Series:
Channel Fleet (Book 4)
Return to her respectable life…
Or take a scandalous path to marriage?
As her snobbish aunt's companion, penniless vicar's
daughter Jerusha Langley is sent to take a donation to the local naval
hospital. There she meets dashing surgeon Jamie Wilson and embarks on a secret
mission -- sneaking out to help him care for injured sailors!
With his life in peril fighting Napoleon, Jamie has never
considered taking a wife, yet he's impressed by Jerusha's nursing ability --
and beauty inside and out. Jamie knows she's risking a scandal by helping him.
Can he risk his heart and save her reputation with a marriage offer?
Terrific book. One of the things I like most about this
author is her use of ordinary people instead of members of the nobility. It
makes a refreshing change of pace. In this book, we have Jerusha, the penniless
daughter of a vicar, and Jamie, a surgeon with the Royal Navy.
Jerusha's prospects are slim in her small hometown. Her
mother sends her to Plymouth to be a companion to her aunt, where she looks at
a dismal future catering to grouchy old women. Her aunt is selfish, snobbish,
and mean-spirited. Things begin to change when chance takes her to a naval
hospital nearby. She encounters Jamie, a navy surgeon she knew as a child, and
discovers a calling to help the injured.
Jamie joined the Royal Navy as a surgeon's mate when he
was thirteen. He eventually studied and passed the exams to become a surgeon.
He spends most of his time either at the hospital in Devonport or onboard
various ships. Because of the war with Napoleon, he is very busy. The last
person he expects to see is the little girl from fifteen years earlier.
Jerusha quickly becomes involved with Jamie's work at the
hospital. Her aunt would disapprove, so she sneaks out. Experience tells the
reader that this will eventually cause a problem. I loved Jerusha's
interactions with the patients she helped. Their stories are frequently
heartbreaking, but some are filled with hope. I liked seeing how her confidence
grew as she took on more responsibility.
I loved seeing the relationship between Jamie and Jerusha
develop. It started in a fun manner, as Jamie referred to the day they met.
There is a sweet part that refers back to that day, and Jamie won my heart
right away with how he comforts her. I liked seeing them together. Their
interactions are real and relatable, from the discussions of their work to the
lighter moments of teasing. It is an unusual relationship in that they spend
more time apart than together because of Jamie's long periods spent at sea.
However, the often difficult and extreme circumstances of their time together
bring them closer than a more traditional relationship is likely to do. The
scene where Jerusha joined Jamie on the ship was especially intense. The ending
was great, with a twist that would affect their future.
One of the many things I loved about this book was the
detailed descriptions of the hospital and its patients. They weren't just
nameless props for the story but portrayed as real human beings. Their lives
and personalities were realistic, and their injuries and actions were
believable. This book gave me a different perspective on the Napoleonic War's
naval blockade, the effects on people, and the Battle of Trafalgar.
As a side note: The name Jerusha is unusual and
memorable, and it took me a while to remember where I had heard it before. I
finally recalled that Jerusha was the preacher's wife's name in James
Michener's book Hawaii.
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