Bending Toward the Sun by Mona HodgsonMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
When Quaid McFarland returns safely from the war between the states, Emilie Heinrich's heart skips an unusual beat. He's grown from a boy into a man, not quite what she expected, and he in turn finds her to be a handsome lass quite different from the girl in pigtails that he once knew. Emilie's loyalty is torn between her feelings for the handsome Irishman and the needs of her father who has no one else to care for him and help him run their general store. Can Quaid and Emilie convince Mr. Heinrich to bend his over-protectiveness towards his daughter and bless their union?
As I've said before, novellas are not really my thing. There's not enough time for character development and that's what I really value in fiction. At least in Bending Toward the Sun, I enjoyed the male lead better than in the 1st in the series. I happen to like Irish characters in fiction so Quaid endeared himself to me quickly. Perhaps it's the reluctant part of me that loves Branson in Downton Abbey that's done it, who knows. So, the male lead caught my attention quickly. The female lead is adequate too. I appreciate her loyalty to family, and her willingness to follow Quaid's lead in how they handle her father's wishes. They're nice, sweet characters that deserve a little happiness. Plus they knew each other when they were younger which makes the love story much more convincing.
Even though Ms. Hodgson didn't quite grab my attention with the 1st novella in the series, this 2nd one accomplished its goal for me of providing an easy reading for a grey and foggy afternoon.
- I received this book for free from Blogging for Books and Netgalley for this review.
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