Actually rating - 3.5
It all just felt a little too depressing to me.

The charming conclusion in the Songs of Acadia series. Nicole finally takes her uncle up on his offer to stay with him at the Harrow estate in England, yet her heart is still torn between her new-found family home and this burning desire within her. As she adjusts to her new lifestyle as Viscountess Nicole Harrow, with all the airs and graces, society and politics, she puts her whole effort into seeking God's further direction and purpose for her life.

“She felt more whole, more at peace with who she was. Perhaps soon God would show her how the past was to be played out in her future. Surely there was some purpose for the events of her life, some way that they would benefit her, and others, in the days to come. If she could just discover what that might be, she knew she could make peace with her past.”

Anne, newly widowed and with her new baby boy, struggles to cope with a crippled heart and clings to her faith. But with Nicole's urging soon follows her dear “sister” to England for a visit. Both girls with their own seperate struggles and sorrows learn to lean on one another and on the Lord as the rumors of war change to the sounds of battle around them.

“All my life,” Nicole said, “I've measured how well I was suited to a place by how happy it made me. Only now, as I learn my way through English society, have I come to see that, although happiness is a fine thing, it comes and it goees. So long as I base my happiness upon what I have or how life suits me, it will always remain fleeting...I need to find my happiness in God, and in Him alone. By placing my life in His hands and seeking to live as He wants me to, I now have a peace that's greater than whatever struggle I might face. My frusterations and my difficulties, at all these will pass. But He remains always. And it's in His eternal promises that I must abide.”

I loved this story of growth in faith and trusting God during changing seasons of life – the joy mingled so often with the hard times. The messages of hope and strength resonated deeply with me, and I found myself growing too, along with Anne and Nicole. This is such a treasureful series!

“The desert is within you. The question is, are you ready to leave that behind?”


*My only dissapointment was the plot was slow and a little dull at times. And it was not very original – I had the entire book figured out before the halfway point. The ending felt a tad bit rushed to bring everything together. But on the whole it's the message that really shines.

Janette Oke has done it again, another historical heartwarming God honoring love story. I hope to continue on in this and other series by her ( and T Davis Bunn).

This book has left me so happy! I didn't think that it would be possible to cry so many times throughout the duration of one book but Janette Oke and T. Davis Bunn have proved me completely and utterly wrong! These characters never cease to inspire me and as much as I cried while reading, I also grinned all throughout!

I really skimmed read this one, wanting to get to the next one, so I probably forgot a great deal.
Honestly, most of the book was filled with waiting. Waiting to see what Nicole would choose, what Charles would choose, what everyone would choose. Instead of everyone being on different spiritual paths like in the previous books, everyone seemed to be on the same on in this one: waiting to see God's will. And while that was a nice message, it just didn't seem as perfect as in the previous books.

I appreciated how clean and non-detailed this book was kept. Though there is a bit of romance, it is kept very clean. Baby John was adorable. I regret to say that I was not really hurt by C's death, as we barely knew him, though it did make me feel badly. I have noticed that Oke does not dive into the chracter, which sometimes leaves you distant from the character, like one character is morning. The Captians wife is a dear, and I wish we could have seen more of his nephew.

Plot wise, it really dragged. I felt as though what happened in the book could have been summed up in far fewer chapters.
As for the politics, though I agree with Charles, I did not agree with how the Americans were portrayed as right. I personally think that in every disagreement, there is wrong on both sides ;) And being Canadian, I can pull the neutral card xd. (And I happen to know that the reason the Americans were being taxed extra was because the British needed money, but didn't want to tax their new colonies (Canada, previously known as New France) because they wanted to slowly "trick" them into being English rather than French (which *clears throat* still hasn't happened...), but to return to the politics, I did enjoy the glimpse into parliament, which felt very well done.

*mentions of death, of sickness, mentions of war, mentions of people having heart trouble, mentions of putting peppermint oil on a teething babies gums (am I the only who gets the shivers from that?*

Love this series!!

A surprising ending, well written and full of character development.

