About the Book

Book: A Counterfeit Betrothal

Author: Denise Weimer

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction

Release Date: September 6, 2023

A frontier scout, a healing widow, and a desperate fight for peace.

At the farthest Georgia outpost this side of hostile Creek Territory in 1813, Jared Lockridge serves his country as a scout to redeem his father’s botched heritage. If he can help secure peace against Indians allied to the British, he can bring his betrothed to the home he’s building and open his cabinetry shop. Then he comes across a burning cabin and a traumatized woman just widowed by a fatal shot.

Freed from a cruel marriage, Esther Andrews agrees to winter at the Lockridge homestead to help Jared’s pregnant sister-in-law. Lame in one foot, Esther has always known she is secondhand goods, but the gentle carpenter-turned-scout draws her heart with as much skill as he creates furniture from wood. His family’s love offers hope even as violence erupts along the frontier—and Jared’s investigation into local incidents brings danger to their doorstep. Yet how could Esther ever hope a loyal man like Jared would choose her over a fine lady?

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About the Author

North Georgia native Denise Weimer has authored over a dozen traditionally published novels and a number of novellas—historical and contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and time slip. As a freelance editor and Acquisitions & Editorial Liaison for Wild Heart Books, she’s helped other authors reach their publishing dreams. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise always pauses for coffee, chocolate, and old houses.

More from Denise

Romance on the Colonial Georgia Frontier

Near my home north of Atlanta, we have plenty of history, which is great for a lifelong history buff like me. But apart from some Colonial-era settlement in Savannah and Augusta, most of it (at least, the recorded part) doesn’t trace back much before the Civil War. Many town and river names hint of the native people and earlier times.

Imagine my surprise when I learned that a War of 1812 fort existed in what is currently Gwinnett County—then Jackson County—less than forty miles northeast of current downtown Atlanta. That evidence of this fort was plowed up in someone’s back yard in 2009 made it even more intriguing. And the fact that I grew up in Jackson County and later briefly lived and worked in Gwinnett (as a historical interpreter, of all things) made my connection to Fort Daniel a close one. The location is now an archeological site with a small museum maintained by the Fort Daniel Foundation.

Most folks, even those who live around here, aren’t aware that the Creek War (or Red Stick War) fought in modern-day Alabama was part of the War of 1812. Or that the Cherokees fought alongside the Americans against the Creeks, allied to the British. The military side of that story is explored in my earlier novel, Bent Tree Bride. But when I learned about Fort Daniel, a home front romance, A Counterfeit Betrothal, book one in my Scouts of the Georgia Frontier Series, was born.

1813

At the farthest Georgia outpost this side of hostile Creek Territory, Jared Lockridge serves his country as a scout to redeem his father’s botched heritage. If he can help secure the peace against Indians allied to the British, he can bring his betrothed to the home he’s building and open his cabinetry shop. Then he comes across a burning cabin and a traumatized woman just widowed by a fatal shot.

Esther seems to have everything against her—a physical handicap, an abusive past, and then being stranded on the frontier without money, friends, or relatives. Not to mention, the assailant who killed her husband still appears to be stalking her. Her only skill? The herbal remedies learned from a Cherokee woman. The harshest winter in Georgia history closes in, threatening to extinguish all hope. Yet through the example of the loving Lockridge family who take Esther in, she finds her identity and strength in God’s love…and eventually, the love of a good man.

In writing this story, I drew on real history and folklore as related in History of Gwinnett County Georgia 1818-1943 Vol. I by J.C. Flanigan and The Early History of Jackson County Georgia: The Writings of the Late G.J.N. Wilson. The panther attack Esther and Tabitha Lockridge face during the hard winter is based on an 1830s account of a Missouri settler. And the Wog? This strange creature of legend is not only mentioned in the History of Jackson County, but I grew up hearing tales about it as late as the 1980s.

A Counterfeit Betrothal is a story of how healing and redemption can happen among the harshest circumstances. But it’s not just a survival tale. Its sweet romance and loyal friendship will take you back to bayberry candles and syllabub at Christmas, the scratch of a fiddle at a spring log rolling, and the laughter of loved ones gathered around a crackling fire. I hope you enjoy the journey!

MY REVIEW

I love a story with a character who reminds me of beauty from ashes. Esther is lonely and doesn’t have much self esteem. When she is rescued from a fire by Jared her life changes. The back story on Esther is emotional. She has been mistreated by her now dead husband. The scars she has runs deep and she is afraid to get close to anyone. I could feel her meekness and anxiety as she is taken in by people who are very giving.

Jared is a rugged man who is hard hardworking, honest and faithful. He is someone women would love to be courted by. I love how he helps Esther and brings her home to his family without any hesitation. He is very gifted in cabinetmaking and hopes to one day open his own shop.

This time period shows how hard it was to make a living and the author highlights the story with historical facts that make readers feel as if they are there experiencing everything along with the characters. I was fascinated by all the herbs they used to treat illnesses or used for cooking. The candle making process sounded very fun and creative.

Oh how thankful I was that Jared shared Jesus with Esther. She has been lied to, made to feel shameful and unloved. I cried as she tried to understand how God could save such a person as she. I began to hum “ Amazing Grace” as I continued the story. Her heart was so broken yet she yearned to be accepted and loved. All she wants is to be free from her past and it was now within her reach. God always has a plan and it was by no accident that Jared was the one to rescue her from the fire that day. Can she find a way to forgive herself?

The story does have a little danger in it that illustrated how strong Esther had become. Her journey is not without a look at who she once was. I loved how the author used this character to show how God’s unconditional love can save a person who thought she was worthless. A beautiful reminder for all of us is to never give up hope and know that “we are fearfully and wonderfully made.” Esther and Jared’s story is one that I won’t forget.

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