With You Always by Jody Hedlund

Title: With You Always
Author: Jody Hedlund
Publisher: Bethany House
Pages: 359
ISBN: 9780764218040
Publication Date:June 6th, 2017

Synopsis: 

Could Following the Opportunity of a Lifetime Cost Them the Love of Their Lives?   

One of the many immigrants struggling to survive in 1850s New York, Elise Neumann knows she must take action to care for her younger sisters. She finds a glimmer of hope when the New York Children's Aid Society starts sending skilled workers to burgeoning towns out west. But the promise of the society's orphan trains is not all that it seems.  

Born into elite New York society, Thornton Quincy possesses everything except the ability to step out from his brother's shadow. When their ailing father puts forth a unique challenge to determine who will inherit his railroad-building empire, Thornton finally sees his chance. The conditions to win? Be the first to build a sustainable community along the Illinois Central Railroad and find a suitable wife.  

Thrown together against all odds, Elise and Thornton couldn't be from more different worlds. The spark that ignites between them is undeniable, but how can they let it grow when that means forfeiting everything they've been working toward?  Born into elite New York society, Thornton Quincy possesses everything except the ability to step out from his brother's shadow. When their ailing father puts forth a unique challenge to determine who will inherit his railroad-building empire, Thornton finally sees his chance. The conditions to win? Be the first to build a sustainable community along the Illinois Central Railroad and find a suitable wife.  

Thrown together against all odds, Elise and Thornton couldn't be from more different worlds. The spark that ignites between them is undeniable, but how can they let it grow when that means forfeiting everything they've been working toward?

Review: 
With You Always is the first in The Orphan Train series. As soon as I finished this title, I was looking for the next book in the title! Sadly, it isn't due out till the beginning of May!

Jody Heldund has a great talent for writing a fantastic, clean, romance mixed with an interesting time in history, that isn't highlighted a lot.

Elise and Thornton were just the best to read about. They were polar opposites in everywhere, but they were so fun to follow on their adventure. Elise not knowing who Thornton was right away made for their relationship to start off as a great friendship. As the truth of who they were worked its way out.

As we follow Elise in her quest to keep her family secure, we also have a glimpse into her siblings lives as they try to survive as Elise finds work further out west. Elise and her family have already been dealt a blow by losing their money in Germany and then immigrate to America. Once in America, Elise and her siblings lose their parents. In everything that they deal with, it is griping kept me wanting to find out what was going to happen.

Thornton was such a wonderful character! I have to say, he is pretty close to being even with Jody Hedlund's other character Carl, in A Noble Groom. He has a lot to put up with his own personal desires from his father. The competition he feels there is between him and his twin brother. Through everything, he is willing to take time and learn and grow his knowledge.

I honestly can't wait for the next book to come out, the way that this story closed off left it open for a fantastic continuation.

This was such a gripping story. I listened to this story on Audible and the performance was a delight. The narrator was able to capture the story and carry the characters.

Too Read!
4 out of 5