Living in London’s poorest slum, Mercy Wilkins has little hope of a better life. When she’s offered an opportunity to join a bride ship sailing to British Columbia, she agrees. After witnessing so much painful heartache and loss in the slums, the bride ship is her only prospect to escape a bleak future, not only for herself but, she hopes, someday for her sister.
Wealthy and titled Joseph Colville leaves home and takes to the sea in order to escape the pain of losing his family. As ship’s surgeon, he’s in charge of the passengers’ welfare aboard the Tynemouth, including sixty brides-to-be. He has no immediate intention of settling down, but when Mercy becomes his assistant, the two must fight against a forbidden love.
With hundreds of single men congregating on the shore eager to claim a bride from the Tynemouth, will Mercy and Joseph lose their chance at true love, or will they be able to overcome the obstacles that threaten to keep them apart?
-
Sexual Content - 1/5
1/5
-
Violence - 0/5
0/5
-
Language - 0/5
0/5
-
Drugs and Alcohol - 0/5
0/5
Summary
"Where is a ship when you need one?"
Desperate to leave the slums of London behind, hoping to pave the way for her beloved sister to escape the cruel clutches of the work house, Mercy Wilkins boards the Tynemouth, not realizing that the sturdy sailing vessel is travelling half-way around the world to British Columbia, bearing; of all things . . brides! Getting married is the last thing on Mercy's mind; her impression of men leads her to believe that they serve only one purpose, breeding children that no one can afford to feed.
Shortly after leaving England, while desperately attempting to care for an ill companion, Mercy comes face to face with a man she scarcely thought important enough to remember, the young doctor from London's Shoreditch Dispensary. They had shared a very sacred moment; death.
Joseph Colville, Dr. Joseph Colville, Lord Colville . .. had never settled for tradition; his restless spirit pushing him to travel the world, his medical skills being indispensable on board many a ship. Resisting an invitation by his kind mentor, Dr. Bates, to to remain in London and partner in his efforts to treat the city's poor, Joseph accepts a surgeon's position aboard the Tynemouth. It's there that he crosses paths, for the second time, with the quite lovely, but also quite indigent passenger, Mercy Wilkins.
As poverty and nobility collide, Mercy and Joseph must summon the courage to heed a wise ship captain's advice; "do not let the barriers of class interfere with anything. Not work. Not life. And especially not love." If it were only that easy.
I received a copy of this book from the author and publisher. The opinions stated above are entirely my own.
Your ratings of the level of sex, violence, language and drug/alcohol use on a scale of 1-5.
Sex:1
Violence:0
Language:0
Drug/Alcohol use:0