Maggie Rose by Sharlene MacLaren

Synopsis:~

In the summer of 1904, Maggie Rose Kane, Jacob's spunky, independent middle daughter accepts God's call to leave her beloved hometown of Sandy Shores, Michigan to work as 'house mother' at New York City's Sheltering Arms Refuge, a home for displaced and orphaned waifs. There she meets the cynical, hard-nosed Luke Madison, a 27-year-old news reporter from the New York World who's been thrust upon the orphanage for a three-month period with an order to research the city's problem of "Street Arabs", the name pinned to these impoverished children. Sparks fly as Maggie and Luke come to terms with their growing attraction.

Will Maggie win the struggle to remain attuned to God's direction for her life, staving off her foolish, romantic notions-or does the Lord have a greater purpose than she ever imagined for leading her to New York?

My take:~

Sharlene MacLaren has the great ability to write a fresh story in a genre that can often feel like you have read it all before! Sharlene includes all the expected requisites for an historical romance ~ a devoted young woman, a man with a painful past and a sweet romance that slowly blossoms ~ and then adds her own stamp to the tale intertwining her plot with the real life 1904 tragedy of the SS General Slocum steamship fire and the plight of young girls sold to bordellos. Tender and intriguing, Maggie Rose is a fascinating read and a great addition to the Daughters of Jacob Kane series. I eagerly await the release of Abbie Ann in 2010.

Thanks to Whitaker House for kindly providing my review copy

Relz Reviewz Extras

Review of Hannah Grace

Interview with Sharlene

Visit Sharlene's website and blog

Buy Sharlene's books from Amazon and Koorong