The Brickmaker's Bride

Refined by Love #1

by Judith McCoy Miller

Bestselling Author Judith Miller Debuts Historical Series Set in West Virginia

Yearning for a fresh start, Ewan McKay travels with his aunt and uncle from northern Scotland to West Virginia, promising to trade his skills in the clay business for financial assistance from his uncle Hugh. Hugh purchases a brickmaking operation from a Civil War widow and her daughter, but it's Ewan who gets the business up and running again. Ewan seeks help from Laura, the former owner's daughter, and he feels a connection with her, but she's being courted by another man--a lawyer with far more social clout and money than Ewan. Besides, Ewan has resolved he'll focus on making the brickmaking operation enough of a success that he can become a partner in the business
and be able to afford to bring his sisters over from Scotland.

But when Hugh signs a bad business deal, all Ewan's hard work may come to naught. As his plans begin to crumble, Laura reveals something surprising. She and her mother may have a way to save the brickworks, and in turn Ewan may have another shot at winning Laura's heart.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction, Romance, Historical, Fiction, Christian, Historical Romance

354 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 30, 2014

About the author

Judith McCoy Miller is an award-winning author whose avid research and love for history are reflected in her bestselling novels. Judy and her husband make their home in Topeka, Kansas.

Reviews

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was slow to begin with, but became increasingly enticing to the point where I could not put it down. I feel like the ending was incomplete, I wanted- for lack of a better word- more. I wanted to know more than what I was told; however, I feel like the author conveyed God's grace and mercy in a way that many don't. Mrs. Miller did not hand everything to characters within this novel, they learned quickly that God doesn't always answer yes to our prayers, that sometimes the answer may very well be no. Over all I will rate this novel a five because it was deliciously good, and I wanted to see if their was a second novel with the same leads; however, sadly there was not.

[Kav · Rating 5 out of 5]

Be prepared to settle in and enjoy this exceptional novel. It's the kind of book you lose yourself in. The characters become real -- and not just the hero and heroine. There are some (unfortunately) very real secondary characters as well. Take Winston Hawkins for instance. Smarmy and self-serving. Shudder. Like reading fingernails on a blackboard. I did not like that man! And Ewan's aunt. Merciful heavens but she must have given the poor author a headache every time she burst onto a scene!

As distasteful as those two are, they provided wonderful opportunities for conflict that kept me riveted to the page. In fact it wasn't long before a niggling sense of wariness developed into full blown dread as I began to see how everything was going to play out. Nooooooo! But Miller throws in some surprising twists that make the conclusion anything but predictable.

The historical details are exquisite and I so appreciate the care this author takes with her research. All those little details enrich the reading experience so much. I think The Brickmaker's Bride might just be my favourite Miller book yet.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

[Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls) · Rating 3 out of 5]

About this book:

“In the Clay-Rich Hill of the Newly Founded State of West Virginia, Tow Families Tentatively Come Together to Rebuild a War-Torn Brickmaking Business.
Ewan McKay has immigrated to West Virginia with his aunt and uncle, promising to trade his skills in the clay business for financial help. Uncle Hugh purchases a brickmaking operation from a Civil War widow and her daughter, and it’s Ewan’s job to get the company up and running again.
Ewan seeks help from Laura, the former owner’s daughter, and he quickly feels a connection with her, but she’s being courted by another man—a lawyer with far more social clout and money than Ewan. Resolving that he’ll make the brickworks enough of a success that he can become a partner in the business and be able to afford to bring his sisters over from Ireland, Ewan pours all his energy into the new job.
But when Hugh signs a bad business deal, all Ewan’s hard work is put in jeopardy. As his hopes for the future crumble, Laura reveals something surprising. Can she help him save the brickworks, and will Ewan finally get a shot at winning her heart?”


Series: Book #1 in the “Refined by Love” series.


Spiritual Content- Genesis 11:3 at the beginning; Ewan has a strong Faith & witnesses as well; Church going; Scriptures are mentioned; Laura questions God’s plan; Many talks about Heaven, God, His plans & Him blessing us; Prayers.
*Note: “folks refer to Pittsburgh as h*ll with the lid taken off” and “some say that living in Pittsburgh is good practice for those who are on their way to that fiery furnace the Bible promises.” are both said once.


Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a “blarney” and a “shoddy”; Winston says he’s heard that Irish men are prone to drinking; Mentions of gambling & Mentions of drinking; Pipes are smoked.


Sexual Content- six semi-detailed kisses; Notices of lips & touches; *Spoilers* A baby is conceived (and later born) out of wedlock (the jerk told the woman that he doubts the baby is his and “that a girl that was as easily bedded as me had surely been sleeping with every man she ever met.” (which isn’t true); Laura can’t have children because she was thrown from a horse at age 13. *End of Spoilers* Love, falling in love & the emotions.

-Laura Woodfield
-Ewan McKay
P.O.V. switches between them Set in 1868-1870{Chapters 1-12: 1868; Chap. 13-28: 1869; Chap. 29-End: 1870}
346 pages

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star (and a half)
Early High School Teens- Two Stars
Older High School Teens- Three Stars
My personal Rating- Three Stars
While at first learning about the making of bricks was interesting, it was much slower in the beginning than at the end. It was pretty cute though.



This has been a wonderful week! Thank you so very much for supporting BFCG to 150 reviews and 20,000 page views! I’m still in shock over all of it! Thank you!


Link to review:
http://booksforchristiangirls.blogspo...



*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
*I received this book for free from the Publisher (Bethany House) for this review.

[Joleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Up until 2:00 am to finish this, so it's too late to write an adequate review. Will write more tomorrow.

Okay, I've had time to think about this book.

Title: Gives the ending away... just saying

Clean: Good morals, more or less a Christian book, but no Gospel that I can recall

Conflict: Meh, not enough time, or detail, or feeling around any of them. Nothing kept me on the edge of my seat to see what would happen

Main Characters:
Laura, daughter of a West Virginia brickyard owner (who died in the Civil War). She and her mother sold the business after a while and this is where the rest of the characters come in:

Uncle Hugh McKay: Scots-Irish gambler who won (swindled?) a lot of money and was in search of a brick making business. Man was only out for himself. He and his wife (Aunt Margaret) were pretty awful.

Ewan McKay: Nephew to Hugh who came with them from Ireland to help with a brick-making business, and then to bring over family members. Truly nice fellow who was honest, a Christian, and only wanted truth as his guide.

Winston: Lawyer and "love" interest for Laura. Sort of likeable at first, although prejudice against Irish immigrants.

Character Interactions: This took me a while. Something bugged me to no end about the conversations the characters had. What they all lacked was emotion. When someone was chided, the responses were almost robotic, like there was no feeling. (And if one is expressed, as in the case of an over the top anger and blame scene Ewan had toward Laura, there should be an option for the two to discuss it. If the author had run with that and turned that into a small side story, and show ANY KIND of resolution, that would have been helpful... but nothing, seriously.. nothing came of it). Love emotions were practically non-existent. Not that I want mental bodice ripping or even mushy romantic lines, but sincere feelings, and lead up to those feelings would have made this book so much better.
Although I liked the plot there could have been a lot more to make you feel for what you were reading.

[Paula-O · Rating 4 out of 5]

Series Refined by Love book#1 "The Brickmaker's Bride", written by Judith McCoy Miller

This was a story of irish imigrants coming to America to fulfil a dream and also of a family that had know wealth but tempered it by their wanting to help others. I enjoyed seeing the compassion of Laura.
Rough and tumble Irishman Ewan McKay had a heart for people but I felt he let his uncle take advantage of him, on more then one occasion.
Ewan knew the brickmaking business but his uncle had the money to finance their goals.
Uncle Hugh had an addiction to gambling that hurt himself and others as he ambled through life. His wife was a hard one to live with in the way she had to have so many things "Her Way".

Ewan was appreciative when Laura and her Mother sold the business to him and his uncle and also helped them to learn how to make it prosperous.
In the Clay rich hills of the state of West Virginia two families come together to rebuild a war-torn brickmaking business.
You will enjoy how the two families find common ground to work on and become friends.

