Title: Destined for you (Ladies of the Lake #1)
Author: Tracie Peterson
Pages: 336
Year: 2021
Publisher: Bethany House Pub.
My rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Tracie Peterson has penned a tale where there is love, loss, faith, and hope. Set in Duluth, Michigan, beginning in the year 1869 with the Womack family living on the banks of Lake Superior. Gloriana Womack is the oldest in the family, and she has borne many a heartache. Now, the family consists of her father and younger brother, who make their living off the lake like other families in town.
Immediately, the novel draws readers in with how Gloriana is taking care of her father and brother after a fever comes to the village taking the lives of three family members. Gloriana has befriended a young wife and mother-to-be named Sally Carson whose husband Scott works with Gloriana’s father in the fishing industry. Luke Carson is Scott’s brother. He is on his way to the area to help facilitate the building of the railroad. Luke’s father is a successful businessman who has disinherited Scott and may lose his relationship with Luke if he keeps on insisting that his way is the right and only way to live.
Luke and Gloriana are about to meet and be thrust into a new life they never saw coming. Gloriana is a young woman whose faith is sorely tested, and her broken heart needs tender care. Luke is a man who is very intelligent, has a strong faith and will need his father to endure the trials he is soon to encounter.
When I started reading, I thought that the book was just going to be filled with sorrow. However, what I experienced was the hope that comes after a dark time and faith that becomes real when the characters allow themselves to face their deepest pain. I look forward to reading the second novel in the series titled, Forever My Own. Until then, I hope audiences will read this book and enjoy the hope that springs forth in the pages!
Note: The opinions shared in this review are solely my responsibility. ( )

Destined for You, by Tracie Peterson, is the first book in the Ladies of the Lake series that takes place in 1869 in Duluth, Minnesota. This is a wonderful story that focuses on grief and forgiveness. This story is so realistic and inspirational. Gloriana lost most of her family to smallpox and now her father’s boat has gone done taking her father and their renter. Gloriana has a younger brother to care for. Their renter’s wife went into labor and has given up. On her deathbed she asks Gloriana and Luke, her lost husband’s brother, to care for her newborn daughter.

I just love this story. The author has done such a good job of bringing to life the dangers of the winters in the Duluth area. I writing is so descriptive, I could almost hear the waves crashing against the rocks and see the boats being tossed around. This story shows the struggles Gloriana has with her faith as well as providing for her brother and the way the community cares for those in need.

I voluntarily read an ebook copy of this story which was provided by the publisher through NetGalley. This is my honest review. ( )

Tracie Peterson is one of those authors who needs no preamble in the Christian historical fiction world. I have had the pleasure of reading her books before. So, when I saw her latest novel, Destined for You, I eagerly decided to give it a try.

Destined for You, the first installment in a trilogy, is about Gloriana Womack, the daughter of a fisherman who lives on the edge of stormy Lake Superior. When tragedy strikes, her life changes forever and she finds her faith tested. During this time, she meets Luke Carson, a Philadelphia-born railroad businessman, who has recently relocated to Duluth, Minnesota. After the initial spark of romance, the two of them grow in friendship and love despite the trials they continually face.

Destined for You was a delightful, exquisite gem of a book that I simply could not put down. To say that this is a deep and heartfelt story is an understatement. This story is so richly steeped in spirituality and love that it resonates throughout the book. It adds wonderful depth.

It was not long after I started reading before I was swept up into Gloriana's world. In Ms. Peterson's book, the world of the late 1860s came alive. The writing was so strong and descriptions so rich that I felt like I was standing there alongside Gloriana. Not only is this work well-written but it is well-researched, too.

In addition, Ms. Peterson wrote her characters masterfully, making them realistic and human. They were flawed, interesting, and easy to relate to, especially Gloriana. I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Most of all, I loved the moral behind this story which was not so much about people but about God.

Rating: 5 Stars

I graciously received this complimentary copy of Destined for You by Bethany House Publishers and Netgalley. All ideas and thoughts expressed herein are my own. ( )