A Love Most Worthy by Sandra Ardoin

I am impressed with this Christian romantic novella. I usually don't read novellas as I generally find them unrealistic or rushed. This one was great. The pacing of the story was very good. The characters were developed well and the plot was good.

The story is of the mail order bride variety. The location is Nome, Alaska at the end of the nineteenth century, during the gold rush. Rance needs a woman to care for his nephews after their parents died. Hallie arrives from Seattle to marry a man she does not know. It is to be a marriage in name only, she finds, isolated in her own bedroom. The boys need a woman to care for them and Rance is determined to shutter his heart against potential love. We wonder if Hallie will ever win him over.

I liked the setting and learned quite a bit about the gold rush. Ardoin does well in description. I almost felt the wind and pelting rain during a devastating storm. I liked the supporting characters too, especially the craggy but kind older miners. There is a little bit of humor in the story and a smattering of suspense.

I recommend this novella to readers who would enjoy a good story that can be read of an evening.

My rating: 5/5 stars.

Sandra Ardoin is the author of the novella, The Yuletide Angel and the award-winning novel, A Reluctant Melody. Her short stories have been published in several publications and her light verse has appeared in The Saturday Evening Post and other magazines. You can find out more at https://sandraardoin.wordpress.com/.

Amazon Digital Services LLC, about 105 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the author. My comments are an independent and honest review.