A Noble Groom by Jody Hedlund

When I get a novel by Jody Hedlund I know I'm guaranteed an enjoyable reading adventure. Since bursting onto the scene a few years ago with The Preacher's Bride, Hedlund hasn't disappointed once. A Noble Groom, her fourth effort, is exactly what I've come to expect from this author. 
Annalise, and her German immigrant family, lives in Michigan in the late 1800s. Her husband's death leaves her without the male support that her farm needs in order to take care of her, her daughter, and her unborn child. Her father arranges for a distant cousin to come to America from Germany and take her as his bride.
Carl Richards is new in town, direct from Germany, and is running from his past. He is at first thought to be the cousin and Annalise is beside herself because he is a kind and gentle man, so different from her deceased husband. He quickly makes it known that he isn't the groom-to-be, but that he will help her on her land until the man arrives.
The two soon fall in love and trouble abounds. His past is trying to catch up with him and the local scoundrel, Mr Ward, is trying everything he can to gain her land for his own.

This book was very hard to put down. It melted my heart to watch these two fall in love. The chemistry between them sizzled off of the pages. 

Very much worth the few hours of my time that it took to read.

New from Bethany House, this book was provided for review by LitFuse.