[Reet Champion · Rating 3 out of 5]

Laura Woodfield is living in a world far different from the one she grew up in. With her father dead and the States attempting to recover in the wake of the Civil War Laura and her mother need to make wise decisions. And seeking the family brickyard is logical. Enter Ewan McKay. Scotch-Irish Ewan wants the new-found business venture with his spendthrift uncle to succeed for more reasons than one. If successful he can finally bring his sisters over from Ireland. But as he encounters obstacles at every turn he may have to do a little relying on Laura despite his aunt and uncle's dislike of the woman.

Oi. For me pulling through this book was shear torture. I just couldn't get into the plot although I wish I could have. A large part that turned me off almost on the outset was the need for the characters to explain historical facts to the reader that I was ready to burst into tears. While it is true I love history I like to have it seamlessly weaved into the story like it is something natural. This was not so with The Brickmaker's Bride. Another qualm was the slowness. The story moved very slowly and I found myself continually looking down at the page number of my Nook to see how much progress was to be made before the end. Aaaaa! Suffice it to say this was not a favorite.

DISCLAIMER: In accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising” we would like to note that we received an electronic copy of “The Brickmaker's Bride” provided by the publishers, Bethany House, through Netgalley.com in exchange for our honest review.

reetchampionbookreviews.wordpress.com

[Patti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book free from Bethany House for my honest review. And honestly, I loved it!! It really was a great story. I learned more about brickmaking than I ever knew I wanted to know..LOL.. but I enjoyed learning it! Who knew color mattered? Or how it was smoked? I loved learning about it. The characters are larger than life. Some miserable - others down right lovable!! You can feel their hurt and pain and joy and love. It is well written and a nice read. It involves the hard decisions we need to make about our future and whether someone would find us lovable as we are. Should we just assume someone will not care for us because of a flaw? Or should we allow them to make that choice. The lesson I learned was that sometimes we decide things for others and it is not even a concern of theirs. What others value and what we think they value can be very different things and we should never decide for them. Also, the thought that people can change is strongly stressed. I am sure you will enjoy this read. Judith Miller tells a nice story and keeps you engaged.

[Kym · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the characters and setting of this novel. The connection between Ewan and Laura is obvious right from the start, and I couldn't help but cheer Ewan on in his determination to make the business an honest success in spite of his uncle's poor decisions. Although Laura had agreed to allow the lawyer to court her, it was out of a resignation that she had to take what she could get, and I didn't like him at all, which kept me wondering until Laura's secret was revealed - what it was that made her think the ambitious lawyer was the only man likely to accept her. Compulsive gambler Uncle Hugh and his demanding and critical wife Maggie were a constant thorn in the side for Ewan, but they also provided quite a bit of humor throughout the story.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked THE BRIDEMAKER’S BRIDE, but I didn't like it. I liked Ewan and Laura. I didn’t like Laura’s suitor (why did she choose him?) or Ewan’s relatives. The storyline is intriguing. Especially why was Laura – a proper lady – so involved in the brick-making business? Why was their brick field the only one Ewan’s aunt would consider? Why did she insist on wanting Laura’s home? Was that part of the sale of the business? If so, why didn’t they ever tour the house? So many questions. I am iffy about this book. It had it’s good parts. And it’s bad. I’m giving it three out of five stars.

[✨ Gramy ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise, believable characters, and the place of the story were solid. But it took way too long to get past all the negativity and move on to the hope.

The main male character was characterized precisely as many men of the era acted. He was egotisical, controlling, and unbearable. Laura deserved so much more.

Ewan was a hard working, studious, and compassionate person, who was taken advantage of by his aunt and uncle.

It was a good read, but I just was not overjoyed by it.

[Karol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable story. The time period was just after the Civil War (the book starts in 1868) and I learned something about how bricks were made then - which was actually quite interesting. I will likely look for the other books in the series.

