"A Bride of Honor" by Ruth Axtell Morren

About the Author:
I discovered I enjoyed writing when my seventh-grade English teacher assigned our class to finish a story that began with one sentence, a “once upon a time” premise. My version ended up being a romance, and what amazed me most was when someone turned to me after my story was read aloud and told me how much she liked it. I then went on to write a spy thriller—complete with my own illustrations—and knew I wanted to be a writer. There were many detours along the way as I pursued more realistic goals. I studied comparative literature at Smith College, where I received a Bachelor’s degree; I spent my junior year in Paris; taught English and lived as an au pair in the Canary Islands; and worked in international development in Miami, Florida. It was there I met my future husband, a Dutchman from Suriname, who took me to The Netherlands to live for six years. In Holland I began my life as a stay-at-home mom. For the first time in my life I was able to seriously pursue my dream of writing full-length historicals. During my six years there, I completed three manuscripts. My second one gained recognition when it finalized in the Romance Writers of America Golden Heart Contest in 1994. Then my family and I moved back to the U.S., to the down east coast of Maine to a small village where I had spent childhood summers. Maine has been a place of discovery—from discerning the varying faces of the sea and likening them to the color of my current hero or heroine’s eyes, to observing the changing seasons and the wonders of a flower or leaf or icicle, to simply learning how to say, “yes, Lord,” when I hear His still, small voice.
Ms. Morren’s website: http://www.ruthaxtellmorren.com
Ms. Morren’s blog: http://ruthaxtellmorren.blogspot.com/




About the Book:
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a lady of rank and distinction is no match for an impoverished preacher. Yet Damian Hathaway is entranced from the moment he spies Miss Lindsay Phillips entering his church. She doesn't appear any different from the other pampered society ladies—and she's betrothed to a gentleman of the ton. But Damian is determined to find the pure heart he's sure exists underneath all the ruffles and lace. The unlikely friendship formed by Damian and Lindsay is a revelation to them both, but is frowned upon by her parents—and Damian's parishioners. Torn between two worlds, the pair must trust that their love can bridge the divide—and conquer all.

My Thoughts:
From the second I was introduced to Damian in “The Making of a Gentleman,” I loved his character; he was such a sweetheart and my favorite. When I heard that “A Bride of Honor” was his love story I was excited. The book wasn’t what I had expected but believe me, I wasn’t disappointed. Damian and Lindsay make an adorable couple; they are a fine example for what a Biblical marriage should look like. I also like the scenes with Jonah and Lindsay together; they eventually become in-laws, but they act more like a big brother and a little sister. I’m crossing my fingers in hopes that Ms. Morren will write another.

Winter is Past by Ruth Axtell Morren

Against the backdrop of the glittering ballrooms, gritty factories and quiet parlors of Regency England comes a man’s remarkable journey of love and faith.
::Spoiler Alert:: Rated: 5*’s
In the Christian fiction market, novels featuring a character with Jewish heritage are few and far between. And it’s less likely that a novel based in the Regency Era would feature such a character, and that’s one of the reasons "Winter is Past" is unique. The fact that the author is of Sephardic descent must have inspired some of this story. Simon Aguilar is an MP, intelligent, successful and secretly Jewish. He seems to have his life under control, except for what matters most. His daughter Rebecca, the apple of his eye, is dying and there is no hope for her until he meets Althea Breton. She is the younger, illegitimate sister of his friend Tertius from his school days. Despite the fact that she is backwards and shy, Althea does not conform to what society dictates. She is a dissenter and the administrator of the Methodist mission in the poorer part of London. Not only that, she successfully nursed her brother Tertius back to health and is terrific with children. After a very awkward interview, Simon does hire her and under her care, Rebekka begins to bloom. With his permission, Althea also shares her faith with the little girl, giving Rebekka hope in God and that He cares.
Of course both Althea and Simon are attracted to one another and except for one moment of weakness, both maintain a fairly platonic relationship. She admires his sense of justice and his devotion to his daughter, but is disappointed in his lack of faith and that he poses as a Christian to further his career. Simon highly respects Althea to the point where he invites her to meet his family and brings her to his own sister’s wedding, but is put off by her deep religious convictions.
When Simon’s world begins to fall apart, he must face the fact that everything he’s ever believed could be wrong. And that the One (Jesus) he opposed his entire life might be what he’s been looking for all along.
I don’t want to give away the ending to this wonderful book, but I will say that this story fulfills all romantic expectations. It’s not uncommon for authors to write a story about a widowed father who hires a governess/nurse for his child, and have the father and governess fall in love and marry (i.e. Jane Eyre). But in "Winter is Past" the characters’ pasts and backgrounds only enhance the situation. There are a few parts that might be a little too graphic for younger audiences, but unfortunately that is the reality of a fallen world. Another interesting fact is purpose of Simon’s conversion. While many are familiar with the persecution in Europe during the 1930’s and 1940’s, Christian history is somewhat silent about the mistreatment of Jews over the last 2,000 years. While I had read several books about the history of the Jews, until I discovered "Winter is Past" I was pretty clueless of what life was like for Jews in Regency England. In that era, Jews were forbidden to hold professions in authority or to be involved in politics. Often enough they had to hide their heritage and "convert" to Christianity in order to survive. Isaac D’Israeli converted to Christianity and even had his children baptized, including the future prime minister of England, Benjamin Disraeli.
In fact, this book also helped me in my own genealogy/family tree research. For years we believed that our ancestors came from Scotland and that our last name was derived from O’Shea. In the last couple years I read that our last name could be Hebrew and there is more evidence to that fact when I happened upon www.sephardim.com and found a variation of my last name there. If I’m right, then when the Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492, our ancestors fled to the east. Perhaps someday I’ll be able to figure out the whole story.
So Mrs. Morren, if you’re reading this, thanks for the help.