ABOUT THE BOOK
He vows to restore order. She refuses to be ordered.
Widowed healer Ruth Turner doesn’t want to hang — but as the daughter of an accused witch, the gallows haunt her every step. When her closest friend comes under suspicion, Ruth rushes to defend her, because she knows the penalty for witchcraft too well.
Of course, the word of an independent woman only draws the blame to herself…
Witch hunter Daniel Kendrick will stop at nothing to end the evil that almost destroyed them all. But when Ruth appears at his door after dark, she stirs an unholy need that makes him question the direction of his investigation. Perhaps the enchanting widow is correct—perhaps he has been pursuing the wrong witch.
Forced to concede her freedom, Ruth picks marriage to Daniel over the noose, even as she fights the softer desires this driven man sparks in her. Without enough evidence to make a case, Daniel finds himself tethered to the very woman he sought to convict…and may yet.
But as Ruth initiates Daniel to the pleasures of the marriage bed, they ignite a passion that could consume the settlement and get them both killed.
MY REVIEW
I don’t normally read books in this period because I wrote a paper on the Salem Witch Trials in college which saddened and angered me. What drew me to Ms. Jenks’ book was the intriguing romance between the daughter of an accused witch and a witch hunter.
Ruth is a local healer and beautiful widow whose skills in herbal medicine and care for the community position her as both a vital asset and a target for suspicion. I admire her strength and conviction in a community gripped by fear and paranoia. In fact, she has a chance to escape, and selflessly sacrifices everything to help the man she loves.
Daniel is the new warden and witch hunter and is under pressure to stop the bad luck that has plagued their community and restore order. Daniel is a conflicted soul of the period. To complicate matters further, his need for a wife leads to an unexpected marriage with Ruth. Their relationship starts with resentment and misunderstanding and slowly develops into a partnership of mutual respect and trust. Daniel’s fairness is particularly rare in such chaotic times as he wrestles with the irrational fears of his fellow townsfolk.
The post-war backdrop of tensions between the Penobscot tribe and the settlers, indifference from the authorities in Boston, and the looming possibility of crop failures is an added weight to the storyline. Each gripping twist and turn kept me on my toes as the characters are put through their paces. In the end, the emotional and impactful resolution is inspiring and hopeful.
If you are looking for a gripping historical read, this book will have you engaged from beginning to end.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lizzie Jenks writes steamy historical romance set in early America, and she is a Romance Writers of America Diamond Heart Award finalist in the historical romance category. She grew up in a loving family of workaholics who often had a hard time trusting in their inherent worth. That is, no doubt, the root cause of why she now insists with all her being that hardworking, imperfect people deserve a happily ever after, and why she writes romances about strong women and gritty men learning to love themselves and each other. And yes, they get some high heat, because steamy sex is good for the soul.
She is an uber-nerdy history wonk, she eats too much, she runs long distances, while listening to history audiobooks, to attempt, unsuccessfully, to compensate for the eating. Things that make her happy include videos of wombats, the Mets winning, and mint chip ice cream. When not working, you will find both her husband and herself spoiling their fur-children, who are all certified geniuses (ok, except one, but he makes up for it by being extra sweet), and they are their devoted acolytes.
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