[ASC Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I probably would have given this one 3 and a half stars if I could have, but I think it was more towards 4 than 3 :)

A nice easy, read for me personally, and I really enjoyed it! It flows along in a nice steady pace, holds great twists, and fabulous characters! There were a few things that I felt didn't wrap up and were kind of left up in the air, but I hope they will be concluded as the series goes on. :) I for one can't wait for more with some of my favorite characters as the leads! One of the things that I especially enjoyed was the process of the brick making! I always love to learn how things like this were done, and I especially love it when the author writes about them in enough detail that I can picture the step by step process. Judith does this beautifully! A sweet story, with fabulous characters and interesting settings. I don't think you can go wrong! :) There's times when my blood would boil along with the main characters and I really love how the story shows God's timing and ours are not always the same! :) I really enjoyed the spiritual lessons and messages and though I've said this above I really LOVED these characters! Overall this is a good book, with a sweet story, and I highly recommend it! :)

Songs taken from the book or inspired by thing in the book:
"Not For A Moment (After All)" by Meredith Andrews,
"Swallow Tail Jig" by Irish & Celtic Folk Wanderers,
"Hogmanay Jig / We Wish You A Merry New Year" by Magpie Lane,
and "Blue Danube Waltz Medley ( Piano ) (feat. Falk Richter)" by Johann Strauss
Songs etc. May be changed and/or added in the future. ~ASC

Genesis 11:3


~ASC


*I requested and received this book as a member of Litfuse for the purpose of reviewing it. This in no way affected my opinion and the above are my true thoughts and feelings about The Brickmaker's Bride. ~ASC

[Meagan Myhren-Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Brickmaker’s Bride
Refined by Love
By Judith Miller

The Woodfield Brickworks has been known for its quality and reliability. But with the death of the owner Isaiah Woodfield in the War between the States the brickyard has been idle, awaiting a new owner.

When Hugh Crothers and his nephew Ewan McKay show an interest in purchasing her father's brickyard Laura Woodfield insists on meeting them. Ewan shows an understanding unlike his brusque and profit-seeking uncle.

The sale of the brickyard sees Ewan seeking out Laura and her understanding of the workings of her father's brickyard. Laura is more than happy to offer her assistance in offering information and guidance on potential workers, contract contacts, and bookkeeping records. Where Hugh and especially his wife meet Laura's offered assistance with suspicion, Ewan accepts it with gratitude.

But Hugh isn't the businessman he thinks himself to be and signs a contract that threatens to destroy the business that Ewan is struggling to build up. And it could displace all the workers who have been employed at the brickyard. Laura is determined to see Ewan and the brickyard succeed, but is there anything she can do to help?

The Brickmaker's Bride is set in West Virginia shortly after the end of the Civil War. The Tygart Valley River region has been devastated by the war and is in a state of rebuilding. This is a world where a woman's place was to be found in the home as a wife and mother. And immigrants are meet with suspicion. This is an interesting and entertaining step back in time. We often consider this to be a simpler time, but when we take a longer look this is not so. This yet another delightful book from Judith Miller you'll want to take the time to enjoy.

I was provided a copy of this book by Bethany House through their blogger program in exchange for my honest review.

[Vera Godley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found The Brickmaker's Bride interesting in its treatment of Scotch-Irish immigrants and their treatment by society and the general populace during this post Civil-War period. The story features Ewan, a Scotch-Irish immigrant who had been brought to America by his Uncle Hugh for the sole purpose of purchasing and operating a brick making refinery.

Judith Miller created a complexity of characters for this story. Margaret the brash, rude, and frankly unbelievable wife of Uncle Hugh. Ewan who is a noble man in character, kind, patient, hard working, and knowledgeable about business and the workings of the brick factory. Winston, the banker is courting the leading lady, Laura, and he is a snob, a political wanna-be, and a general clout. And of course, Laura's mother who is gracious, generous, and kind.

At times during the reading, I grew weary of the characters and their behavior; but as the story progressed, I enjoyed it and grew to appreciate the detail Judith Miller had taken to create their individual temperaments and behaviors.

The story ends rather abruptly and I would have liked to have had some more details fleshed out or resolved. But perhaps the author is planning on revealing those in a subsequent book. We shall look forward to that possibility.

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for my review. Opinions expressed are solely my own. The giveaway copy is also provided by Litfuse who will send the prize directly to the winner.

