I typically do not read historical romance, but I was pleasantly surprised with In Due Season: A Story of Colonial Williamsburg. Sandi Rebert has a charming writing style.
The first chapter starts strong and I root for John to escape the London workhouse and make his way to America. I empathize with Elizabeth upon her heartbreaking arrival in America after the loss of her parents to disease as they crossed the Atlantic with dreams of starting a better life in America. The characters’ paths cross when they are employed for the same family in Williamsburg. The country is in the throes of the issues leading up to the Revolutionary War. John and Elizabeth enjoy simple pleasures and face hardships and struggles. Will their faith be strong enough to see them through the difficult times?
The story reminds us that a better life is not necessarily an easier life. The author depicted believable language, setting, and situations for the time period. In a couple of places, the author wrote from one character's point of view and then slipped into a different character's POV in the same chapter, but it didn't prevent me from following the story.
The story reminded me how much easier our lives are than those of our ancestors. It is too bad we cannot all go back in time for a day or even half a day so we would appreciate our lives now. The next best thing is to read a realist story of the times.
I will be honest. The only reason I read the book was due to a post by the author about the difficulty she encounters as an indie author to entice new readers and encourage readers to leave a review. As an indie author, I understand where she is coming from. Neither the title nor the book cover attracted me, however this is not my preferred genre. Someone who loves historical fiction in the colonial period may love them. I also understand the challenge of creating a title and cover that prospective readers will find appealing and adequately portrays the story. To support Sandi, I purchased and read In Due Time. The story touched me, and I encourage you to read it.