Shadow Bride

Brides of Montclair #7

by Jane Peart

For Rod it was a moment out of a thousand dreams. Yet the reality was more than he could have imagined. "Blythe!" He said her name and in his voice was all the hope he'd thought was lost. The woman he saw was even lovelier than the girl he remembered. She was still as beautiful -- tall, slender, the glorious auburn hair, the soft, vulnerable mouth and peachbloom skin -- as when he had first met her at Montclair. At sixteen, Blythe had been shy, eager to be accepted and loved, now she was poised, fashionably dressed, self-confident. But in those same velvety brown eyes Rod saw what he was searching for -- that she still loved him. Would it be possible to bridge all the silent years that had separated them? Or had they changed too much? Had too much happened to make them different from the people they had been when they had fallen in love? Was it too late? Shadow Bride continues the story of the gallant bride of Malcolm Montrose, Blythe Dorman, who struggled so unselfishly to save a marriage that should never have been, that ended tragically before her son's birth. After heartbreak, despair, and sorrow, Blythe gathers up the fragments of her life and builds a new one for them both in England. Before she can find lasting happiness, Blythe must come to terms with her past, confront her heart's truth, and search for her own heritage. To find her real identity and true love, she has to meet these challenges and choices as the woman she has become, not as the girl she once was.

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

224 pages, Paperback

First published July 30, 1991

About the author

Jane Johnson Peart of Asheville, North Carolina, Humboldt and Marin counties, California, and in recent years, Hawaii, passed away in 2007. She was the author of more than 60 works of suspense, historical fiction and romance, which touched the hearts and minds of thousands of readers whose correspondence she treasured. She wrote for the secular and Christian market, and is best known for the Brides of Montclair series.

Reviews

[Fanaticmama · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book!! Edge of my chair! And Peart is obviously laying the groundwork for her next books. Good stuff!

[Natalie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was very disappointed in this book. I’d give it 1 star, but it’s not on the same level as the other 1 stars I’ve given.
I remember really enjoying the few other books that I’ve read in this series. But this one? The main characters are together for less than 20 pages! Maybe if I had read the book before this one it would have made more sense, but I don’t think so. There was almost more effort put into the stories of side characters than into Blythe and Rod’s relationship. The same with descriptions of food and clothing - more effort there than on the relationship.
The other thing that disappointed me was the lack of Jesus. For a Christian book, it is very light on the Christianity. Very, very light. To me, it was Christian in the way that people who only go to church at Christmas are Christian - for looks or obligation.
I was left feeling very… wanting.
I’d be happy to check out books in this series written before this one - to see if they are anything like I remember - but I won’t be seeking any of the later books, unfortunately.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book mostly takes place in Europe, setting it apart from earlier books in the series. I missed the familiar Montclair setting, although it was good to see Blythe stretch her wings after her heartbreaking first marriage.