Anna Bright (2019)

Synopsis:

Selah has waited her whole life for a happily ever after. As the only daughter of the leader of Potomac, she knows her duty is to find the perfect match.

But after an excruciatingly public rejection, Selah’s stepmother suggests an unthinkable solution: Selah must set sail across the Atlantic to visit a series of potential suitors—and if she doesn’t come home engaged, she shouldn’t come home at all.

From the gardens of England to the fjords of Norge, Selah’s quest will be the journey of a lifetime. But her stepmother’s schemes aren’t the only secrets hiding belowdecks…and the stakes of her voyage may be higher than any happy ending.

From The Publisher's Website

Review: General Audience (A)

A mainstream novel with a Catholic heroine? Sign me up!

This book follows Selah, who lives in Potomac on the Anacostia River in an altered timeline scenario where the colonies didn't break away from England in the 1700s. They gained their independence after a different colony declared war against Great Britain. This allows for a monarchy type situation in the area we know as Washington DC.

Normally, I would rate this limited audience as one of the side characters has multiple children with multiple women, however, this choice in the novel is not portrayed in a positive light and the author makes it clear that what he did is not okay. Also, she was trying to portray historical accuracy for the region around Norway in terms of their customs.

Selah prays often with her rosary beads (fractions of the prayers actually making their way into the book), her godmother is a nun, and the main character has kiss scenes only.

Overall, this book was a true diamond in the rough, and I enjoyed the inclusion of various fairy tale elements. There are a couple of twists including espionage and betrayal that are made pretty obvious while reading the novel, but I don't think that detracts from the overall story.

I would highly recommend this book for people who are looking for an easy read in the fairy tale genre.