Midnight's Budding Morrow by Carolyn Miller ~ Book Review + Giveaway

 

About the Book 

Book: Midnight's Budding Morrow

Author: Carolyn Miller

Series: Regency Wallflowers, Book 2

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Publisher: Kregel

Release Date: May 31, 2022

Can real love grow between a wallflower and an unrepentant rogue?

Sarah Drayton is eager to spend time with her best friend at her crumbling Northumberland castle estate. Matrimony is the last thing on her mind and the last thing she expects to be faced with on a holiday. Yet she finds herself being inveigled into a marriage of convenience with her friend's rakish brother.

When James Langley returns to his family's estate, he can't be bothered to pay attention to his responsibilities as the heir. War is raging and he wants only distraction, not serious tethers. But his roguish ways have backed him into a corner, and he has little choice but to obey his father's stunning decree: marry before returning to war, or else. Suddenly he finds himself wedded to a clever and capable woman he does not love.

Sarah craves love and a place to belong, neither of which James offered before returning to the battlefront. Now everyone around her thinks she married above her station, and they have no intention of rewarding her for such impertinence. It isn't until her husband returns from war seemingly changed that she begins to hope they may find real happiness. But can she trust that this rake has truly reformed?

When tragedy strikes, this pair must learn to trust God and his plans. Will they be destroyed . . . or will they discover that even in the darkest depths of night, the morning still holds hope?

My Thoughts 

I really enjoyed this story and despite it being the second in the series it read like a stand alone story. This story definitely is filled with a lot of emotions. It is a story that is filled with redemption, forgiveness and finding love in the right place. The theme of belonging and finding ones identity is also very big throughout the storyline. 

The setting is spectacular and the perfect place for all that is going on. The descriptions make you feel like you are right at Langley castle and smelling the ocean air. The characters were very well written and their emotions jumped out as you were reading. The storyline is one of marriage of convenience with a mixture of bad boy turned good. 

I really enjoyed Sarah at the very beginning. She seems to have it all together and right away you can tell that she wants a place where she belongs. She wants an identity. She wants to be loved and needed. I loved her tenacity and boldness towards the servants of the house. She was not afraid to back down to them and I loved her for that. But once she had to marry James she changed. She still had a bit of that backbone but she felt alone and without the respect from those around her who could blame her. It took me a bit to like James. He was not very nice at all but he did redeem himself and boy did he really make you fall in love with him. It took him a bit but it's amazing what God's grace does for us. 

I can't tell you too much because I would give it away and I would hate to ruin the story for you. But I will tell you that this is a beautiful story of redemption and finding your identity in Christ. It shows you what happens when you waver on your faith and when you hold on tight to it. I will warn you that there are some heavier topics in this story such as alcoholism and depression but Carolyn Miller approaches it in a very hope-filled manner but she also doesn't shy away from being realistic on what happens when we are at our lowest when battling depression. 

Overall I thought the story was excellent. I couldn't stop reading because I wanted to know what would happen next. If you enjoy Christian Historical Romance stories you would definitely enjoy this one or any books by this author!

My Rating: 5 Stars/Loved it!

I received a copy of this book from Read with Audra. I was not required to post a positive review. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

Giveaway

https://www.audrajennings.com/2022/05/win-copy-of-midnights-budding-morrow.html

About the Author

Carolyn Miller is an inspirational romance author who lives in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, with her husband and four children.

 

A longtime lover of romance, especially that of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer’s Regency era, Carolyn holds a BA in English literature and loves drawing readers into fictional worlds that show the truth of God’s grace in our lives. She enjoys music, films, gardens, art, travel, and food.

Miller’s novels have won a number of RWA and ACFW contests. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Australasian Christian Writers. 

 

Learn more about Carolyn at www.carolynmillerauthor.com, or find her on Facebook (Carolyn Miller Author), Instagram (@CarolynMillerAuthor), and Twitter (@CarolynMAuthor).