From the Cover:
All Phoebe Lee wants out of life is to practice midwifery in
Loudon County, Virginia. But when she refuses to accompany her pregnant
sister-in-law to help save her husband from prison during the War of 1812,
Phoebe finds herself pressed aboard a British privateer.
Captain Rafe Docherty promises to get Phoebe’s
brother-in-law out of prison in exchange for information Rafe needs to exact
revenge on the man who destroyed his family.
As he realizes his attraction to Phoebe, she determines to get ashore
before her patient goes into labor—and before her own heart is in danger. But
an enemy in their midst threatens to end their plans—and their very lives.
Andrea’s Take:
I read the first book in The Midwives series, Lady in the Mist, and thoroughly enjoyed
it, so when Laurie Alice Eakes asked for influencers for book two, Heart’s Safe Passage, I was all over it.
And I was not disappointed.
Phoebe is a woman trying desperately to give the pain of her
past to God and allow Him to fill her heart. Rafe is a man trying desperately
to hold onto his pain, shutting out God and all echoes of conscience. Both
think they have succeeded.
When they are forced together, they learn how wrong they
are. Phoebe is a loud and insistent voice of conscience that Rafe cannot
silence. Rafe’s lifestyle and actions bring to the surface feelings Phoebe
thought long-conquered. He says to her at one point, “Perhaps God has used me
to lance your wounds so they can truly heal.” Similarly, God uses Phoebe to
salve Rafe’s wounds in spite of his determination to keep them festering.
Rafe is a most compelling hero. The tragedy that struck his
family, through the machinations of a wicked and greedy man, is truly
appalling. The reader can easily understand—and almost applaud—his need for
vengeance. Almost.
Phoebe is an admirable heroine. When she realizes she still
harbors anger and fear over things in her past, she confesses it, “I want to
save your soul, but now I see mine for the tarnished vessel it is.” She learns
that God can use even a tarnished vessel if it is willing, and in the using of
it, shines it up so it will reflect Him all the better.
Character to Watch:
Melvina: A young
lady who has the run of her father’s heart, and his ship despite his efforts to
corral her. She’s a good girl; though
getting her way sometimes leads to serious trouble. But God uses the trouble to
achieve His goals, and Melvina, though a little worse for wear comes out well
in the end.
I thank Laurie Alice Eakes and Revell Publishing for my complimentary
copy of Heart’s Safe Passage. The
only compensation I received is the sweet satisfaction of enjoying a story well
told.
