Love Unexpected by Jody Hedlund

1859
Presque Isle, Michigan

What Is the Secret That Could Shipwreck Both of Their Lives?

All Emma Chambers ever wanted was a home, but when her steamboat sinks just outside Presque Isle, she's left destitute and with no place to stay.

An unlikely solution arises when the lighthouse keeper arrives in town. He's just lost his wife and is having a difficult time caring for his child. So a traveling preacher gets the idea that the keeper and Emma might be the answer to each other's dilemma. After a hasty marriage, she finds herself heading to the lighthouse with this handsome but quiet stranger. Nothing in her aimless life, though, has prepared her for parenting a rambunctious toddler, as well as managing a household.

Emma soon suspects Patrick may be hiding something from her, and then she hears a disturbing rumor about the circumstances surrounding his late wife's death. It seems as if her wish for a home and family of her own could end up leading her once more into turbulent waters.

The first book in the Beacons of Hope series starts out on the Great Lakes of Michigan. I loved the historical information surrounding the lighthouses and what all was required to operate one back in that time. No matter what season of life you are in, a lighthouse can remind you that He is the Light of the World. He can light the way when storms rage and batter your world, when you cannot see your own hands in front of your face because the fog is so thick or cannot decide which direction to take in life.

Marriage of convenience stories will never get old. The adventure is of a romantic type and one of danger due to pirates lurking on Lake Heron. I found the characters believable and the story moved at a good pace. I would definitely read more books by this author.

Disclaimers: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.