[Maureen Timerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is set in a reconstruction America, the Civil War has finally ended, and the country is trying to recover. Laura Woodfield’s father was a casualty of the war, and now her mother wants to sell their brickyard.
We have Irish immigrants who become interested in purchasing this business, and a young man Ewan McKay who desperately wants the business to succeed; he wants to bring his sisters to America.
The theme of the story is part romance, and part answering to God for sins. The money to purchase the plant is ill gotten, and Ewan’s Uncle is still following the wrong way of living. Things get so bad, that the new business appears to be going down the tubes. Will anything happen to help them save the company?
I loved looking at this part of our countries history, and could just picture going from home to home, by foot and horse. There are some very interesting characters in this story, and felt another book could be written about Kathleen, Uncle Hugh’s sister-in-law, and sister to Margaret.
The faith of most of these people touched me; they really lived their love of God. I enjoyed this story in many ways, and we need to remember our past, so it doesn’t repeat.

I received this book through Litfuse Publicity Book Tours, and was not required to give a positive review.

[Jess O. (From Jess to You) · Rating 2 out of 5]

"2.5 out of 5 stars, a man sets out to America to create a better life for himself and his three younger sisters has to deal with deceiving relatives and powerful men hoping to see him fail while praying that God will see him through.

I had high hopes for this novel, and while I liked Ewan, Laura, and their relationship, it still didn't meet my expectations. I mostly feel that way because it was hard for me to take Ewan's Uncle Hugh & Aunt Margaret's constant scathing comments. If Ewan was real instead of fictional, I wouldn't know how he could've put up with the remarks as long as he did. In truth, the actions of Aunt Margaret, Uncle Hugh, and Winston (Laura's suitor) really made it difficult for me to get through this novel because animosity seemed never ending at times.

However, as I said before I liked Ewan & Laura. Them being together and seeing how their relationship played out was the only reason I stuck with this novel."

Read more of this review and TWO teasers here: http://frommetoyouvideophoto.blogspot.com/2014/10/disappointmentville-refined-by-love.html

[Hallie (Hallie Reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is also posted on Book by Book.

The Brickmaker’s Bride is the first novel I have read by Judith Miller, and as a huge fan of historical romance, I really enjoyed it. Laura and Ewan are two noble, hard-working main characters, and I easily and determinedly hoped for their happy ending, especially as surrounding characters seemed to frustratingly thwart their every effort. Additionally, around these characters, Miller weaves in fascinating snippets of history from post-Civil War West Virginia and brickmaking. It held my attention from start to finish, and I think other fans of historical romance with enjoy The Brickmaker’s Bride, too. It’s a good read. Now, I look forward to seeing what Miller has planned next for her Refined by Love series.

Thanks to LitFuse Publicity Group, I received a copy of The Brickmaker’s Bride and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

[Nancy Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good story with good characters; well written and easy to follow. I like that it addressed problems that some of the early immigrants faced being accepted into a new country. I like that the 'villains' were realistic (I've met people like them). This was one of the better historical romances that I have read. I plan to read more of Judith Miller's works and I am looking forward to purchasing her Amana Colony series, as I visited there when I was a small child.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bricks

I think I learned more about brick making than I ever wanted to. This is a sweet story and not overly preachy.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK read but it wasn't riveting. Annoying antagonist. Not her best.

[Marci · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Fine story line but horribly cheesy conversations and no development of characters.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

BACK OF THE BOOK BLURB
(copied from Amazon.com)
In the clay-rich hills of the newly founded state of West Virginia, two families tentatively come together to rebuild a war-torn brickmaking business.

Ewan McKay has immigrated to West Virginia with his aunt and uncle, promising to trade his skills the clay business for financial help. Uncle Hugh purchases a brickmaking operation from a Civil War widow and her daughter, and it's Ewan's job to get the company up and running again.

Ewan seeks help from Laura, the former owner's daughter, and he quickly feels a connection with her, but she's being courted by another man--a lawyer with far more social clout and money than Ewan. Resolving that he'll make the brickworks enough of a success that he can become a partner in the business and be able to afford to bring his sisters over from Ireland, Ewan pours all his energy into the new job.

But when Hugh signs a bad business deal, all Ewan's hard work is put in jeopardy. As his hopes for the future crumble, Laura reveals something surprising. Can she help him save the brickworks, and will Ewan finally get a shot at winning her heart?


