The Bride Wore Blue by Mona Hodgson

Headed toward a fresh start but tethered by her past, Vivian longs to break free, to find forgiveness and love.
The youngest Sinclair, the family“ baby”, is moving from Maine to Cripple Creek, Colorado and joining Kat, Nell, and Ida, her three older sisters. But Vivian is a young woman with a will of her own, and made some decisions back in Portland that have begun to haunt her. Will she be able to live up to the expectations of her three 'perfect' and now happily-settled sisters?

The sisters warmly welcome Vivian to the mountain west, but the wild-and-woolly mining town isn’t ripe with opportunities for a respectable young woman. The youngest Sinclair sister is determined to make her own way, so when she’s offered a job as a hostess in a sporting house, she takes it, thinking the position is appropriate for a tainted, unlovable woman like herself. Although she’s convinced she’ll never be asked to entertain privately, Vivian keeps her employment a secret from her sisters, knowing they’d be mortified—as will Carter Alwyn, the kind and godly sheriff ’s deputy who’s sweet on her.

Vivian is descending into a life of secrets, lying to the very people who love her and could help her heal from her mistakes. Will an outpouring of grace remind her that she is still God’s beloved and that her past can be washed as clean as Rocky Mountain snow?

The Bride Wore Blue by Mona Hodgson was an interesting and convicting novel about a sinful woman who learns that God offers forgiveness and acceptance to those who turn to Him and away from sin. The Bride Wore Blue is the third book in the Sinclair Sisters of Cripple Creek series. While I did not read the first two books in the series, the novel was written so that I was able to quickly connect with the characters and enjoy the story. The plot line was well written and had a couple surprising occurrences that added to the suspense and excitement of the story. The tone of the novel varied, and the author clearly showed the thoughts and feelings of the two main characters, Vivian and Carter.

The characters of the story were fairly well developed and engaging. I liked Carter Alwyn. At times I thought he was too perfect, but I enjoyed seeing his growth and his confessions of hypocrisy and making some sins worse than others. Vivian was an interesting young woman. I liked her independence and boldness, but I was saddened to see her choices in life. I was pleased to see her growth as well and her realization of God's love and forgiveness. As Vivian realized, "when faith should have sustained her and sent her into God's arms, she's wallowed in self-pity and turned to Gregory. Now she knew the difference between a superficial man and a man of deep faith and integrity. Her transgressions and the wrenching heartache that followed had readied her heart to receive God's grace." [The Bride Wore Blue, Kindle location 3240].

Overall, I enjoyed The Bride Wore Blue, I cannot wait to read the first two novels and the fourth novel in the The Sinclair Sisters of Cripple Creek series. I highly recommend this series for an quick yet enjoyable read.

I received this eBook for free from Waterbrook Multnomah Press in exchange for an honest review.