Forever Safe (Beacons of Hope)

Another amazing read by Jody Hedlund. The growth of characters, the fears exposed, the example of a loving, Godly marriage, and the strength to move past ones disabilities- emotional and physical. This book is full of inspiration and faith. The romantic tension and scenes truly jump off the page.I was thrilled with this read, lost sleep, and took it with me running errands- reading every chance I got. It's truly captivating. The background for this series continues onto another lighthouse. The lessons learned and taught there are vital to the story, and they were truly appreciated and loved by this reader. In Forever Safe you will find strong well developed characters, a beautiful written story, a well devised plot, and plenty of elements that puts this book in the Inspirational category. An element that is sadly missing from many books put in the Christian fiction genre. I'm looking forward to adding this book to my paperback collection of Jody Hedlund's wonderful books! I received this book from the author for my honest opinion which I have given. "I've come to believe one of the reasons God designed marriage was to help us grow in holiness and character. We get to practice on a daily basis being humble, kind,sacrificial, self-controlled, and so much more." Zelma

This book delivered the proper dose of all that makes for a good read! To be honest, the cover is not my favorite, but I loved the story inside! From the beginning, Hedlund had me hooked; and she had no trouble keeping me that way as the story unfolded. Well written characters, romantic tension, a dash of danger and threads of faith all woven together in harmony. Bodyguard and client, ultra-rich and your regular joe, marriage of pretense themes pack a punch and I honestly enjoyed these themes and the way Hedlund wrote them. They did not seem pat but organic to the story. The romance was sweetly passionate and I enjoyed seeing the relationship build. Not only that I enjoyed seeing both the main characters grow and face their fears. All the way around, well done! Romance - Clean, some sigh worthy kisses Violence- Mild Language -Clean Faith Message - Encouraging. Stop running in fear and run toward the One Who is your help.

"I pray that you’ll learn to run to the One who promises to walk beside us through our darkest valleys and fiercest storms. He may not take us out of the valley or storm, but He will hold our hand and stay by our side. With Him, we will be forever safe." This is the author's quote at the end of the book, and this covers the message of the book very well. Once again, this has excellent writing, history, and a beautiful love story. I did find the story unrealistic (for the times) when they went into hiding. Also, was the use of "mom" common in the 1800's? Anyway, this was a very good book... I just felt it was a little "less" than the previous books in the series.

While I have to admit that I really missed the Michigan setting in this latest addition to Hedlund’s Beacons of Hope series, the book more than made up for it with the characters and plot (and okay, I’ll admit that I enjoyed the setting as well). This book was certainly a page-turner between the chemistry between Victoria and Tom, as well as the threat against Victoria’s life. From early on, this book starts with some action, and it doesn’t stop. The book is filled with so many entertaining, awkward moments that I was thoroughly entertained. The story is told with the detail and well-crafted plot that anyone who has read Hedlund’s novels can come to expect. And I really hope she continues to write a few more books in this series–it’s been so fun visiting all of these different lighthouses. While, you don’t need to read the other previous novels in this series, I do reccommend them. There is an object that ties all of these stories together. There are characters in this story that first appear in the novella of this series. And for some readers, there are a few scenes that lean a bit more passionate in nature.

This book was so good! It was so, SOOOO good!!! The love story was so authentic, the characters all had depth obstacles to overcome and areas that they grew in. The main characters had a real chemistry with each other. The faith aspect was awesome. 5 stars!

I have long been a fan of Jody Hedlund's historical romances. My favorite of her novels has always been A Noble Groom (swoon!), but Forever Safe is giving it a run for its money! Forever Safe is about heiress Victoria Cole, who is engaged to fiancé number three when the story begins. Her current fiancé Nathaniel seems like a nice enough man, but it's obvious that Victoria doesn't love him. It's also obvious that someone is out to harm Victoria. When her current bodyguard is injured, Tom Cushman agrees to become her temporary bodyguard. As the threats against Victoria increase, the wedding is postponed, and Tom and Victoria's father decide to hide her away at the lighthouse run by Tom's father. In order for Tom to be able to stay with Victoria, the two marry, though the marriage is to be temporary. Of course, we romance readers all know how that will turn out! At first, Victoria was the classic spoiled rich girl, and I found it hard to like her. But as the novel progressed, Victoria grew so much as she learned to care for others—specifically Tom and Tom's mother Zelma. I especially loved Victoria's relationship with Zelma, who is disabled. And then there's James, Tom's father. James might be my favorite character in the novel! He loooooves Zelma passionately. PDA is his best friend. He senses a distance between Tom and Victoria, and, believing them to be married in every sense, he continually pushes them together. Tom and Victoria's (smoking hot) first kiss is due to James's insistence. I got such a kick out of him! Sparks abound between Victoria and Tom, and there's never any doubt that the two are meant to be together. Their path to happiness isn't easy, however, and I did find the roadblocks to be pretty realistic. They both had major fears to contend with (Victoria's fears are what led her to be a runaway bride in the first place), but ultimately—of course—they worked through them. There's also the question of who is out to get Victoria, but I really didn't care too much about that—I was just there for the romance! I did figure out the villain's identity fairly early on, and I was surprised it took Tom so long. But that's a minor complaint, as the romance is just so good! Though Forever Safe isn't a perfect novel, it does feature the strongest romance in the Beacons of Hope series (so far!), which makes it my favorite. 4-1/2 stars.

Jody Hedlund has written a stunning story in her fourth book, Forever Safe, in her Beacons of Hope Series. In this lighthouse story, Hedlund brings to life her many wonderful characters. With a dash of suspense and some romance, this historical novel is fantastically written and will draw readers in from page one so they will not want to put it down. Not even when they reach the end. This is one of those stories that I could read over and over and not get tired of it. As always I love that a lighthouse plays a role in the story and in bringing it to life. The lighthouse brings an element to the story that would not be there without it. This story is about overcoming fears and falling in love. If readers enjoyed the other books in this series, enjoy historical romance, and enjoy a lighthouse backdrop, this is another novel in this series to love. Series: Beacons of Hope Genre: historical, romance, Christian Publisher: Northern Lights Press Publication date: June 1, 2016 Number of pages: 344 Content Rating: PG Book Rating: 5 stars Other books in the series: 1-Love Unexpected 2-Hearts Made Whole 3-Undaunted Hope 5-Never Forget A review copy of this book was provided by the author’s launch team. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.

An easy read and I am a huge Jody Hedlund fan but this book was a bit silly in spots. And the parts where the dad showed his son how to kiss his wife was uncomfortable. Some good spots but overall too unrealistic. But will continue to read this author hoping the next will live up to her previous excellence.

I think this is my favorite book by Jody Hedlund. I loved everything about it. I loved the characters of Tom and Victoria, and especially loved all of the romance between them. It was one of those books that you can't put down but want to read slower so that you can relish it longer. A joy to read!

A great series!

Glad I found this copy

I have loved all the books written by this author;but have especially enjoyed this series.