The Chosen

by Mikayla Robbins

She was chosen for a life every woman desired but her.

After rescuing a wealthy family’s young son, Anna Martin is favorably chosen to become his wife when she comes of age. As a decade passes, romance develops between Anna and a man below her station, complicating the arrangement. When she learns that despite her feelings, she must marry her betrothed in two weeks, her world crumbles.

Collin Nicholson is embarrassed that his father chose a wife for him. After years of hard work to take over the family business, he has no intention of settling down—until he reconnects with Anna. Captivated by the girl who once saved him, Collin grapples with his feelings, torn between his desire for Anna and the knowledge that she loves someone else.

Both Collin and Anna struggle with whether their marriage is God’s will or merely their parents' design. Can they learn to love one another in an unwanted marriage and accept the destiny set before them, or will they abandon it altogether? The Chosen is a story of love, heartbreak, secrets, deception, betrayal, and the road to redemption.

269 pages, Paperback

Published March 25, 2023

Reviews

[Renae | Redhair_and_Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Anna is forced into an arranged marriage with Collin, it seems as if her entire life has
fallen apart. As an obstinate young woman she fights the marriage with everything in her and tries to run away with her first love, which leads to disastrous consequences. But over the first few months of her marriage to Collin, her heart begins to soften toward him. Will the devastating news she overhears be the nail in the coffin of the marriage she never wanted, or will God find a way to bring these two hearts together? Find out in The Chosen by Mikayla Robbins.

This story was a charming debut for author Mikayla Robbins. It’s an easy-to-read historical romance book, perfect for those who want a light read that can be consumed in one or two sittings. The author weaves in numerous Scriptural references throughout the tale and shows her characters turning to God in the midst of their trials. I really appreciated that Robbins takes the time to share what happens to Anna’s first love, Jacob, after Anna gets married to Collin, giving us some closure for his part in the story. And she includes some unforgettable side characters, like Agatha and Olga.

This story truly had a lot of potential and the bare bones of it tell a sweet tale! However, I feel this book deserves a second chance with a developmental editor. The major points weave a delightful romance, but the page-to-page telling of the story lacked depth. The characters were very one-dimensional and overly dramatic. There were several instances of characters being over-the-top against something, but then completely shifting gears a paragraph or two later after minimal convincing by other characters. I found this to be very unrealistic.

I also feel that this book would’ve been improved significantly by the principle of “show, don’t tell.” As I mentioned, these characters have very strong feelings about the events in their life. Instead of telling the audience how angsty the characters are feeling, demonstrating their feelings through describing actions instead would have gone a long way in adding depth to this story.

At the end of the day, it’s a cute and light historical romance that would be best enjoyed by younger readers (middle school to high school ages) who appreciate lots of easy-to-read dialogue and a happy ending.

Rating: 3 out 5 stars

Action & Gore: 2 (injuries and death, but with vague descriptions)

Romance & Spice: 2 (kissing, hand holding, and a brief reference to sexual assault occurring outside of the story)

Cursing & Vulgarity: 1 (classist language and behavior, but no real cursing)

[Wyeth Doty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the honor of reading this story both in the early stages of development, and then when it was published. Mikayla weaved a beautiful tale of love and life reminiscent of the classics.
Historical fiction isn't my usual cup of tea, but this story had me devouring page after page.

My heart felt for Anna and Collin. They don't feel like characters to me, they feel like old friends. So much so that I plan on rereading this book one day!

Mikayla Robbins is a wonderful up and coming author. She weaved a story full of tension, heart, and sweet love. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

[Courtnie ~ courtniemustreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story! It grabbed my attention from the very beginning. I loved how quickly it moved and I loved how it made you unsure if the main characters would actually end up together.

I loved Collin! He was so sweet and gentle and just wanted what was best for Anna. Anna made me frustrated at times, but I could also see her perspective.

This was such an intriguing story and I can’t wait to read more from this author.

