Beyond the Valley by Rita Gerlach & Giveaway (US/Can)

Beyond the Valley by Rita Gerlach is the third book in The Daughters of the Potomac series with Before the Scarlet Dawn (my review) being the first and Beside Two Rivers (my review) being the second in this fantastic Christian series.  I knew from the first book I read that this would be a series I would follow and I’m so glad I have.  Rita Gerlach has a way with her stories that fully draws you into her character’s lives and what’s happening to them.  You care about them, you shed a few tears with them, and you rejoice in their happiness.  The love, faith, and hope that shines through the pages of Rita’s novels is enough to call me back to this series time and time again.

Sarah Carr has never had an easy life.  As an orphan she has already endured hardships in her life and with one leg shorter than the other she is viewed as a cripple and tainted.  You  have to keep in mind that this was the 1700’s and any type of defect had people looking down on you.  Finally though she finds happiness with her husband Jamie until tragedy hits and he is taken from her.  Left pregnant and alone she turns to the only people she can – Jamie’s sister and her husband.  Imagine her surprise to find that they are not very welcoming and in fact scheme to have her kidnapped.  As she travels by ship to be sold as an indentured servant she can’t help but wonder why God has forsaken her and what hardships lay ahead of her.

While the trip on the ship was more than Sarah felt she could endure what was to come for her would really try her faith at times.  Her life has become one where she is destined to serve others until she has paid her debt.  While this is not the life she wants not everyone is bad especially one handsome doctor by the name of Alex Hutton.  They meet and it seems, despite their differing stations in life, that they are destined for each other.  Yet it seems that the fates cannot look favorably on Sarah and she is once again sold to someone else and Alex loses track of her in the process.  He vows to find her again, set her free, and marry her.  Yet at every turn it seems not meant to be.  Will Sarah survive what is in store for her?  Will her faith see her through?  Will Alex be able to find Sarah before she is lost to him forever?

I liked Sarah.  I had already met her in a previous book so I knew some of her story but it was interesting to get it all instead of only bits and pieces.  Despite the hardships that continually seemed to find her she was still loyal to those she loved and had a fierce determination to live and clung to her hope and faith in her God.  I enjoyed being taken back to characters from the previous books as well.  If I had one complaint and it isn’t really a complaint as it’s more of an observation and that is I think this book would have fit better in the middle as the second book.  It can most definitely stand alone but I do think you get more from the story having read the others.  As for me I’ve really enjoyed the series and it’s everything I look for in a good Christian historical romance novel.  God doesn’t promise us an easy life but he promises to be there for us and with us as long as we keep our hope and faith in him alive.

Beyond the Valley by Rita Gerlach is touring with Pump Up Your Book so be sure to visit the other tour stops for more reviews, guest posts, and giveaways.  You can find Rita on her website and Facebook and your own copy of Beyond the Valley can be purchased at Amazon and Amazon Canada.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS (US/Canada)

I have one copy of Beyond the Valley by Rita Gerlach to share with my readers.  To enter…

• For 1 entry leave me a comment entering the giveaway.
• For 2 entries follow my blog.  If you already do let me know so I can pass the extra entry on to you as well.
• Tweet, post on Facebook, or Blog about this giveaway to earn 3 entries.

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents (no PO boxes) and I will draw for the winner on Saturday, March 23/13.  Good luck!

Source: Review copy provided by Pump Up Your Book and the Publisher.  No compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

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