To Love and Cherish

Melinda Colson was once a young woman of means and ran in the same social circle of the woman, Mrs. Mifflin, she now serves as a lady's maid. Everything changed with the death of her parents, leaving her and her brother almost penniless.  Melinda is fortunate to find a job with Mrs. Mifflin rather than having to serve as a house servant but she longs for something more.

Melinda travels each winter to Bridal Veil Island, off the Georgia coast, with the Mifflins. Over the years, she had fallen in love with the assistant gamekeeper, Evan. This year, she planned a different ending to the season. She thought Evan would propose and ask her to stay at Bridal Veil but that didn't happen in spite of the obvious hints she gave him when she was forced to make an early departure for the season. Assured of Evan's love in the letters that passed between the two of them, Melinda resigns her job and is determined to travel back to Bridal Veil and discover if Evan is even still alive after a devastating hurricane hits the island and the death of a young man is reported. Finding Evan alive, Melinda finds a job on the island but still has no offer of marriage.  Was it a mistake to come back to Bridal Veil?  Will Evan ever be willing to ask Melinda to be his bride?

Neither Melinda or Even react to each other as the typical love story portrays.  Melinda's attempts to manipulate her circumstances to turn out the way she thinks they should only result in frustration for her.  Could there be a lesson in that for each of us?  How many time do I forge on ahead without asking God what He wants for my life or do I tire of waiting for His timing?

I have read a number of books by both Tracie Peterson and Judith Miller.  I must admit that To Love and Cherish didn't grab me as I expected it to.  While it is number two in a series, I didn't have any difficulty understanding the entire story even though I hadn't read the first in the series.  However, I thought the plot moved a bit slow.  The setting and time period are quite charming and take the reader back to the late 19th century when social classes were a big deal and the wealthy had little get away cottages on lovely islands.  That part I did enjoy.   And, the storyline did pick up a bit in the second half of the book.  I'm not saying that I didn't enjoy the story but I have read better by both authors.

I did receive this book free from Bethany House Publisher in exchange for an honest review.  I was in no way obligated to leave a postitive review.