Wednesday, June 6, 2012

On My Nightstand - A Bride's Sweet Surprise by Ramona K. Cecil






Regina's two older sisters married for love, but her father wants a German son-in-law. She's shocked when he announces he's arranged a marriage for her with someone from the old country, a man she's never met. She devises a plan to make herself unappealing to him, but she didn't count on one thing: falling in love.

Diedrich is in a no-win situation. He either gets conscripted into the Prussian army or marries a woman in America. What if his bride-to-be is ugly? He hopes to avoid the marriage and become rich in California's gold fields. He changes his mind when Regina captures his heart.

When everything seems to be headed toward the great Happily-Ever-After Ending, a startling secret threatens to unravel their lives.

Ramona K. Cecil did a wonderful job with this story. She showed the difficulties of making tough decisions and the turmoil of these young people. I'm looking forward to her future books.

Writers: Much has been written about the theme/moral of a story. Do you decide ahead of time what underlying spiritual thread will run through your book or does it happen organically?

Readers: Have any of the books you read impacted your own life decisions? Please share.

Disclaimer: I won this novel in a blog giveaway. Neither the author nor the publisher asked for a review. I did not receive any remuneration for giving my opinion.



9 comments:

Marja Verschoor-Meijers said...

What an interesting topic to write about, especially because arranged marriages still happen in many countries today.

Unknown said...

I can't imagine being part of an arranged marriage. Sounds like a sweet story. Have a blessed week, Susan! Hugs!

Susan J. Reinhardt said...

Hi Marja - I thought the author did a great job with this topic.

Hi Maria - Neither can I!

Blessings,
Susan :)

Karen Lange said...

Sounds like a winner! Thanks for the review. :)

Susan J. Reinhardt said...

Hi Karen -

It was! Thanks for stopping by and commenting.

Blessings,
Susan :)

JD said...

I know two happily-married women who surprised me by saying their marriages were arranged. Both live in the U.S. but hail from parts of the world where arranged marriages are common. Both woman see arranged marriages as a positive thing, but I haven't dared to ask if they'd wish as much on their own children. While I respect the beliefs of others, I thank God my husband and I married each other willingly and for love!

This would be an interesting read just to see how the author tackles this situation. Thanks for the review, Susan. :-)

Enjoy the rest of your week!

Dorothy said...

I am fascinated by arranged marriages. My parents' marriage was kind of arranged by Mum's aunt and Dad's mother. They were good friends and pulled many strings, but Mum and Dad had the final say.

My heroine arrives in Australia from England in 1875 for an arranged marriage. I had fun starting from there.

Sarah Forgrave said...

I'm so glad you liked the book, Susan! :)

Susan J. Reinhardt said...

Hi Janette - If you come from a culture where that's the norm, it's easier to accept. For us, it would present much conflict.

Hi Dorothy - Ah, family members plotting and planning! I'm glad it worked out for your parents.

Hi Sarah - Yes, I did. I hope to contact Ramona for an interview. :)

Blessings,
Susan