Reviewer's Bookshelf: Captured by Love by Jody Hedlund

The British Army has taken control of Michilimackinac Island and its fort, forcing the Americans to swear an oath of loyalty to the crown in order to retain their land. Pierre Durant is a fur trader who returns after being away from the island for years, only to find the family farm a shambles and those he cares about starving and at the mercy of British invaders.

Torn between the adventurous life of fur trading and guilt over neglecting his defenseless mother, Pierre is drawn deeper into the fight against the British--and into a relationship with Angelique MacKenzie, a childhood friend who's grown into a beautiful woman. She now finds herself trapped by the circumstances of war and poverty, and the cruelty of her guardian, Ebenezer Whiley.

As tensions mount and the violence rages on, Pierre and Angelique must decide where their loyalties rest and how much they'll risk for love. (Amazon book summary)

Once again, Jody Hedlund has succeeded in opening up the history books and letting us in to a time that was filled with danger, starvation, war, and passion.  Although our main characters are fictional, it is based on events and people that were a part of our nation's history.  This is one of the things I love about her books.  I feel like I've not only read a wonderful piece of fiction, but I've also learned about a time and place I knew little to nothing about.

Another thing I loved about this story was the internal struggle Angelique and Pierre went through...and how they dealt with it.  In many novels, characters are permitted to do all sorts of things in the name of love.  Whether it be breaking promises or commitments, allowing passion to outweigh purity, and even betraying those who care for them.  It is obvious that Pierre and Angelique care deeply for one another, but both have made a commitment to follow God.  They are convicted of letting their passions and selfishness rule them and have to make some hard decisions because of it.  I appreciated the fact that they held themselves accountable for those actions. The book didn't just wrap up with a happily ever after for the main characters and broken hearts for the rest.  There was resolution and definite satisfaction when I read the last page.

Hedlund is very gifted at portraying the realities of her novels' settings.  Characters are flogged, mistreated, there is hardship, starvation, but there is also good to be found in the midst of it all.  The conflict of good vs evil is ever present, but hope is not absent.  There were moments when I couldn't put the book down...I had to have the knots in my stomach settled!  At the end of the novel there is also historical information in the Author's Note that affirms the accuracy of the setting.

I would highly recommend Captured by Love...as well as Jody's other novels!

*****

5 stars---absolutely loved it!

**I received a free copy of this novel from Bethany House via NetGalley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review**