The Castaway's Bride

by Susan Page Davis

When her sister Abigail's beau returns from the sea after being thought dead for five years, Deborah Bowman is torn. She greatly admires Edward Hunter and believes him to be the best of men, but Abigail's heart now belongs to another. Deborah longs to honor her sister's choice, but why can't Abby see Edward's superior character and the miracle of his return? Edward Hunter has come back to life in the eyes of his friends and family. Marooned on a deserted island, only the Lord and thoughts of his beloved Abigail kept him going. But now that he's home, he finds he and Abigail aren't who they used to be. . . and neither is Abigail's little sister, Debbie. Could the Lord have used tragedy and separation to open Edward's eyes to what-and who-he really needs?

Genres: Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction, Christian Romance, Romance

176 pages, Mass Market Paperback

Published March 7, 2007

About the author

FROM AUTHOR'S WEBSITE: I'm a native of central Maine, and grew up on a small farm with a wonderful mom and dad, three sisters and a brother. Most of my books take place in small towns, many of them in Maine.

My husband, Jim, and I moved to his birth state, Oregon, for a while after we were married, but decided to move back to Maine and be near my family. It allowed our six children to grow up feeling close to their cousins and grandparents, and some of Jim's family have even moved to Maine!

Our children are all home-schooled. When Jim retired from his vocation as an editor at a daily newspaper, we moved from Maine to Kentucky.

I've always loved reading, history, and horses. These things come together in several of my historical books.
Another longtime hobby of mine is genealogy, which has led me down many fascinating paths. I'm proud to be a DAR member! Some of Jim's and my quirkier ancestors have inspired fictional characters.

For many years I worked for the Central Maine Morning Sentinel as a freelancer. This experience was a great help in developing fictional characters and writing realistic scenes. I also published nonfiction articles in several magazines and had several short stories appear in Woman's World, Grit, and Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine.

Reviews

[Sarah Peralta · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish there was a sub-section in Christian romance called "non-preachy romance".

[Randy Tramp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Abagail's beau returns from sea after being thought dead. Edward Hunter had been marooned on a deserted island. Now he finds he and Abigail are different.

I love the "feel" of this book. Having been in the Navy, there's nothing like being on a ship. It goes without saying, I wouldn't want to have been in Edward's shoes, at least when he was marooned.

There's a little suspense, a lot of romance, and a slight mystery. Good read.

[Melissa (christianbooksandcoffee) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edward has been trapped on an island for 4 years and gone for 5 years total. After being rescued and brought back home, he is anxious to see his fiancé, Abigail. He goes to her house and is greeted by her younger sister, Deborah who is a grown woman now. The entire family is shocked to see him after thinking him dead. There is only one little problem, Abigail got engaged to Edward’s cousin. Abigail now has to decide which man to marry. And what about Deborah who has been besotted with Edward for years.

Great little story! I really liked how mature all the characters were about the sticky situation. And of course we get a nice happily ever after for all the characters which is nice. I do wish there was a little more of relationship content between Edward and Deborah. Great Christian message and I definitely recommend!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story will make your heart sing. Poor Edward. You can't help but feel sorry for him and anxious for his cousin as he worries that Abby will want Edward back. But five years is a long time, and Edward and Abby have both changed. One thing that has remained constant, however, is Deborah's love and admiration for Edward. But dare she hope that he might return her affections?

This enjoyable romance shows how getting to know someone's character and heart for others can lead to love. Beauty is only skin deep. While Deborah is by no means ugly, her heart for others makes her beautiful in Edward's eyes. Hold your breath as you wait for them to discover love and hope that they can get past societal expectations from that era to achieve the relationship they both long for.

[Loraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable historical romance. Edward Hunter disappeared 5 years ago when his ship went down at sea. His fiance´, Abigail mourned for him for 3 years and then moved on getting engaged to Edward's cousin, Jacob. Now Edward has returned after being discovered on a small island by another ship. How will Abigail solve her dilemma and will Edward find someone else has now taken his heart?

I really liked the setting in Maine and Davis' descriptions of the capital city of Portland as it began to grow in the 1820's. The quotes at the beginning of each chapter also played into the focus of each one.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coming back from the presumed dead with only a single dream keeping him alive, our hero faultlessly turns to God's will and best for his life. People change after 5 years, but if not together then what? He returns to discovery of his place in the family business, who is not as they appear to be, and they right bride for his adventures. A very fine read.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was very pleased with this novella. I often feel something is lacking in such short reads because there is so little space for plot and character development - something always seems to be left out or rushed. Ms Davis did a wonderful job of telling this story and keeping my attention. This was a sweet, interesting story.

[Jennifer Hibdon · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 Years Lost at Sea!

Edward is rescued from a deserted island, 4 years after a shipwreck. The first person he wants to see is his fiancee'. What follows is the working out of a triangle, and finding the absolute best lady for him! God leads in mysterious ways.

[Lila · Rating 4 out of 5]

The plot was predictable, laid out at the beginning. But it was so fun to read through the book to get to the perfect ending.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

God has a plan!

This is a wonderful tale of second chances! God takes away but he also gives in abundance! Like the Bible story of Job, the second part of his life is greater than the first!!

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clean, well written story of loss from man's eyes but blessings in disguise. Loved it. Highly recommend.