Maryland Brides: Love's Denial/The Ruse/Vera's Turn for Love

by Tamela Hancock Murray

Historical Love isn't always a simple process. All Raleigh Alden wants to do is keep unscrupulous merchants from exploiting his family fortune. When he falls for a seamstress, will he let his reputation get in the way of true love? Katherine Jones's longtime pen pal, Otis Rath is coming to visit her under false pretenses. What will happen when the truth is revealed? Vera Howard sees her friends fall in love and marry, but no one shows any interest in her-until the dashing Byron Gates comes to town. Will Byron's past of flirtations and gambling end any hopes for the couple's future?

Genres: Christian Fiction, Christian Romance

352 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2007

About the author

Tamela has been interested in writing in one form or another all her life. She contributed to all of her school newspapers by writing articles and editing. During her time as a Capitol Hill intern, her duties included answering constituent correspondence. Working as a college intern for the Bureau of Public Affairs, Editorial Division of the U.S. Department of State, gave her the opportunity to write in a more journalistic style, including news briefs for the Secretary of State. She graduated with honors in Journalism from Lynchburg College in Virginia. An award-winning, bestselling author, Tamela has more than 20 fiction and nonfiction books to her credit, and has written for magazines and newspapers. She has discussed her work on radio and television.
After serving as a literary agent at Hartline Literary Agency for ten years, Tamela is now thrilled to be with The Steve Laube Agency! Her professional affiliations include American Christian Fiction Writers and The Christian Authors Network.
Tamela enjoys spending wonderful times with her husband and their two daughters, as well as extended family and friends.

Reviews

[Jacqueline · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a romance book. Not my thing. Only read the first chapter.

[Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh. The short stories are okay, but not gripping by any stretch of the imagination. So far I have read the first story and gotten partway the second but I almost feel like hurrying through the book to get to something I feel like reading more. With short stories it is sometimes hard to develop characters, and this might be one of those books. I have read short stories I really liked before, but this isn't one of them. The religious expressions in the stories feels slightly forced to me. The stories are entertaining and not bad, but neither are they hitting home. For the first few chapters of the second story, the two main characters kept looking like 12 year olds in my minds eye, rather than two people falling in love. I think I just expected to like the book more than I do.

One, two, skip a few pages and I have finished two out of three stories.

[Sherri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Weak plot lines, cheesy dialogue, little far fetched. The last story in the book was teh best that had a little mystery element. Not really a book that has depth to it but very very light read.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book was great--three heartfelt stories that will put a smile on your face!