Synopsis
On a moonless night, he rides into the winter forest on his beast as black as midnight….
Dashing stranger, Henry Dunham, comes to Salem on a mysterious errand, but is thrown from his horse in the dead of night and rescued by the local Puritan midwife, Lydia Colson.
Haunted by her past, Lydia is running from her own dark secrets, avoiding intrusive questions by pretending her dead husband is simply…away. But when she and Henry are caught in a compromising situation, one punishable by Puritan law, he saves her from scandal by claiming to be her errant spouse…and claiming her bed.
Forced to fake a marriage, Lydia and Henry find their passion overwhelming and their vows a little too real. As their lies become truths, a witch hunt closes in on Lydia, threatening not only their burgeoning love, but her life.
Dashing stranger, Henry Dunham, comes to Salem on a mysterious errand, but is thrown from his horse in the dead of night and rescued by the local Puritan midwife, Lydia Colson.
Haunted by her past, Lydia is running from her own dark secrets, avoiding intrusive questions by pretending her dead husband is simply…away. But when she and Henry are caught in a compromising situation, one punishable by Puritan law, he saves her from scandal by claiming to be her errant spouse…and claiming her bed.
Forced to fake a marriage, Lydia and Henry find their passion overwhelming and their vows a little too real. As their lies become truths, a witch hunt closes in on Lydia, threatening not only their burgeoning love, but her life.
Review
I liked it. It's interesting enough and characters are also good. But the story was quite predictable in many ways. Yet it ended well so that's good. The writing style is very unique. I think the author has tried to stay true the time period and that did make it more interesting to read.
Lydia has been living in Salem for about a year now. She is used to being alone and the only purpose of her life is to help sick people. It is her duty as a physician. However, trouble seems to have found her at last. When she finds a stranger in the woods and decides to help him things starts to get out of hand. First, a local woman, she considered as a friend, starts spreading rumors about her. Then rich spoiled kids decides that she must pay for not helping them with their deceit. And let's not forget a stranger who has been asking about her around town. All this added up and Lydia finds herself in jail, accused to witchcraft.
Henry is looking for his brother and somehow ends up finding his true love. It all sounds too good to be true. His happiness may not last long. There is danger lurking around the corner as a stranger follows the happy couple. One thing is for sure though, he is willing to make this marriage work.
It's a good enough story. I think historical fiction fans will enjoy it. I received a complimentary copy of this book via NetGalley.