I was intrigued by the twist of events at the very end of the book. Nicole was freed from what she thought was her duty to her uncle as his heir, & Charles Harwood discovered that Anne's little son John was tied to him through blood in such a way that he could become the legal heir. A total unexpected ending.

This book I liked much better than the 2nd in the series. The ending was thrilling and revealing with a secret that comes out, perhaps it was a bit coincidental but I don't mind that all. I am looking forward to the fourth of the series to find out what happens.

I appreciated the History in this book. Very interesting.

Ugh! Why do they keep having to say goodbye? The one thing I dislike about this series is how sad it is! I want Andrew, Catherine, Henri, Louise, Anne, Nicole, and all their loved ones to all live together and share life. No more living oceans and continents apart.

Nicole has left to travel to England. Charles wishes to make her his heir, so she has agreed to a two-year trial to see if she is suited to the life of British nobility.

Meanwhile, back at home, Cyril comes down with the grippe during a particularly hard winter, and dies, just after seeing his newborn son, John. Anne becomes greatly depressed.

When Nicole and Charles hear of Cyril's passing, they extend an invitation to Anne to come and stay in England for a time. Cyril's mother lives in Wales and would then be able to meet her grandson. Anne decides to go, meaning Andrew and Catherine must say goodbye to their other daughter. (Have I mentioned that I'm tired of these emotional seaside farewell scenes?!)

England is good for Anne and having her "sister" and nephew at Harrow Hall is good for Nicole. She is doing her best, but society life is trying for her. She finds little fulfillment in her days and is still restless. Yet, she has a duty and she is fully prepared to do it.

"It has made me realize that all my life," Nicole said, "I've measured how well I was suited to a place by how happy it made me. Only now, as I learn my way through English society, have I come to see that, although happiness is a fine thing, it comes and it goes. So long as I base my happiness upon what I have or how life suits me, it will always remain fleeting. For as soon as something changes, as soon as a cold wind blows through my life, as soon as life takes an unpleasant turn, my happiness would be gone.... My studies have shown me that I need to find my happiness in God, and in Him alone. By placing my life in His hands and seeking to live as He wants me to, I now have a peace that's greater than whatever struggle I might face. My frustrations and my difficulties, all these will pass. But He remains always. And it's in His eternal promises that I must abide."

Such an apt description of why we need joy! Oke & Bunn did a wonderful job here with wrestling with this subject in Nicole's head and heart.

Anne however, eases right in to life at Harrow Hall (once she is able to put mourning aside). It seems that she would be a better heiress, but that is out of the question. Or is it?

"What does the word 'duty' mean to you, Uncle?"
" Duty is what I'm obligated to do. I have a duty to my country, to my fellow man, and to my God. These are the givens of my life. I am called to walk uprightly and to live my neighbor as myself. And I am called to love God and serve Him with all that I am and all that I have. These are not mere invitations, to alter or ignore at my whim. These are duties. These are the constants upon which I must base my actions."

During all this, Charles is dealing with heart issues that grow more severe each day and he is making many enemies with his support of the American colonies' assertion of independence.

If you are not careful, it is quite easy to get lost in this book. There are many plots all weaving together, plus the confusion of who is whose actual daughter and the like.

Anne ends up falling in love with a young Englishman with whom she shares vision and mission. She stays at Harrow Hall to become Charles' heir; despite not being actually related, Charles decides to go ahead. They discover that Cyril's mother is actually Charles' cousin, so baby John is a blood heir! All's well that ends well :)

Charles gives Nicole his properties in America as an inheritance. We leave her as she prepares to travel back to North America (Oh look, another heart-wrenching goodbye. These books are testing my will power to NOT cry, because I hate crying, and I'm currently wearing eye makeup.)

I like these books, I really do. They have great topics of faith that they explore, I love the setting, I just hate all the sadness and goodbyes. I'm not sure if I've said that yet ;)

So far this whole series has been interesting, but slightly dragging. :) To be blunt and confusing...boring and interesting at the same time. if that means anything at all to you.;)