4 stars
TO LOVE ANEW by Bonnie Leon

This is a novel about Hannah and John who lived in London in the 1800s. They were both accused of crimes, tried unjustly, and sent to a prison hulk, to be transported to New South Wales-Australia. They meet on the ship, in deplorable conditions and strike up a friendship.

Some of the characters have been highly developed, but the book just ends. This is book 1 in the Sydney Cove series. I would have enjoyed it more if it had a better conclusion. Perhaps, in the last book, the ends will all be tied up nicely.

It is a nicely done inspirational book. Not a lot of scriptures, mostly on the personal relationship with the heavenly father. ( )

A week or two ago I was having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day (thanks Judith Viorst for the perfect description)! I was seeking a sweet respite… a bit of a change from my norm. I receive a daily email from BookBub listing books offered for free or at a reduced price in genres that I have chosen. To Love Anew popped up as a free Kindle ebook. It must have interested me once before as I had already “purchased” it. This time I pulled it up in my Kindle app and enjoyed a sweet distraction from my terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

As I move into my review, I begin by dedicating it to my beautiful, smart, caring, and amazing mom. She worries about me too much… she shouldn’t. She, along with my father, gave me a strong foundation. She shared her faith and taught me about God. My mother has given me the tools needed to care for myself and my family. She taught me how to love. She continues to teach me that a mom’s job is never done and that a mother’s love is unfathomable. I love you, mom!

To Love Anew begins with our heroine, Hannah, losing her precious mother to the sweating sickness. Hannah’s mother provided her with a strong foundation of faith in God, a sweet and loving spirit, and skilled hands that aren’t idle. As can only be, Hannah grieves for her mother and life is never the same again.

Hannah’s situation is one that most of us will never experience. Without her mother’s skills as a seamstress, Hannah very rapidly becomes homeless, alone and defenseless in a harsh and cruel world. The reality of young women without means in 19th century London.

As Hannah is swept along from security with her mother to the streets of London to the miserable home of a cruel man to a dank and vermin-infested prison to a harsh and unfair trial to a frightening prison ship journey to a faraway penal colony in Australia, she learns that the love of your mother will carry you far. That friendships and bonds formed along the journey will lighten the burden. More importantly, she learns that the love of the Heavenly Father will carry you through to the very end. That His love cannot die or be removed from you in any circumstance. That in His love there is freedom.

I found To Love Anew to be more realistic than many books in this genre. Hannah and those that are journeying with her experienced true hardship. Hardship unlike that which I will experience in modern America. The cruel and harsh circumstances weren’t glossed over in the story and they weren't fixed for everyone. Unfortunately, the reality is that hardships aren’t fixed for everyone. It is so easy to think that God doesn’t care. At one point Hannah wonders if God cares. Bonnie Leon writes…

“Indeed, it does appear that way at times, but he isn’t the one who brings calamity. He created perfection for us. It was mankind who rejected his gift. We yearned for our own desires and did exactly what God told us not to do. Yet he still loves us, so much so that he sent his Son to redeem us.”

I can’t think of a better way to say it.

If you find yourself having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, I wholeheartedly recommend that you read To Love Anew. If you are like me, you will find your tribulations minor in comparison and that faith in Christ and your subsequent relationship with Him will give you freedom and the means to carry on.

Happy reading!

Review by Zoe at the blessed and bewildered blog. You can find all of my reviews by searching for blessedandbewildered (dot) com. ( )

So I normally find the amount of preaching in Christian Fiction a little overbearing this book it was not. It was a book of true hardships and overcoming these trials and tribulations and coming out ahead. I loved the characters in this book and loved the story. Definitely a four star read for me. ( )

OK story. Interesting setting. Sort of predictable, basic. The story kind of slides by but has losts of potential as it starts out good. First part has you (invested) in the character's life really well. Maybe I'm calous or the people in the story weren't developed deeply later on? Maybe I shut down and didn't want to relate to character on the ship. Perhaps the author's goal was to use the ship's voyage to relate to that kind of girl and/or to portray that life. Maybe the book was rushed. It got pretty predictable in the latter part. Light on the spiritual side for a Christian fiction especially considering the topic, but not devoid of it. I felt her feelings in the last part were over-emphasized before they were resolved. The character's status is a good paralell to Christian walk. Easy read. ( )

AUTHOR: Bonnie Leon is an Inspirational romance writer. Her ability to bring emotions to the top will have you thinking about your relationship with God. Amazing! She has the ability to describe every event and give you the feeling that you were there at that moment, at that time. Her use of scripture is right on target. Great job Bonnie....and I don't even personally know you. Great job!

THIS BOOK GENRE: Fiction, Historical romance, Inspirational romance

SETTING: London England when it took 6 months or more to travel to New South Wales.

CENTRAL FEMALE CHARACTER: She was a seamstress with a great love for God. She treated everyone with caring and respect. Soon, her faith would be tested through adversity.

CENTRAL MALE CHARACTER: He carried on with his father's successful tool making business. His products were of the best quality. He was dedicated to his family. He was a faithful husband to his wife and a good friend to his cousin who helped him run the family business. What would adversity do to change his personality.

SYNOPSIS
Tragedy occurred and she found herself on a ship from London destined to New South Wales. He was forced to abandon his business and found himself on that same ship. Faced with unimaginable conditions on the ship had her questioning her faith. Yet, when he first saw her, he could only think to protect her. Would their arrival bring them together as situations worsened?

WHAT I LIKED: Goodness in people regardless of their station in life. Excellent and accurate use of scriptures. I was humbled.

WHAT I DID NOT LIKE: The events that happened in this era were real. I hated what laws did to people. Sometimes when you think that you have it really bad, you read about the events in this book and realize, your problems might be quite minor.

This book gets FIVE out of FIVE stars.

NOTE: As a volunteer for the Human Trafficking Task Force of Southern Colorado, I beg you to pray for the victims as this book reminded me that my prayers are not in vain and that God truly loves us. http://ht-colorado.org/ ( )