About the Book
Book: Her Steadfast Heart
Author: Sharlene MacLaren
Genre: Christian Historical Romance
Release date: January 26, 2021
Joey Fuller is still mourning three years after his wife’s death, so much so that he leaves his four rambunctious young children to throw himself into the Civil War as a Union captain. But his kids are so ill-behaved that nannies keep quitting—and now, his mother has a broken leg and can’t handle them either. In desperation, Joey decides to advertise for a wife.
Faith Haviland is in a different kind of mourning. Not long ago, her fiancé left her to marry her best friend. Her customers at the diner where she works keep reminding her of that humiliating event and one of them, an older man, has been making aggressive advances. She’s desperate to flee the city—and Joey Fuller’s “Wife Needed” ad seems to be the answer to a prayer.
Will Faith live up to her name when Joey’s kids torment her with their mischief? Can she surrender this strange marriage to God while her new aloof husband is off fighting? And will a string of buttons convince her that he truly loves her?
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Her Steadfast Heart" by Sharlene MacLaren is book 2 in the "Hearts of Honor" Series. I have read the first book awhile back and I can't remember what it was about, because I read too many books to remember every story I read, but I had no trouble reading this book. So, after writing the following sentence I will have to say I believe this second book is a great book to read.
This was a great book about forgiveness and I am glad that Faith shared the gospel message with the other character in the book. I really liked learning about the tradition of the String of Buttons. I also have to say that I really like reading and learning about the children and how they responded to all that was going on.
I like how one character has a complete change of heart.
I like reading about this time in history, The Civil War.
I recommend this book if you like this time period and "Mail Order Brides" and stories where faith wins.
Just a fun fact, this is my own pet peeve, I love the character's name Faith and Joseph, but Joseph is called Joey and my son who is named Joseph has never been called Joey, I refused to allow it. Isn't it funny how people are so different and react so differently to the same things.
I received a complimentary copy from the author and Celebrate Lit and these opinions are my own.
About the Author
Born and raised in west Michigan, Sharlene MacLaren attended Spring Arbor University. Upon graduating with an education degree in 1971, she taught second grade for two years, then accepted an invitation to travel internationally for a year with a singing ensemble. After traveling for a year, she returned to her teaching job, then in 1975, she reunited with her childhood sweetheart, and they married that very December. They have raised two lovely daughters, both of whom are now happily married and enjoying their own families. Retired in 2003 after thirty-one years of teaching, Shar loves to read, sing, travel, and spend time with her family—in particular, her adorable grandchildren!
Shar has always enjoyed writing, and her high school classmates
eagerly read and passed around her short stories. In the early 2000s,
Shar felt God’s call upon her heart to take her writing pleasures a step
further, so in 2006, she signed a contract with Whitaker House for her
first faith-based novel, Through Every Storm, thereby launching
her professional writing career. With more than twenty published novels
now gracing store shelves and being sold online, Shar gives God all the
glory.
Shar’s novels have won numerous awards. Her Steadfast Heart is her twenty-first novel and the second book in her Hearts of Honor series (after Her Rebel Heart).
Shar has done numerous countrywide book signings and has participated in
several interviews on television and radio. She loves to speak for
community organizations, libraries, church groups, and women’s
conferences. In her church, she is active in women’s ministries,
regularly facilitating Bible studies and other events. Shar and her
husband, Cecil, live in Spring Lake, Michigan, with their beautiful
white collie, Peyton.
Shar loves hearing from her readers. If you wish to contact her as a potential speaker or would simply like to chat with her, please send her an e-mail at SharleneMacLaren@Yahoo.com. She will do her best to answer in a timely manner.
More from Sharlene
Faith Haviland swept a few strands of damp hair off her forehead,
irritated by how it had escaped the neat bun of this morning. She
shoveled more dishes into the sink and set to washing them as fast as
possible to prepare for the supper crowd that would soon descend upon
Daybreak Diner. It wasn’t a fairytale job by any means, but, alas, it
was a job, and many would clamor for it if her Aunt Martha ever hung up a
“Help Wanted” sign in the window. Her aunt, who happened to be her
father’s younger sister, owned and operated the establishment and often
stated her wish for Faith to one day take it over. Faith shuddered at
the prospect of telling Martha she’d been entertaining the idea of
leaving Columbus. Martha wouldn’t like the news, but Faith couldn’t
worry about that. Things had grown too tedious in her hometown, and too
many found it their job to remind her of the unfortunate event of her
canceled wedding. Add to that the troublesome, if not peculiarly
obsessive, behavior of Stuart Porter, and tedious hardly described it.
Ever since her fiancé’s departure with her best friend just two weeks
before their April 15 wedding day, Mr. Porter had started closing in on
her, insisting he would marry her in an instant if she’d simply agree.
For as long as she could recall, the man had outwardly admired her, even
though she had done nothing to encourage it. Nothing about him appealed
to her. First, he didn’t serve the Lord; second, he was an obsessive
drinker; third, he came off as pushy and persistent; and finally, he
resembled a goose with his nose sticking out like a beak. Not that looks
meant all that much—goodness, she didn’t consider herself any major
prize—but it was all the other things thrown in. The man was almost
twenty years older than she and widowed to boot. At least, that was the
rumor anyway. No one had really known his wife, only that she was there
one day and gone the next. Some said she’d died, and others said she’d
left him for another man. Whatever the case, it’d been a mysterious
event that few knew anything about, and if they did, no one discussed it
much, probably mostly from lack of caring.
Blog Stops
Connie’s History Classroom, February 9
Texas Book-aholic, February 10
Britt Reads Fiction, February 10
Artistic Nobody, February 11 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, February 12
Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, February 12
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 13
For the Love of Literature, February 14
Sara Jane Jacobs, February 14
Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, February 15
Inklings and notions, February 16
Reviewingbooksplusmore, February 16
For Him and My Family, February 17
Locks, Hooks and Books, February 18
Labor Not in Vain, February 18
deb’s Book Review, February 19
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 20
Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, February 20
Blossoms and Blessings, February 21
Vicky Sluiter, February 22
Genesis 5020, February 22
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Sharlene is giving away the grand prize package of a $20 Starbucks gift card and a copy of the book!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
https://promosimple.com/ps/1073e/her-steadfast-heart-celebration-tour-giveaway
Her Steadfast Heart is a book that I would definitely choose if I were looking for a good book to read. I enjoy marriage of convenience as well as mail order bride stories, and this faith-based story also takes place in one of my favorite historical time periods.
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