Review: Forget Me Not

Forget Me Not
By Miralee Ferrell
Mountain Brook INK, 2014


Summary

Can a Lost Love be Redeemed?
Baker City, Oregon, 1881

Seven years ago, Julia McKenzie rejected the man she loved, wanting to experience more of life. Now, at the age of twenty-four, she regrets that decision. What will Seth think of her, when they encounter one another hundreds of miles from home? Will the man she cared for understand the direction her life has taken and love her in spite of her choices?

Pastor Seth Russell has never completely forgotten the girl he once courted. When she shows up in his new home of Baker City, all those feelings return. But why is she sneaking around town late at night? Even more important, will she reject him and break his heart again, or can God heal the breach between them?

Forget Me Not is part of the historical romance, Love Blossoms in Oregon series, published by David C Cook. This book can stand alone, but is better enjoyed when reading the series and getting acquainted with the full cast of characters from the Love Blossoms in Oregon series.


My thoughts

Forget Me Not by Miralee Ferrell is a novella that can be read after either the first or second novel in the Love Blossoms in Oregon series, set in Baker City during 1881. It is the story of Seth, the pastor who did so much to help Micah in book one, Blowing on Dandelions. This novella is slightly longer than most that we see, and Miralee did a fantastic job with characterization and plot in this shorter format. Readers will also love seeing characters from the other books - Katherine and Micah Jacobs, Wilma and Beth Roberts, and Mrs. Cooper.

I was drawn to Seth in the previous book, so it was great to see him meet Julia, his "lost love" from the past. Julia has matured spiritually over the years and is filled with a passion to make a difference in the lives of downtrodden people. The attraction between Seth and Julia felt real and I loved their tender romance, connected from past to present by the beautiful Forget Me Not flower.

Something that made this novella a favorite with me is the way the narrative shines the light on prejudice - and it was hard to see the way Chinese people were treated, even by church members. Their small but growing community on the edge of Baker City provided cheap labor and hard workers, yet these words by Mei show what they faced:  "My boss not care about Chinamen. He think they not people." It always surprises me when Christians act just like the world, and it was a joy to see how Julia affected change in the community's attitude.

There was a scene between Julia and Wilma that really touched me. Wilma, a wise and caring lady from the previous two books, helps Julia see her passion to help others in a different light. To a Julia who is often frustrated that not everyone shares her desire, Wilma speaks these words:  "Aren't you judging others for what you perceive as their sin of not caring? . . . God calls all of us in a unique way. As none of us are created identically in appearance or how we think, or feel, we're also not given the same gifts. We must be responsible for where God plants us, rather than judge others for not being in the same place."

Readers will enjoy background information behind this story that Miralee shares in her author's note at the end. I highly recommend Forget Me Not, as well as the whole series. Follow the links below to my reviews of the first two books.

Blowing on Dandelions review
Wishing on Buttercups review

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"Forget Me Not" Release Party!

Tuesday evening, March 18

Follow this link to Miralee's Release Party for "Forget Me Not"

        Miralee Ferrell invites you to win a Kindle, books, & Amazon gift cards at her release party, in celebration of her new release, Forget Me Not, part of the Love Blossoms in Oregon, historical romance series. We're going to keep it simple, give away a number of great prizes, including a basic Kindle, 4 copies of Forget Me Not, a copy of all three books in the Love Blossoms in Oregon series so far (to one person), and at least one gift card to Amazon.
        We'll draw a new prize every 10-15 minutes from the people who commented during that time period, then the Kindle winner will be drawn from everyone who took part.

Follow this link to Miralee's Release Party for "Forget Me Not". Hope to see you there!

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Miralee Ferrell

        Miralee Ferrell is a speaker, accredited counselor, and former ACFW chapter president who has published multiple contemporary and historical romance novels since starting to write in 2005. She enjoys horseback riding, gardening, and family gatherings around their eleven-acre property in Washington State’s beautiful Columbia River Gorge.
        Miralee has had eight books release, both in women’s contemporary fiction and historical fiction, with another 5 under contract. She’s an award-winning author of Western fiction, and her newest novel, Wishing on Buttercups released February 1, and is the second in a series set in Baker City, Oregon, 1880s.

Meet with Miralee online at miraleeferrell.com, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and Pinterest.

Thank you to Miralee for providing a ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.