The Preacher's Bride by Jody Hedlund: A Review



I haven't read many books in the Christian market featuring Puritans. This story was wonderful! The writing was smooth and easy to get into. I loved the romantic dynamic between heroine and hero. I'm a sucker for "ugly duckling" heroines. Add to that a healthy dose of danger and intrigue, and you've got an engrossing read.

Besides the interesting plot and realistic, strong characters, Jody planted me in Puritan England effortlessly. She is genius when it comes to weaving history into the story. I learned all sorts of interesting things, like it was against the law to dance. Can you imagine? And to even preach about Jesus without a special license...

I flew through the story and finished with a happy sigh.

If you want to read more reviews, fellow blogger Jill Kemerer posted some wonderful quotes about The Preacher's Bride. You can find the author, Jody Hedlund, on facebook and at her blog.

The Preacher's Bride is based on a true story. Do you like fiction based on historical figures? What was the last book that left you with a happy sigh?

Comments

Tabitha Bird said…
I can't wait to read it!

Happy sigh? Yes. Love that.
October 13, 2010 at 6:39 AM
Jody Hedlund said…
Hi Jessica!

Thank you for posting such a lovely review! One of the things I really had to work on was NOT dumping loads of history in specific spots. During my revision process I had to go through and weave the information in better. It's tough to do in historicals and I think there will always be a tad bit more description because of the nature of trying to convey a particular time period. But I think the goal for any of us is to try to get in the info without overwhelming the reader!

Thanks again for your shout-out today! :-)
October 13, 2010 at 6:59 AM
Jessica Nelson said…
Jody, you did an EXCELLENT job with the historical info. It seemed to fit everywhere you put it. Pat yourself on the back, girl. :-)

Tabitha, thanks for stopping by! If you like historical romance, I think you'll like this. :-)
October 13, 2010 at 7:12 AM
Wendy Paine Miller said…
I would cry. No dancing. Ack. No, I can't imagine. But doesn't she have one of the characters dance on the inside? I loved that and believe I do that regularly.
~ Wendy
October 13, 2010 at 7:48 AM
Diane said…
It was a great read. I found the history very interesting too! :O)
October 13, 2010 at 10:22 AM
Jaime Wright said…
Wonderful review Jessica! It WAS an amazing book! I LOVED IT!
October 13, 2010 at 10:25 AM
Erica Vetsch said…
I just finished this book and will be posting my review on my blog soon.

I enjoyed it very much!
October 13, 2010 at 10:28 AM
Cindy R. Wilson said…
Oooh, good interview. I've heard such great things, thanks for sharing your opinion.
October 13, 2010 at 10:35 AM
Jessica Nelson said…
Wendy, LOL, yes, I think she does dance on the inside.

Thanks for stopping by, Diane. I LOVE your profile pic. Beautiful!

Jaime, cool! It's always fun to hear others like the same stuff as me. It's kind of validation of my opinion. *grin!*

Erica, I'm looking forward to seeing your review. :)
October 13, 2010 at 10:37 AM
Jessica Nelson said…
You're welcome, Cindy. :-) It's fun talking about stuff we like, right?
October 13, 2010 at 10:37 AM
anita said…
Hey Jessie! Great post...

I thought I might find you out on the blogasphere today. :-)

As for the no dancing? I grew up in a staunch Baptist home, and my parents were very strict about no dancing. But by some lovely miracle (not to mention some schmoozing on my part) they let me go to Homecoming my 11th grade year and prom as a senior. So I can sympathize with that character to some degree ... but at least I finally got to wear my dancing shoes. Heh.

Have a great day!
October 13, 2010 at 11:21 AM
Jessica Nelson said…
Awww, Anita, that's nice they let you go. Yeah, I don't get the whole no-dancing thing. Sure, some is not appropriate, but for the most part it's an expression of joy, you know?
October 13, 2010 at 11:23 AM
Keli Gwyn said…
I enjoyed your review, Jessica. Like you, I felt that Jody transported me to another time and place with her judicious use of hisotical detail. One thing I found particularly impressive was her dialogue. She captured the feel of the time in the way the characters spoke and their diction.
October 13, 2010 at 12:02 PM
Tana said…
Loved, loved, loved, Jody's novel!!! I don't read much historical but of what I have read, Jody's was on of the best. The last book with a happy sigh? Would actually be Jody's! Lately I've read a lot of novels with no HEA, so it was refreshing to have that golden moment at the end.
October 13, 2010 at 12:16 PM
Sarah Forgrave said…
I'm about 1/3rd through Jody's book, and it's sitting next to me on the couch. Come to think of it, I should cut this comment short so I can get back to it. lol
October 13, 2010 at 2:14 PM
Jessica Nelson said…
LOL Sarah! Hope you enjoy.

T. Anne!!! No HEAs??? I don't know how you do it. :-)

Hi Keli,
Yep, I totally agree about her dialogue. It was awesome.
October 13, 2010 at 3:39 PM
Jill Kemerer said…
Jody's book totally left me sighing. I agree with your review--I felt right in the thick of 1600's England.

Also, I just finished The Forbidden Rose by Joanna Bourne--amazing!! She's one of my favorite authors.
October 13, 2010 at 7:01 PM
Susan J. Reinhardt said…
Hi Jess -

I'm 3/4 of the way through The Preacher's Bride and love it! I can't wait to post a review.

