Mary's Blessing

McKenna's Daughters #2

ebook, paperback

by Lena Nelson Dooley

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Realms 
• May 15, 2012
• ISBN-13: 978-1616386177

When her mother dies, Mary Lenora must grow up quickly to take care of her brothers and sisters. Can love help her to shoulder the burden?

Mary Lenora Caine knows she is adopted. As she was growing up, her mother called her “God’s blessing.” But now that she’s gone, Mary no longer feels like any kind of blessing. Her father, in his grief, has cut himself off from the family, leaving the running of the home entirely in Mary’s hands.

As she nears her eighteenth birthday, Mary can’t see anything in her future but drudgery. Then her childhood friend Daniel begins to court her, promising her a life of riches and ease. But her fairy-tale dreams turn to dust when her family becomes too much for Daniel, and he abandons her in her time of deepest need.

Will Daniel come to grips with God’s plan for him? And if he does return, can Mary trust that this time he will really follow through?

My thoughts:  I haven't read very many books by Lena Nelson Dooley, just an occasional one. This one sounded interesting. MARY'S BLESSING is a story of one of three identical triplets who were separated at birth. Mary kept the name her birth family gave her, but apparently she was never told the true story of how she came to live with the Caine family, because she suffers from the "my birth mother didn't want me and gave me away" syndrome (her mother died at birth). 

She finds it hard to believe that Daniel wants to court her and takes everything he says as gospel -- which suits him just fine because he's a man and wants to tell her like it is and have her mindlessly agree. 

A bad accident forces Mary to stand up for herself and her family and Daniel doesn't like what he's seeing. How dare she stand up to him and choose her family when they need her?  

When a relative speaks truth to him, Daniel has some soul searching and growing up to do. Will he take the wise advice along with the gospel truth and change his ways enough to w in Mary back? Or will the horrible accident and all the changes separate them forever?

Ms. Dooley is kind of a name in historical fiction having written for years for Heartsong Presents and Love Finds You in and Rhealms, as well as other well-known publishers. Fans who LOVE historical fiction -- especially set along the time of the Oregon Trail, will want to read this book.  

MARY'S BLESSING is formula historical romance, with the mandatory death, the at-least-one parentless siblings (or daughter) and struggling to make ends meet. Readers will know what to expect, but it is still an enjoyable read, and at times it is spellbinding. The conversations are a bit stilted, but I'm not sure if it's how they talked back then or if it's just the way the author writes. 

I was given a copy free. All opinions are my own.