Review – Love’s First Bloom

Love’s First Bloom
by Delia Parr
Bethany House Publishers
320 pages

From Goodreads:  Ruth Livingstone's life changes dramatically in 1838. When her father, a pastor to fallen women, is accused of murdering prostitute Rosalie Peale, Ruth flees with Rosalie's daughter to a New Jersey village. There Ruth lives quietly as "Widow Malloy"---until brash newspaper reporter Asher Tripp arrives. Will he discover her secret and endanger her mission?

MY REVIEW:

Set in 1838, this historical romance about young Ruth Livingstone’s life as Widow Malloy told quite a few history lessons along the way.  Things we take for granted in the 21st century were definitely not commonplace during this time.

Widow Malloy arrives in a small village in New Jersey with a toddler in arms, staying with some friends of her father.  After some tragic events transpire she’s not really sure what she will do next, all the while trying to figure out the feelings she’s starting to have for a new man in town.  But each of them are keeping secrets not only from each other, but in fact from the entire village.

While there some predictable parts to this novel it didn’t take away from the reading enjoyment.  The author threw in enough plot twists that I looked forward to my reading time with this book each day.  I would definitely recommend it to anybody that enjoys historical romances.

** Thank you to Bethany House Publishers for providing me with a copy of this book to review.