Recently widowed Annalisa Werner has the feeling her husband was murdered but can’t prove it.
Alone with her young daughter in 1881 Michigan, she has six months left to finish raising the money needed to pay back the land contract her husband purchased, and the land is difficult to toil by herself. She needs a husband. With unmarried men scarce, her father sends a letter to his brother in the Old Country, asking him to find Annalisa a groom.
For nobleman Carl von Reichart, the blade of the guillotine is his fate. He’s been accused and convicted of a serious crime he didn’t commit, and his only escape is to flee to a small German community in Michigan where he’ll be safe. He secures a job on Annalisa’s farm but bumbles through learning about farming and manual labor.
Annalisa senses that Carl is harboring a secret about his past, yet she finds herself drawn to him anyway. He’s gentle, kind, and romantic–unlike any of the men she’s ever known. He begins to restore her faith in the ability to love–but her true groom is still on his way. And time is running out on them all.
Read an excerpt here.
REVIEW
A Noble Groom is Jody Hedlund's best novel yet In this her fourth book, Hedlund tells the story of a widowed peasant farmer who meets an escaped fugitive, a nobleman passing himself off as a farmer.
during the the early settlement of Michigan.
Annalisa Werner is in need of help following the tragic, unexpected death of her husband--a well-meaning but ill-fated farmer and gambler. Carl Richards, nee Carl von Reichart, son of the insidious Baron von Reichart, has been accused of a crime which he did not commit and sentenced to death. When he flees Europe, he lands in America and onto Annalisa's farm.
The love story that develops between Annalisa and Carl is poignant and touching. She has no idea who Carl truly is, and he has no intention of staying to help any longer than it takes her intended groom to arrive. Except she is drawn to Carl in ways she was never drawn to her husband, and he can't quite bring himself to leave. The danger of Carl's identity being discovered as well as of Annalisa possibly losing her farm to an unscrupulous businessman trying to get his hands on her land loom ever present. The romance and suspense both move at a steady pace, drawing the reader in and keeping the pages turning. The unique setting and theme, that of the noblemen of Europe vs. the immigrant settlers of the U.S., particularly in Michigan, makes for an interesting historical lens through which to enjoy Hedlund's increasingly fine prose. I especially loved that even when I thought I knew how the story would play out, Hedlund added additional twists, at least one of which I suspect few readers will foresee, heightening the reading pleasure.
I've read all of Hedlund's novels because she never disappoints and I look forward to the next one.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jody has written novels for the last 20 years (with a hiatus when her children were young). After many years of writing and honing her skills, she finally garnered national attention with her double final in the Genesis Contest, a fiction-writing contest for unpublished writers through ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers).
Her first published book, The Preacher’s Bride (2010 Bethany House Publishers), became a best seller and has won multiple awards.
Since then she’s gone on to publish numerous best-selling and award-winning books. To read more about her writing journey click here for Part 1 and here for Part 2.
Learn more about Jody Hedlund and her books at her website, http://jodyhedlund.com/ While there, check out her highly respected blog for those interested in knowing more about the publishing process and a behind-the-scenes look into a relatively new author's life.
Peace & Blessings,
Patricia
Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.



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