About the Book

Book: Return to the Wilderness

Author: Andrea Byrd

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: October 22, 2024

Two outcasts. One marriage of convenience. A love story forged in the fires of adversity.

Muireall Blair has finally found a comfortable life at Fort Harrod—until she experiences a recurring nightmare that warns of impending doom for her sister. Unable to shake the weight of foreboding, Muireall cannot sit idle anymore and risk the dream becoming a reality. With her near-sightedness a closely guarded secret, she seeks the help of Jude, a man with his own hidden past, to reach her sister.

Jude Browne has been gifted with a life of fighting for survival, not one of finding acceptance. Half-blinded as a youth, the scars across his face and the knowledge of his illegitimate birth serve as a reminder of his worthlessness. However, when his mother falls ill, she finally lays bare all the secrets she has kept all his life. Secrets that point to his one chance of finding who he truly is.

Jude and Muireall soon realize that a marriage of convenience is the key to reaching Pitman Station safely. But when their secrets unravel and danger closes in, will they succumb to the shadows of their pasts, or will they find the strength to forge a new future together?

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About the Author

Andrea Byrd is a Christian wife and mom located in rural Kentucky, who loves to spend time with her family in the great outdoors, one with nature. Often described as having been born outside her time, she has a deep affinity for an old-fashioned, natural lifestyle.

With a degree in Equine Health & Rehabilitation gathering dust and a full-time job tethering her to a desk eight hours a day, Andrea decided it was time to show both herself and her children that it is truly possible to make your dreams come true.

Now with over 1,000 contemporary Christian romance novellas sold, Andrea is pursuing her passion of writing faith-filled romance woven with a thread of true history.

More from Andrea

I love to read books that have historical facts, especially little-known ones, woven into their pages. Within my books, I strive to do the same and Return to the Wilderness is no exception.

This book comes in after the unrest of what some call the “Indian Wars,” in Kentucky. During that time, attacks by the native were frequent and brutal. Many of the Station Masters and long hunters in the area lost family members. If you read, Rescue in the Wilderness, you have seen a glimpse of this time and how devastating it could be.

Due to these attacks, stations and settlements were often abandoned. Sometimes the families returned after this time period came to an end and sometimes the buildings were simply left to deteriorate and become shells of a past time. I do not want to give any spoilers, but if you decide to read Return to the Wilderness, you will find out just how this little piece of history impacts the main character, Muireall (the sister from Redemption in the Wilderness).

MY REVIEW

One of the traditions I like about this time period is that a woman must have a chaperon with her if she goes out with a gentleman. This will continue until the woman is married. What a great way to protect a woman’s reputation. I loved following Muireall and her adventure after someone very special passes away.

Muireall is ready to travel to see her sister but must find a way to get there. Here is where another common tradition comes in. A marriage of convenience. I often wonder how many of these actually last forever? As with every marriage the two must get use to each other.

I really enjoyed our two main characters as they started their journey as husband and wife. Muireall has been keeping a secret from Jude. When he discovers her secret he becomes angry because he feels like she lied to him. Why didn’t she tell him before they married? I think she was worried that Jude would reject her. She wanted to see her sister so bad, and Jude was her only way to get there.

Jude wants to protect Muireall and you can tell he starts to have real feelings for her. They do run into danger where they both have to rescue each other. When Jude decides that he has said harsh words to his wife he asks her to forgive him. Then he decides to tell her about his past. As he tells her she learns that he did have a life that at one time was reckless. She is hurt and angry. The author uses this to illustrate how important it is to forgive and judge each other.

The ending brings a bit of suspense where Jude must stand up to protect his wife from two men from his past. I wondered how these men were able to catch up to them and Jude explains that they have been following them for awhile. God is in control in this story and will protect those who reach out to Him. Get ready for a journey that shows faith, forgiveness and a new beginning.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.