The Blue Enchantress (Charles Towne Belles Book 2)

Hope Westcott gives love a bad name, or so everyone in Charles Towne thinks. She throws her affections at anything male that moves, winning her the reputation of a trollop. In reality, Hope craves true and lasting love the way a starving person craves nutrition. She grew up without parental love or guidance, then endured a harrowing rape courtesy of an unscrupulous family member. Already enslaved emotionally, Hope finds herself abandoned and on an auction block at St. Kitts, after yet another man betrayed her. Her one hope of rescue is merchant captain Nathaniel Mason, but is he prepared to risk losing his heart?Hope won my sympathy and support right away. She looks like a fragile victim and often plays that role whether she means to or not. But as the trials of a sea journey force her to grow, she becomes a strong, multifaceted, and likeable woman. Underneath Hope's broken places beats a compassionate heart, one you want to see heal. Nathaniel provides some of that healing, but ultimately it's God who does the work--and what a work it is. Hope's spiritual arc is one of the best written and most touching I have read this summer.As for Nathaniel, he's a beautifully crafted hero. Raised by the town harlot, he's understandably wary of women like Hope. At times, his fear and self-righteousness drive him to behave stupidly. I had a few moments where I put the book down and said, "Hope loves you and has changed--would you get it through your thick skull already?" But those moments only make him more human. He has several wonderful moments of courage, and treats Hope with the tenderness she so needs. In every way, Nathaniel and Hope are a perfect match, something not every author pulls off.The Blue Enchantress' secondary characters are three-dimensional and pleasures to know. Abigail and Captain Poole get the most development, so they stick out as particular strong points. But other characters such as the Hendrick family, Gavin Keese, and the despicable Lord Falkland add flavor and adventure to the novel as well. The settings of shipboard and a deserted island make these people pop right off the page. If possible, The Blue Enchantress is even more adventurous than The Red Siren.M.L. Tyndall uses the setting to her advantage, and it shows brilliantly. For example, Hope finds God through what might otherwise be considered unrealistic, deus ex machina events. But because she's marooned on an island where nature is one of God's only avenues to show Himself, her journey to Him works well. Additionally, the setting allows Nathaniel to use latent skills and carve an identity outside his past that a "civilized" setting never would. Bravo.There are some extremely minor issues. M.L. Tyndall sometimes overuses words and phrases, like "heat." Also, the Kindle edition at least has several editing issues. But these don't pop up enough to disrupt the story for long, and the story itself is a triumph. I am definitely looking forward to diving into The Raven Saint next.

How fun I just love books by Mary LuTyndall.She never disappoints. it is always one adventure after another with many twist and turns

Hope runs away from her home, hiding aboard a ship in order to be with Lord Falkland, the man who has professed his love for her. Apparently, he has a wife that he neglected to tell her about, and he gives her over to the captain of the ship, who sells her as a slave. Nathaniel, a merchant from her hometown, recognizes her and gives up one of his merchant ships to purchase her and save her. He used to love her passionately, but after constantly being snubbed by her, gave up on pursuing her. Now, he’s shocked by her foolishness and disgusted by his attraction to her beauty, though he intends to take her back to her home, seeing it as his God-given duty.Mary Lu Tyndall is amazing. I’m positive her stories are woven with magic. This book sweeps you along like a strong wave, and it’s difficult to break free of its tug. The plot is exciting. There’s always something going on, so you never have a chance to be bored. Between the big events, there were drops in tension. I definitely wasn’t bored, but I think the book could have been even more enchanting if foreshadowing were used for exciting plot events. I also love the passion and tension brewing between Nathaniel and Hope. What I love even more is that the romance isn’t purely passion. It’s built on admiration for each other and—eventually—their relationship with God forms the foundation. All of the characters are so three-dimensional. Mary Lu Tyndall makes them pop off the page (or screen, if you’re reading on Kindle), using vivid physical descriptions, unique personalities for each, backstories, and motivations. Altogether, it was a fantastic read, and I can’t wait to snatch up whatever book she writes next.This is part of a series, but you can easily read it without any knowledge of past books. All the information and backstory you’ll need is covered in this book, so you could read it as a stand-alone. If you’re interested, the next book in the series is The Raven Saint.

In The Blue Enchantress we meet Hope Westcott, a woman so shaped by tragedy in her past that she has let it define her attitudes towards herself, the men she meets, and God. Just as one major event changed the course of her life and another may have the chance to set it on an entirely new path... if she lets it.Captain Nathaniel Mason has always equated wealth with security. He is a decent, hard-working man who has literally built his shipping business with his own two hands. He is a leader with much to admire, but he is not following the voice of God because of his own fears and insecurities.The two meet when Hope has been put on the auction block by a dishonest Captain due to her own bad choices. Recognizing her as someone he knew from home, he can't stand by and see her sold off as a slave, but purchasing her costs him his ship and seems to be only the beginning of his bad luck. He's both drawn to her and yet repelled by her apparent lack of morals.She's grateful to him, and wants to be with him, and yet hates the condescending way he and the other people on the ship treat her. She always has relied on her charm and appearance to win over men and this seems only to drive him away and cause her more troubles on their journey.Unlike cookie cutter heroes and leading ladies, these two struggled with everything from outright jealousy, misunderstandings, not listening to God's leading, having their lives put in jeopardy, being betrayed by a friend... It was an exciting book and I never knew where the next chapter would lead. I wanted them to find happiness together, but I also had to pull for them to survive, to make peace with God, to outmaneuver the bad guys... The other characters were just as complex and wonderful as the two main characters. It was an adventurous, romantic tale that shouldn't be missed. I can't wait for the next installment.

good

As described

This book was constant action beginning to end. One of the most endearing things was that the heroine had massive flaws. So often in books the heroine has minor flaws or is rather perfect and somebody we'd all love to be--but this girl was highly flawed--someone you wouldn't want to be--yet probably someone we can all relate to. Her story of redemption was quite moving.this author.....wow! I finished this book this afternoon and am now on here planning to buy the others from the series. Why I started on book 2 I don't know, but I cannot WAIT to go back to book 1 now, and read book 3. All the characters are intwined as the series is base around the stories of three sisters and though this particular book did not have the other two sisters in it, they were mentioned a lot so you felt you knew them and the epilogue is virtually the beginning of book 3--hence a massive cliffhanger and the reason I must buy it tonight. But I'm not buying it because of the cliffhanger, but rather because she is an incredible author and even without that cliffhanger I would have gone on to purchase the entire series.I have 4 authors who I absolutely love and am ever-faithful to, buying all their books. MaryLu Tyndall is the first author I've read in awhile that has pushed her way into my group of elite authors--which is now 5!For those interested, my other fave authors with incredible books are: Catherine Palmer, Deeanne Gist, Julie Lessman, Tamera Alexander.