I am excited to now be writing book reviews for Celebrate Lit! I have enjoyed reading book reviews from a friend of mine who has been a part of it for years. When I read that they were having an open enrollment, so to speak, I decided to apply. I think I'm supposed to tell you that I was sent this book for free in return for giving a review of the book. All opinions are my own.

My first book to review is Katherine's Arrangement by Blossom Turner. You can read the synopsis of the book below. I believe this is the author's second book (a stand-alone) and she has another one that will be a sequel to this one about Katherine's sister.

For the type of book that it is (I would call it historical romance), it is well-written. There is a lot of description, but it doesn't fall into the info-dump category. From the beginning, you get a good sense of who Katherine is but you are not told her whole life's story in the first chapter. Katherine is a bit multi-layered, which is always good: strong yet vulnerable in some areas (understandably so). Her arranged husband Josiah is a gentleman in every sense of the word but has a jealous streak that causes big trouble in their marriage. One of the things I like best in the book is that it shows redemption and you see several people in the story come to Christ.

For the most part, there were no big surprises in the book, although some things I figured out |just| before it happened. The one surprise in the book is part of what made the book feel very heavy and stressful in the middle, but it all worked out in the end. There were a lot of descriptions of Katherine's and Josiah's physical attributes and how they set off butterflies and growing fires of desire in each other. I don't really go for that kind of description in the books that I like best, but it is worth noting.

About the Book

Book: Katherine’s Arrangement
Author: Blossom Turner
Genre: Christian Historical Fiction
Release Date: August 4, 2020

Marrying him is her only choice to save her family, but Josiah Richardson isn’t at all the man she expected.

Katherine William’s family was left destitute when their home was burned to the ground by Yankee soldiers, so the ready solution presented by the prominent Mr. Josiah Richardson seems almost too good to believe. He’ll provide a home, work for her pa, and a new beginning for her family…if only Katherine will accept his proposal. A marriage of convenience is the last thing she wants, but there doesn’t seem to be a better option for her family or herself. Setting aside her dreams of love, Katherine agrees to the arrangement.

The gentleman in Josiah Richardson can no more force his frightened bride into his bed, than he can force her into loving him, so he sets out to gently woo her. He works hard to befriend her, to earn her trust and win her love.

Katherine is pleasantly surprised to find herself drawn to the man she thought she would never love, until an unexpected friendship tears apart all they’ve worked for. Where once the promise of love had budded between Josiah and Katherine, now they wonder what to do with their so-called marriage. Is love strong enough to weave its healing power through two broken hearts?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Blossom Turner is a freelance writer published in Chicken Soup and Kernels of Hope anthologies, former newspaper columnist on health and fitness, an avid blogger, and author. Her authentic understanding of the power of love is woven through the pages of Book One in the Shenandoah Bride series—Katherine’s Arrangement. She and her husband, David, have two grown children and live in beautiful British Columbia, Canada. Read more at blossomturner.com.

More from Blossom

From the time I was a little girl I had a love for reading, a wild imagination, and the desire to write. At twelve, I received my first Bible and read all the way through a King James Version. My love for Jesus was cemented. I day-dreamed of a Cinderella happily-ever-after story. The traumatic childhood I was living in was gentled by the dream of being whisked away by a handsome prince and truly loved. Put that all together, and the building blocks for writing romantic fiction are all in place.
But how did I get to writing historical romance? Well that was for one reason only…I loved reading stories of arranged marriages and wanted to write one. The drama, the tension, the love that can flourish out of nothing, I just loved the concept but…the scenario had to be believable to me. Thus, the wheels of imagination started turning. What better than right after the Civil War, in the Shenandoah Valley where houses were burned and people left destitute? I’m Canadian and had a smattering of knowledge of that time period, so had to do extensive research to pull it off. To be historically accurate was much more difficult than writing my first novel, Anna’s Secret, set in today’s era. Now I am hooked on writing historical romance. I’m both a sensitive and an old soul and it fits my personality perfectly. Who knew? God did.
I think when you read Katherine’s Arrangement, you will agree that the drama that brings this couple together is both believable and engaging. I am so excited to write this five-book series on five sisters and their love stories, as I come from a large family with six sisters and one brother. I write from family dynamics I know all about.

The reason I write is two-fold. I believe when writing fiction that one must deliver a love story that touches the heart, that draws people in, that makes them both laugh and cry. The entertainment value must be there. Then, I weave in my love for Jesus in a non-preachy, realistic way, with the hopes and failures of everyday people. The resounding theme in Katherine’s Arrangement is that God can work all things for good when we choose to place our life in His trustworthy hands. It is uncanny how love can grow in the fertile soil of good choices. But don’t be fooled, as with most of us, Katherine had to go through her gamut of bad choices before she surrendered.
I pray you will find a little bit of your story in Katherine’s story, and that, above all, you will enjoy the read.