MY REVIEW
A great story that shows how faith can get you through anything. I have enjoyed Judith's books in the past and this can be added to my list of books that I really liked. Judith does a wonderful job of pulling you into the story, maybe wanting to slap someone really hard, many times even, oh yes, you have to read to see how cruel one person can be.

[Patricia Bond · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE BRICKMAKER'S BRIDE (REFINED BY LOVE #1) BY JUDITH MILLER

The year is 1868 and the Civil War is over. Ewan Mc Kay, his uncle and aunt have immigrated from Northern Scotland. Ewan has come to America to help his Uncle Hugh to run a brickyard that he wishes to purchase from Laura and her mother, whose husband died in the Civil War.
Laura helps Ewan to obtain the necessary contacts to get his uncle's business running, but once the business operating can Ewan keep his uncle from losing it because of his love of gambling.

Also can Ewan win Laura's heart from a wealthy lawyer.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I enjoyed how the author explained the different machines that made the bricks ------it was very interesting to learn how bricks were made.

I would highly recommend this book and the second book in Judith Miller's Refined by Love series The Potter's Lady. It picks up where The Brickmaker's Bride leaves off.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only with God's help can we be made whole after being wounded. Margaret and Hugh, Irish immigrants, along with their nephew, his sisters and Margaret's sister, move to West Virginia in hopes of bettering their life. But the way they want to accomplish it is by rising to high social acceptance and making money no matter who gets hurt. Hurt people hurt people. Nephew Ewan, knows the Lord intimately and wants to rely on Him to guide their decisions and lives. While his Uncle purchases a brick making business from a local and lovely family, Ewan meets a kind and giving young woman whom he desires to know better. Although she seems to be interested in marrying a haughty politician, he falls in her love with her. God opens doors and begins to meet needs for a whole family as some have their faith rekindled.

[Laurie DelaCruz · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5⭐

I like the concept of the story, but the writing just didn't do it justice. The reader is brought to a moment of suspense, the chapter ends, and the reader is left hanging with nothing resolved. This happened multiple times. The next chapter skips ahead days, weeks, or months, without revealing what the conversation was or the argument or what have you.

The two main characters were seemingly stuck in very uncomfortable situations, but the reasons for being stuck were hardly plausible. And the secondary characters were quite changeable, sometimes seeming one way and then another. At the end of the book, one character is noticed to have a massive change of heart, but no reason is given for this change. Very strange.

[C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christian Historical Romance

What a delightful book! Forced to sell her father’s brickyard after his death during the civil war, Laura does everything within her power to make sure the family business succeeds even for the new owners!
The level of commitment and faith Laura has for the brickyard is often an issue with her betrothed. But her dedication to her father’s passion overweighs his concerns. I love these unconventional women and the strength in the Lord of the new owner’s nephew Ewan McKay! The trials they both have to overcome build a deep love for the brick business and for each other.

[Vlharr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not to my taste

Definitely a sweet Christian romance. I enjoyed parts of this book very much but then parts of it dragged on and on. Have me some background about Scots-Irish. That i had no idea about. I think that if I would investigate the names of the men thought to be influential to the background that they would all be correct. The two main characters were believable and likeable. Unfortunately for me the constant refrain of God is God is great was too much in the end. Remember it's better to show than to tell.

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ewan McKay leaves his orphaned sisters in Scotland to come to West Virginia with his uncle and aunt and their children to purchase a brickmaking business. Ewan is the brains and the brawn behind the business, but his aunt and uncle are determined to keep him down. The business is owned by a widow and her daughter Laura knows much about the business and helps Ewan keep things going. I really enjoy this book.

[Karen Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Story of An Irish Brickmaker Falling in Love in West Virginia

I liked the idea of an Irish brickmaker in West Virginia. So I decided to read this book despite it being a Christian romance. I enjoyed reading it very much as the story and characters unfolded in the post Civil War era. I laughed at some characters, felt sad for others, and mad at some others. A good light read for me.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ewan McKay came from Ireland to build a better life, like a lot of Irish did in the 1800s. His shady aunt and uncle paid his way with the understanding he would run their brickyard. Ewan sent for his sisters as well. But things don't always turn out as planned. Ewan runs the brickyard with the help of the former owner's daughter, and the aunt and uncle are not helpful. I learned a lot and the story grabbed me. I loved the characters.