A Love So True is the second installment of the Teaville Morale Society series by Melissa Jagears. And truth be told when given the opportunity to review this book and after having read the description I went and checked out the first one for my library and read it in a matter of days so that I would be ready to read the second.
A Heart Most Certain was an engaging and delightful story and truth be told what I loved most about it was the bits of unexpected history it explored in a very traditional Christian, historical fiction genre. This characteristic was also true of A Love So True which continues the Teaville Morale Society story.
I am a total sucker for series because I love when a minor character from one book becomes a major character in the next. I feel like I’ve made friends and I get to continue to hear and experience their stories.
I’m not sure how completely intentional it was for Jagears when she began this series, but I love that she is tackling some very subtle political issues as well as just historical issues that have maybe not been explored in this genre before. I can’t say that they never have been explored, but I have read a lot of Christian historical fiction and this was honestly the first time that some of these topics arise. The treatment of the “soiled doves,” the political nuances of the red light district, and just overall government/church corruption – I feel like were some new topics to be incorporated into the style of story.
Don’t get me wrong these books are not overly political or out there, but I love that she brings exposure to these issues that were most certainly apart of early American settlements, and in this post recent book even issues like fetal alcohol syndrome are addressed in a “true to the time” way.
But now onto the story.
Evelyn Wisely was a minor character in the first book and becomes our main hero in the second. This love story between her and David, but is also an awesome exploration of spiritual themes and life issues that were both faced in this historical time and today.
Jagears writes both believable and likable/despiseable characters. I’m looking forward to her next story as I think I know who it might be about. I love that the story continues the journey of finding out how the small city of Teaville is solving serious social and societal issues surrounding the red light district, orphaned children, prostitution, and the consequences of this type of cultural issue.
I hope you’ll grab a copy of these books to read this summer. They really make for a great light summer reading.