Romance: Non descriptive kissing
Language: None
Religious Elements: Characters relied on God and figuring out his will. Quoted a few scriptures.

[Elise Freund · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Chosen is a moving and emotionally rich Victorian romance that lingers long after the final page. Mikayla Robbins masterfully explores themes of duty, faith, sacrifice, and true love within the constraints of societal expectations.

Anna is a wonderfully sympathetic heroine, strong, kind, and quietly courageous. Her inner conflict between honoring her obligations and following her heart feels authentic and deeply human. Collin’s journey is equally compelling; his struggle with pride, responsibility, and unexpected love adds depth and realism to the story. Their relationship develops with tenderness and emotional nuance, making their forced marriage both heartbreaking and hopeful.

This is a clean, proper romance filled with longing, growth, and redemption, perfect for readers who love slow-burn love stories, arranged marriages, and faith-based historical fiction. I highly recommend The Chosen and am eagerly looking forward to the next book in the series.

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a wonderful book! Very wholesome! It’s so hard to find a clean romance book and Mikayla portrayed this so well with excellent and vivid descriptions and an inspirational plot line dealing with marriage and what it truly is. There was no affairs and cheating because the characters believed in marriage vows. I have never read anything like this!

Spice level 1: Just kissing and a man and a woman sleep in the same room but one sleeps on the floor.

Violence level: 2 A woman is brutally attacked and left to die. A brief mention of a sexual assault. (Nothing in detail just briefly mentioned.)

Language Level: 0 A mention of wench, fool, and vile creature.

If you’re not a Christian, it still is a good read. There is a few Bible verses and redemption. A very inspirational love story!

[funkelbunt.liest · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this, but I can’t give this book more than 3 stars.

I loved the faith content and to some extent the redemption arc of the characters, but sadly that’s pretty much it.

I couldn’t really stand the main character, she’s bitter and judgemental and honestly just a brat. There’s a lot of telling rather than showing and most characters and situations were overly dramatic to a point where I was rolling my eyes instead of feeling with or for the characters.

I’m really sorry, but this was supposed to be a heartfelt historical romance and no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t take it seriously.

* Thank you to the author for letting me read an advanced copy of this book. I leave this review voluntarily and the expressed opinions are my own.

[Amanda Williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a picky reader and BELIEVE ME WHEN I TELL YOU this book was the best book I have read in years!! I found this book by IG reels and I was hooked by the excerpt I read. There were so many twist and I didn’t know what was going to happen! There was a love triangle and it wasn’t too “soap operaish.” I loved the biblical principles Mikayla used to develop this book. It was so clean! I definitely will be looking forward to more of her books. She is an example that romance doesn’t have to be spicy to be good! This book wasn’t cheesy hallmark either. It felt like a movie that I’d see in theatres and be a multimillion production.

[Jimnlori · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Chosen by Mikayla Robbins was pretty good for this first time published author. I love inspirational historical fiction so I really enjoyed that aspect of the book and I loved the growth, change and redemption that the characters found by the end of the story. However I found the modern day English bothersome along with the author taking liberties with some things not being historically accurate during the setting of her book. I do however look forward to reading more by this author in the future because I believe that she has great potential in improving her writing and an author that I see myself reaching for when I need something new to read.

[Parker Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing book! A wonderful story that doesn't exactly go in the direction you first expect it to when you begin reading.
While this was Ms. Robbins debut novel, it is the second of her books I have read. I made the mistake of starting The Chosen right at bedtime. Next thing I knew it was 11:30pm and I was 85% of the way through 😅
The premise and plot are both so original and full of twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat the whole way.
Romance, heartbreak, tragedy, betrayal, faith, and longing; this book has it all😍 Books like this are a testament to the fact that you can keep it clean and still have a great captivating story!

