Book Three in the Edge of Freedom series
*I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House publishers in order to give an unbiased book review*
I'm going to preface this book by saying that I didn't read the first two books in this series, so I was going into it unfamiliar with the characters, setting, and plot. I can happily say that this didn't prevent me from following the story line and enjoying the book. However, if I would've read them it probably would've given me more insight and some good background info.
Tillie McGrath left Ireland with her fiance, Braeden, for America. They were fleeing corruption and hardship in Ireland in hopes for a better life. Unfortunately, as they traveled Braeden fell ill and died on the ship before they even reached freedom's shores. Tillie is understandably devastated and taken by the ship's captain, Keondric Morgan, to a boarding house to start a new life. And Tillie does just that. Her new dream is to save enough to buy a house she can convert into an orphanage. Two years after Captain Morgan drops her off, she is surprised to see him show up at the boarding house steps, concerned for her welfare.
Tillie McGrath made an impression on Captain Morgan during their short acquaintance. What especially sticks out in his mind is how heartbroken she was when he left her alone two years before. When a crew member confesses on his deathbed that he was bribed to kill Tillie's fiance, Morgan knows he has to make sure Tillie is safe....it's his responsibility. He takes it upon himself to not only check on Tillie personally, but to put himself in a position to protect her. As he and his brother, Cass, find a way to stay at the boarding house with Tillie to keep an eye on her, it becomes obvious that the danger they fear is very real...and deadly.
This book has so many great elements: romance, tension, danger, intrigue, and intensity. At the beginning of the story, because I had not read the previous two books to get background info, I was trying to figure out who the players were. I liked the tough, Irish sea captain. He was loyal and determined to provide for those he loved, which included protecting them (I think it has to be some kind of oldest child trait : )). His younger brother, Cass, is the handsome playboy that is courageous but knows how to lighten the mood. Tillie is a broken woman, but she is slowly building her confidence and strength when we meet her. Then there are the bad guys...and the Irish rebels...and there's a lot of them, particularly one head baddie nicknamed "The Celt."
This story revolves around the killing of a prominent leader in the Irish rebellion against England's rule. Tillie and several others are involved in knowing who murdered this leader but they don't know who is behind all of the killing and plotting. Enter suspense and intensity. This is what I really like about the book. I didn't know what was going to happen next, if Tillie would be safe (and, of course, she's always taking unwise risks), and if Morgan or Cass would be there to rescue her. At the end of the story I got a little confused with all the names being thrown at me and it was kind of hard to keep good guy names/bad guy names straight in my mind. Other than that, I thought the suspense was a nice element to the story and kept my heart pumping and pages turning!
The only thing that kind of irritated me (spoiler warning) is the constant miscommunication between our guy and girl. It's obvious they're head over heels, but their thoughts about what the other one wants, or reading into their actions too much, constantly put each one into a state of heartbreak. I know that can happen in real life....but I kind of wished I could jump into that book and shake them sometimes! It's like...enough already! : ) I also thought the cover art was beautiful but I didn't really connect how it all fit with the story. I'm guessing the guy on the front is the captain, but that's not really how I pictured him.
I would definitely recommend this book. I thought it was interesting, had the romantic element I like, gave me a good dose of suspense and didn't spare our lead characters from getting attacked from the bad guys. Hope you enjoy! Happy reading!
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