Blessings,
Susan :)
October 13, 2010 at 9:05 PM
Linda Glaz said…
Sounds good. Think this might be the new "Amish" fad?
October 14, 2010 at 9:28 AM
Jessica Nelson said…
Linda, Amazing! That is EXACTLY what I was thinking!!

Susan, Looking forward to your review. :-)

Jill, I think I remember you mentioning that book. I'll have to keep a look out for it.
October 14, 2010 at 10:11 AM
Dara said…
I'll have to add that to my list of books to read.

I think it was also illegal to celebrate Christmas too. A lot of things were illegal with the Puritans--they were super legalistic in many ways.
October 14, 2010 at 1:27 PM
Linda Kage said…
YAY for Jody!! I've bought my copy but I've gotten so many books lately, I haven't gotten to it yet. Boo Hoo. After hearing all these great reviews, I'm thinking I may have to bump it up to next in line on my TBR list.
October 15, 2010 at 9:57 AM
Glynis Peters said…
This book is on my birthday wishlist. I am looking forward to reading it. Great review.
October 15, 2010 at 2:49 PM
Erika Robuck said…
I loved this book! It was my first Christian Historical Romance, and I fell in love. I also enjoyed your review!
October 15, 2010 at 9:46 PM
Nancy said…
Yes, I do enjoy historical books about a real person or incident. I can't remember the last book that left me with a happy sigh, but it was probably a childen's book.
October 16, 2010 at 12:44 PM
Kathryn Magendie said…
I don't read historical fiction, but doesn't mean I never will!

I just read "The Season of Second Chances" by Diane Meier that I really enjoyed - I love happy endings, even if they aren't tied up in a pink bow - this one had hope and joy at the end, so I was left with a good feeling!

There are others, but since that's the one I just finished, I remember it first!
October 17, 2010 at 11:32 AM
Deb Shucka said…
Great review, Jessica. I can hardly wait to read Jody's book, and you've made me even more eager.
October 17, 2010 at 12:50 PM
Jeanette Levellie said…
Oh, yes. I believe Jody is the next up and coming historical fiction author of our time. Really. She's that good.

I love stories based on true events. Preacher's Bride was the last book I read which gave me a happy sigh. I hated it to end!
October 18, 2010 at 8:33 AM
Rachna Chhabria said…
Hi Jessica..thanks for this lovely review. Like I told Jody, I am waiting for the Indian Bookshelves to get the book, so I can read it.
October 18, 2010 at 9:25 AM
Patti said…
I love historical fiction and have been looking for this book in bookstores. I guess I'll have to break down and order it on line.
October 18, 2010 at 12:44 PM
Jennifer Shirk said…
I haven't read Jody's book yet. But I'm a BIG fan of ugly-duckling stores too. I think that's why I love Jane Eyre so much. :)

The last book I read that gave me a happy sigh was Kristan Higgins' book All I Ever Wanted. It was hilarious but also sweet and sigh worthy at the end.
October 18, 2010 at 4:38 PM
CMOM Productions said…
I whole heartedly agree with your book review! Jody had me soaking in every word and devouring this story!
October 18, 2010 at 6:16 PM
Karen Lange said…
Yes, this book was definitely a "happy sigh" book! Jody is a talented and amazing writer.
Blessings,
Karen
October 18, 2010 at 8:25 PM
Jennie Allen said…
It looks so good! Thanks!
October 19, 2010 at 3:18 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

We All Got to Learn to Do It Sometime

*grossness alert* We all have to learn to deal with doo-doo eventually. Consider me a newbie mom, but it never occurred to me that my son should be wiping himself until about a month before kindergarten. And then the flashbulb went on and I scrambled to teach him. One problem. He didn't want to. He's fastidious and doesn't like to make mistakes, so the thought of taking care of this daily chore literally reduced him to screaming and crying on the toilet. Basically, he didn't trust himself. He was afraid. Scared to get his hands dirty. Afraid he'd miss something. This is probably weird, but it made me think of us as writers. There comes a point where we have to "grow up" and trust ourselves. We can't always rely on a crit group, agent, or editor to wipe up our mess. I think this should be a part of maturation for every writer, that we can look at our work and be confident in our ability to clean it up. Not saying we'll make it perfect or that we won...
Read more

Work First, Play Later

I'm back! I had a wonderful time with my family. Thank you all for asking. :-) In 2009 my schedule evolved into a blog first/write later kind of thing. It happened that way because my husband began using the computer in the afternoons and evenings for his project, but now that I have a router, my schedule's changing. It's time to work first, play later. That means I do my chores/errands in the morning, write at naptime, and visit your wonderful blogs in the afternoons and evenings. So if I don't show up in the morning, don't be alarmed (if you even notice, lol). I'm just changing things up. I'm too exhausted in the evening to write, that's why. During the day I have way more energy to write but at night there's a fifty percent chance I won't do it because I'm so tired. When's the best time for you to write? I also need to shout out my awesome crit partner, Linda Glaz! Some of you may have met her at ACFW. She's a wonderful, faithful, ...
Read more

Melodramatic Mother

Mom, this one's for you. *wink* The other day we were on the phone and my mom was describing some of her ailments to me. She's normally a healthy person, but she does suffer from allergies and sinus issues. She's also a vivid person and this comes across in her language. In this case, she told me her pain was skewering up through her nose. Skewering. She never finished the description because I laughed. What a perfect word! Strong, to the point, I had an exact (if somewhat gross) image of what was happening. Do you have a vivid person in your life? Someone who thinks in ways you forget to? And in your WIP, are you using the strongest verb possible to convey EXACTLY what you mean?
Read more