Review: A Noble Groom by Jody Hedlund
Recently widowed Annalisa Werner has the feeling her husband was murdered but can’t prove it. Alone with her young daughter in 1881 Michigan, she has six months left to finish raising the money needed to pay back the land contract her husband purchased, and the land is difficult to toil by herself. She needs a husband. With unmarried men scarce, her father sends a letter to his brother in the Old Country, asking him to find Annalisa a groom.
For nobleman Carl von Reichart, the blade of the guillotine is his fate. He’s been accused and convicted of a serious crime he didn’t commit, and his only escape is to flee to a small German community in Michigan where he’ll be safe. He secures a job on Annalisa’s farm but bumbles through learning about farming and manual labor.
Annalisa senses that Carl is harboring a secret about his past, yet she finds herself drawn to him anyway. He’s gentle, kind, and romantic–unlike any of the men she’s ever known. He begins to restore her faith in the ability to love–but her true groom is still on his way. And time is running out on them all.
I’ve read all three of Jody’s books and loved them all. This is the first of the three that were not based on true stories.
First, I loved the cover! Especially the cravat blowing in the wind ;).
Jody does an excellent job of bringing the past, particularly the German subculture in rural Michigan. The characters are vivid and realistic. Human without being completely unlikable [except one ;)]. Both Annalisa and Carl captured my heart from the beginning and I rooted for them to get together. The chemistry between the two was undeniable, even though Annalisa was to marry someone else. Can they find a way around seemingly unsurmountable odds?
Though the hardships and realities of life in rural America crash in, we’re left with a wonderful satisfying ending, like we’ve come to expect from Jody.
I can’t wait for her next release – a retelling of John and Abigail Adams, another one that is sure not to disappoint.
Overall Rating: 8.75 out of 10 stars