Book Review: A Colonial Courtship by Stephenia H. McGee

A COLONIAL COURTSHIP
SERIES: Back Inn Time #3
GENRE: Inspirational Time Travel / Historical Romance
PUBLISHER: By the Vine Press
RELEASE DATE: July 6, 2021
PAGES: 238

Sometimes time travel is just the miracle you need. Unless it sends you to the last place you want to go.

Abigail Martin needs a miracle. After a crushing family secret stole her job, her apartment, and her future, she escapes her ruined life and risks a return to her hometown. Hints from a trusted friend that a mysterious bed and breakfast could grant her deepest desires lead her to rent a room. But when her former crush—a man she’s spent months avoiding—won’t leave her side, they both end up facing more than just the past she tried to escape.

Evan Blake finally has a second chance to win his first love, and he won’t let a little thing like her refusal stand in his way. When Abigail’s insistence on staying at a weird inn dumps them in Colonial Boston on the doorstep of the Revolutionary War, suddenly finding a way to ask her out seems the least of his worries. Despite the bizarre and unimaginable challenges of the 1700s, he refuses to give up on capturing her heart. But will finding their way home mean losing her forever?

♥ The Back Inn Time series short novels are fun, faith-filled stories of what it might be like to suddenly experience life in a different time. These clean historical romances are packed with humor and adventure. Perfect for fans of dual timeline or time slip stories and Christian historical romance, these books answer the question every historical fiction fan wonders—what would it be like if I went back to that time? If you enjoy the wholesomeness of Amish, Western, or frontier fiction and adore romantic comedies, then a visit to a seaside Victorian inn where you can “step back inn time and leave your troubles behind!” is for you.

Other Books In This Series

“Of all the times she’d imagined facing Evan again, this scenario never made the list.”

I love this Back Inn Time series, and I’m sad that it’s the end for now. I say “for now” because I am ever hopeful that my fave series will just continue indefinitely lol. (Update: There IS a book four coming!!! Happy dancing!!!) The magical realism elements related to the time travel are done so well and even allow for the ‘what ifs’ without compromising the author’s (and my) Biblical worldview. The romance is sweet and tender, with swoony kisses and mutual respect, and the characters are richly layered and engaging.

Yet, even though all three books share those common attributes, each book has enough differences that distinguish them from each other too. For instance, the era has been different from book to book – from a wagon train on the Oregon Trail to an Air Force base in 1956 to a wintry Boston on the eve of its most infamous tea party. Also, we have a hero & heroine who are already dating when they stop at the inn, then a hero & heroine who’ve never met before they’re sent back in time, and in A Colonial Courtship Abigail & Evan are each other’s ‘the one that got away’. So you’ve all got all these great relationship dynamics that the author gets to explore, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the unique layers each book brings to the reader. It keeps the stories fresh, and my entertainment level high.

Abigail, thanks to hints she’s pieced together from a friend with firsthand experience at The Depot, already has an idea of what will happen to her if she stays at the inn. And she’s hoping she’s right because she has some painful questions in her past that she’d like to resolve. The answers she’s looking for may not be the answers she gets, though, and I loved the gently presented message of belonging and ‘enough-ness’ that McGee weaves through her story. Then there’s Evan. All he wants is a chance to tell Abigail how he feels – he’s certainly not expecting to be thrust into colonial Boston with ‘panty hose’ and no phones. Poor guy. I couldn’t help chuckling at his utter refusal, at first, to believe that this wasn’t some elaborate reenactment. His comical indignation and attempts to catch someone breaking character add some humor to the mix and allow us to get inside his head a little bit too. Evan’s relationship with God & the reminders in his heart to trust Him play a big role in some sudden turns the story takes, and the author writes this aspect so tenderly it almost feels like a hug from God to the reader as well.

I’ve also appreciated the comfort of knowing certain overall elements will stay the same. Like, Mrs. Easley and her work for the Conductor. I can’t wait for you to meet Mrs. Easley on these pages, if you haven’t yet had the pleasure. Also, the swoony kisses – and Evan & Abigail definitely do not disappoint! Even if they do have to deal with some “stuffy Puritans” in the process. Their romance, born out of a long friendship, checked all the boxes for my romance-loving heart.

Bottom Line: A Colonial Courtship ignites your imagination with delightful ‘what ifs’ and may even heal some bruised places in your heart too. McGee does a fabulous job of using the modern day characters’ struggles to adjust to Colonial conventions and expectations as a means of organically furthering the discussions that needed to happen & the walls that needed to come down between them. Faith threads aren’t preachy or awkward, but rather shore up the story like a gentle embrace. A must-read for fans of time travel, colonial America & a beautifully written second chance, friends-to-more romance.

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.)

My Rating: 4.5 stars / Loved it!

KissingBook Level: 3 / will forget to breathe on occasion

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Also available to read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

Best-selling author of Christian novels, Stephenia H. McGee writes stories of faith, hope, and healing set in the Deep South. When she’s not twirling around in hoop skirts, reading, or sipping sweet tea on the front porch, she’s a homeschool mom of two boys, writer, dreamer, and husband spoiler. Visit her at www.StepheniaMcGee.com for books and updates.

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Other Books by Stephenia H. McGee

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