needed a man. She put an ad in the window of the general store where she was temporarily working. Lots of men showed up and she thinned them out little by little.
I enjoyed this story and the description of the harrowing journey in a wagon train. Lots of rough paths and rising rivers to cross. The biggest obstacle was her groom wanting to go to California to pan for gold and Felicity wanting to fulfill her father’s dream of a home and farmland in Oregon. What would they choose when they approached the fork that went either way?
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author but was not required to write a review.
I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Lovely western. This book has good reminders all through it to ask God first before you make decisions. Will she get the husband she so desperately needs to be able to get the land her father and she started out for or will the man she fell in love with change her dreams. Highly recommend.
He wants to go to the gold rush in California and preach to the miners there. She wants to go to Oregon to get land being offered for homesteading. With only days left before the last wagon train leaves, will either of them get on the trail? I very much enjoyed this charming, fascinating novella! A marriage of convenience and a westward journey on the Oregon Trail make for an exciting story. The characters are brought to life in this faith-filled historical story that promises an outcome different than at least one of them doesn’t anticipate.
After the untimely death of Felicity’s father, she and his best friend Jedidiah, who promised to look after her, are determined to continue to Oregon. A single person gets 320 acres to plant and homestead, a married couple gets 640. Her father taught her there was only one security, which is land; she wants to get as much as possible to get a farm to make a profit.
Felicity has a last resort plan as she sets a sign in the window of the general store where she can work for only a couple more days. Within a short time, the place is full of men. One of her requirements, a Christian man who regularly attends church, took out quite a few. Jedidiah suggested she request $10 from each of the men who are applying to further narrow it down. Soon, the line is shortened, and Felicity will make her decision the next day.
Benjamin believes God has called him to preach to those who are mining in the gold fields. He thinks his only hope of getting out of debt is to go to California and mine enough gold to pay off the mountain of medical bills left behind when his mother passed away. When he arrived at Fort Laramie, he was going to work to get enough money to continue to California, but thieves stole his wagon, supplies, and horse, so he may never get there. Marriage has not been in his plans, but this young woman has been trying to catch his eye for quite some time. If he can redirect her to California, it just might be the Lord’s way of bringing him a bride.
One of the things I appreciate about this author is showing how her characters live out their faith through prayers and behaviors. Advertising for a spouse may not have been God’s best plan for Felicity, so will He use these circumstances for good for the believers involved? I highly recommend this story to those who appreciate Christian fiction that can be read in an afternoon or evening, with interesting characters, the historical setting of the Oregon Trail, and the hope of romance.
From a thankful heart: I received a complimentary copy of this novella; a review was not required.
I loved this story. Felicity and Ben needed each other to reach their goals, but those goals were different. I liked how when it looked like they might lose each other, they realized what was important. I also loved the character of Jed. He added a lot to the story. I would recommend this book.
I received a copy of this book from the author and was not obligated to write a positive review.
An absolutely wonderful, clean, story of love. You will fall in love with Felly, Ben and Jed on their treacherous journey across the west. A quick read perfect for a blustery day. It will warm your . A perfect example of God’s grace.
At only 80 pages, this novella is a sweet quick episode in the west in the 1850s, with a heroine seeking a husband in a hurry by avoiding one in particular. The main characters are a little too perfect, but they are fun. A good choice for a diversion from your day.