[Kristin Gibson Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

An arranged marriage with a touch of enemies to lovers..... sign me up!
I really enjoyed this first installment of the Advantageous Marriages Series. It was a unique plot: an arranged marriage between two childhood acquaintances, all to save one family from bankruptcy, told through the eyes of both new husband and wife as they struggle to discover God's purpose for their life. I especially liked the way the author tied the story back to the biblical story of Esther.
A great romance for anyone looking for the tropes they love without all the spicy stuff! And I can't wait for book 2!

[Macey Burton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love books from this time period and I definitely was not disappointed in this one. There were a couple of times where I thought I knew what was going to happen but was surprised by what actually happened. Loved the character development in both the main characters as well as the Christian background/theme throughout. Great job to this new author. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for her.

[Danielle Addams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun read. I went on vacation and read it on the beach. It took me 4 hours and I was sunburned, but it was worth it! I look forward to reading more of her books! I followed her on IG and discovered she has another book! It better not take long because I am dying to read it! This book has so many twists and I didn’t expect the ending! Wow!!!!!

[Cynthia Boyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Chosen, by Mikayla Robbins, is one of those books you can't put down. I enjoyed the personal growth of each of the main characters and the relational dynamics that are woven beautifully throughout the book.

[Denise Kulesa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good !!! It kept me engaged the whole time. The ending was unexpected.

[Laura Broom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once I started reading this book I couldn’t put it down!! I read until I was finished!

[Carla Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ending of this book!!!! I’m so shook! I would have never expected that! It was so well put together and it was unpredictable! I needed to read this!!!

[E.P. Klopp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robbins' debut novel is a treat, and I had a hard time putting it down. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a fast-paced plot and clean romance.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story. However, there were so many grammatical errors it took away from the story. Also, certain words used did not seem appropriate for the late 1800 time setting.

[Elora Maxwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 🌟

A delightfully simple and sweet forced marriage novel that felt light and breezy.

Excited to read the sequel!

[Lisa Sprayberry · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing

The story was good but the grammatical errors and typos made it almost unreadable. I did finish it but will not be reading the sequel.

[Reader Louise Rigali · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you made a hallmark movie with a Jane Austen vibe, then this would be that book. Sweet, charming, almost whimsical, Mikayla Robbins writes a story appropriate for all ages. It's clean, and boasts of bravery in the face of difficult circumstances.
The story follows a young woman who is destined for a life out of her control. It follows her through the difficulties of handling situations thrown at her and rising to challenges with grace and boldness.
Edit: I have to hand it to Robbins; despite her style not being as gritty and hard hitting as I prefer my stories, she kept me guessing and delicately touched on real heavy emotions. Hence why I dubbed it A "hallmark movie". Worth reading and sharing with younger readers.

[Mikayla Robbins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Content and Trigger Warnings:

The Chosen is an adult Christian Romance set in 1897 Virginia, but it is for ages 16 and older. If it were a movie it'd be rated PG.

Romance:

My novels are all closed-door, meaning there is no smut on the page or foul language.

Sensitive Content:

- Mild Violence (a character is mugged and injured, a character is slapped, a threat to hanging)
-A forced arranged marriage
- Characters live in extreme poverty and horrid conditions
- Reference to a past sexual assault
- Stillbirth backstory
- Emotional and Verbal Abuse
-Child Abandonment Trauma

If you are uncomfortable with any of these themes, please do not read or read with caution.

[Jewel Carrie Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read The Chosen twice now, once when it first released and then again ahead of the release of its sequel, The Frozen. Collin and Anna are unforgettable characters, and the struggles they face, even as upper-class people, are important, because they teach wonderful lessons about morality. This is a story that is heartfelt and full of meaning. It's one you want to have a copy of on your bookshelf, and you'll be pleased to see Collin and Anna again in the sequel which takes place years later.

[Joyce McLemore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ENJOYED THIS BOOK!

I enjoyed this book! The story line kept me interested from start to finish. It is a book I could read more than once. It would make a great movie.