Love’s Courage by Elizabeth Meyette
Book 3 in The Brentwood Saga
Unabridged, 7 hr. 36 min.
Boris Publishing
Amy McFadden (Narrator)
January 23, 2018
★★★★☆
Genre: Historical Romance
Source: Received download from Audible with Audiobookworm Productions tour
She had to leave him to save her father. He had to follow her to save his heart.
In August 1777, Jenny Sutton leaves Williamsburg, Virginia and the man she loves and sets sail for British occupied Manhattan to tend to her dying father. Aboard the Destiny, Jonathon Brentwood makes a request of Jenny that will entangle her in the network of spies serving the Patriot cause. With her father already under suspicion, Jenny’s activities must be hidden from the watchful eyes of British troops. But she has caught the eye of British officer Lieutenant Nigel Ashby, who is aware of her sympathies, yet offers her protection through marriage. Only by accepting his proposal will Jenny avoid the hangman's noose…and lose Andrew forever.
Desperate to join—and protect—Jenny, Andrew Wentworth agrees to deliver messages to Patriot troops on his way to New York. His route brings him face to face with those suffering under British rule. The fight for independence and his desire to reach Jenny become intertwined. Arriving in Manhattan, Andrew is arrested as a spy by the British officer coercing Jenny into marriage. She may be saved from the gallows but will Andrew?
As war rages around them, Jenny and Andrew must find the courage to fight for their new country's freedom and their own eternal love.
This is the kind of historical romance that I enjoy most: hearty in historical detail and atmospheric world building, with the romance added in as is fitting to the story. I certainly enjoy a romance set in the English Ton or on the American western trail, but sometimes they tend to feel somewhat cookie-cutter: replace the heroine and the specific situation she is running from when she meets hero, while the two don’t always get along well at first, they fall in love and everything is wonderful at the end. These are fun and light and quick reads. However, I’m a straight historical reader first, and I truly prefer more historical detail and depth of story that fits into some real historical event. That is exactly what Elizabeth Meyette brings to us in Love’s Courage.
This novel brings us squarely into the events of the American Revolution. While we are introduced from the outset to the heartbreak that pushes the romantic plot-line forward throughout the entirety of the novel, it is clear that this is just an element that the characters must face while they try to help their families and the American cause. It is certainly something important to each of the two romantic leads, but it isn’t their only important trait or direction in life. However, don’t fear that you are going to lose out on the romance story-line, it is present throughout and is well served by the details.
I have not read the first two books in this series, Love’s Destiny or Love’s Spirit, however, for the most part I felt sufficiently in control of the story having jumped in at book 3. The first chapter, where we meet Andrew and Jenny, had me questioning if we were introduced to their budding romance in either of the earlier novels because it felt like I should know a little something about them already, but based on reviewing the blurbs of the other two novels, if so, they must have been side characters. So besides that initial chapter, I felt comfortable with starting later in the series.
★★★★☆
I very much enjoyed listening to Amy McFadden read this novel. Her personification of the characters was complete and made them entirely more relatable to me and my enjoyment of them within the story. Each character has their own voice and characteristics. Any good narrator can do that though; what makes it an even better production is the small things. When they are aboard a ship, the characters have to sometimes shout to be heard over the wind or the snapping of the sails. Sometimes they are very angry for a situation not going they way anticipated. McFadden brilliantly encapsulates these stylistic elements in her performance. Additionally, the pace of the performance is perfect to keep the plot moving forward, but give you enough time to digest what is happening (as the plot is FULL!).
You can preview a sample of the book below:
Reviews of this book by other bloggers:
Buy the Book: Amazon | Audible| Barnes & Noble | iTunes | RJ Julia
Also by Elizabeth Meyette:
Love’s Destiny (Brentwood #1)
Love’s Spirit (Brentwood #2)
Find Elizabeth Meyette: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Find Amy McFadden: Website | Facebook | Twitter
Giveaway!
As part of the tour, there is a tour wide giveaway for a $50 Amazon gift card, open internationally. The giveaway is open March 18 to the 25th. All entries are made via the Gleam form on any of the tour stops. Any questions should be directed to Audiobookworm Productions. Good luck!! Love’s Courage Giveaway: $50 Amazon Gift Card
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Copyright © 2018 by The Maiden’s Court
This sounds fascinating and interests me greatly. Many thanks for this feature and giveaway.
ReplyDeleteWe don't see many novels set in this time period for sure.
DeleteSounds good, but that fellow looks like someone...I feel like i have seen him before
ReplyDeleteHaha!!
DeleteThanks you for your excellent review, particularly the audio excerpt. I completely agree re. the audio production & narration.
ReplyDeleteGlad to help!
DeleteThanks for your lovely review, Heather. I'm so glad you enjoyed Love's Courage, and I agree - Amy McFadden does a wonderful job of narrating it and bringing my characters to life.
ReplyDeleteI love hearing when an author finds the audio production to be a great companion to their work.
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