Hope at Dawn by Stacy Henrie (My Review)

Hope at Dawn
by Stacy Henrie
Copyright 2014
Hachette Book Group
ISBN: 9781455598809

The Story:
IN A TIME OF WAR, LOVE IS THE INSPIRATION.

With her brothers away fighting the Great War overseas, Livy Campbell desperately wants to help her family. Her chance comes when she meets a handsome stranger who lands her a job as a teacher in a place far from her parents' farm. But the war casts a long shadow over the German-American town that Livy now calls home-and the darkness will test everything she thought she knew about family and love . . .

More than anything, Friedrick Wagner wants to be part of his adopted country's struggle for peace. But when the bitter animosity between Germans and Americans soon turns citizens against newcomers, friend against friend, he will do whatever it takes to protect Livy from the hysteria that grips their town. As tragedy-and dark secrets from the past-threaten their future, Friedrick and Livy have one chance to stand up for what's right . . . and one chance to fight for their love.

To learn more about Stacy Henrie be sure to visit her website:
http://stacyhenrie.com/


My Thoughts:
Some days just call for a sweet, simple romance -- Stacy Henrie's Hope at Dawn is that kind of read. Of Love and War promises to be a must-read series if the books that follow are half as good as the first. With series' like Downton Abbey bringing more interest to the World War I and the difficult years that followed, it's nice to be getting more books set during that time from authors across the romance genre. Henrie's Hope at Dawn is a "sweet" romance with Christian themes woven throughout that focuses not on the warfront, but what life was like for German Americans living in the US.


Livy Campbell takes a position as a teacher far from from her home and family. Thankfully, she finds a friend in Friedrick Wagner, the school maintenance man. In spite of protests from board members, Livy can't help but have a relationship with the kind and dedicated family man. With both their livelihoods at stake, they must decide whether love and country are worth the risk to their hearts and their families.

Each page of Hope at Dawn is fraught with tension and romance. There is certainly more than one hold-your-breath, moment for both Livy and Friedrick. Everything wrapped up nicely in spite of the bumps in the road, but things were left open for a few of the characters. I love Maria and want her to have her own little bit of happiness! Tie up those loose ends where she is concerned in this series, Ms. Henrie! Pretty please. ;-) Other than that, Hope at Dawn is gentle, sweet, and just what I needed to read in order to unwind this past weekend. A winner!

~ My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars ~

*I receive complimentary books for review from publishers, publicists, and/or authors. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.*

Happy Reading!