A Hope Remembered
Of Love and War #3
By Stacy Henrie
ISBN#9781455598847
Author’s Website: http://www.stacyhenrie.com
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Daniele
Synopsis:
Nora Lewis just wants an escape after losing her fiancé in the Great War. When she inherits property in England, she boldly packs up and leaves America for a fresh start. But, if not for her dashing new neighbor, Colin Ashby, she’d be lost. Even as their friendship deepens, Nora knows a British aristocrat would never be free to love an American orphan, no matter how much the war has changed the world …
After his brother’s death in the war and his own experiences as a pilot at the front, Colin returns home broken, only to discover his family’s estate is also in ruin. The pressure is now on him to save his home and the Ashbys’ place in society with a well-bred match to a wealthy heiress. Too bad he finds more of a kindred spirit in Nora, the beautiful American next door. She, too, has faced the rigors of war and survived. Now the ex-soldier will have one more battle to fight–this time for love. (Goodreads)
Review:
A Hope Remembered is the final book in the Of Love and War Trilogy, and it is just as satisfying a read as the other installments. The story takes place in 1920 in the Lake District of England and tells the story of American Nora and aristocratic English Colin. Nora’s fiancé Tom died fighting in the war and her parents succumbed to the Spanish flu epidemic leaving Nora alone and struggling to care for her family farm. When she receives news that her great-uncle has died and bequeathed his home and sheep farm to her, she sees it as an opportunity to start fresh. So she leaves all that is familiar and moves across the Atlantic.
She meets Colin, the local baron’s son, when she seeks the keys to her new home. Colin also carries the weight of the war on his shoulders. His older brother Christian was shot down in battle leaving Colin the heir of the title, a responsibility he neither wants nor feels up to filling. But, he promised his brother he would not turn his back on his home and now finds that the estate is in financial trouble, relying on him to “save” the family home and social standing by marrying well. His father has his mind set on building a luxury hotel and needs an influx of money to proceed. He feels Nora’s land is the perfect location for the hotel and assigns Colin the task of wooing Nora in order to influence her to sell.
What starts out as a reluctant mission rooted in family duty soon becomes complicated for Colin because the more time he spends with Nora the more he likes her, and she feels the same. However, given their different backgrounds they try to suppress their feelings for each other. While he tries to find another way to solve his financial dilemma, Nora discovers some family secrets of her own and is threatened by someone.
I have enjoyed all of the Of Love and War books, and A Hope Remembered is as good as I had hoped. It is a sweet romance that deals with grief and moving on after loss and the idea that love can be found in surprising places. Nora and Colin are loveable characters and realistically drawn. How can you not root for a man who gives a girl a puppy in an attempt to ease her loneliness? I appreciate that they started out as friends, and that friendship seemed authentic. I rooted for them to overcome their differences from the beginning and was not disappointed with the story’s resolution. The supporting characters are equally interesting, and they and the village setting are charming. I hear the Lake District calling me to visit someday.
Ms. Henrie weaves an entertaining tale, inspirational without being preachy. Her stories are well researched and feel genuine to the time period. I look forward to reading more. I recommend A Hope Remembered to her fans and to those looking for a heartwarming, uplifting romance.
Thanks for reading and reviewing the book, Daniele! What you said about the puppy totally made me smile. 🙂