Review of St. Michaels Harbor

[Laney K]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "St. Michaels Harbor" by Hannah Westley.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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St. Michaels Harbor by Hannah Westley follows Hope, a young woman living in 1813. Her father owns a thriving shipyard. Simon, a young suitor, is determined to marry Hope so that he can take over the shipyard. Simon is cruel and would only use Hope to elevate his status; he has no real feelings for her. Hope is vehemently against marrying him. She meets Jacob, a Piscataway-English boy around her age, and their souls connect. In this lifetime, they cannot be together because of their races. However, Jacob binds their souls in a ritual so they might meet again in the next life. Simon, determined to marry Hope by any means, tries to find a way to use blackmail to achieve his goal. Will Simon succeed? What will happen with Hope and Jacob's relationship?

I greatly enjoyed the historical details in this book. Westley featured several real historical events in the story. For example, when the town is under threat of attack from the British, lacking the manpower to mount a defense, Jacob suggests that they tie lanterns into the trees to fool the British into attacking the trees instead of the town. Other historical events and places are featured in this novel, creating a vibrant setting in which the dynamic characters exist.

The biggest issue with this book is the editing. I noticed more than ten errors throughout the book. There was also an issue with the spelling of a character's name: Jonothan. In some scenes, it was spelled "Jonothan" and, in others, "Jonathan." At first, I thought it might have been two different characters, but the context eventually made it clear it was simply different spellings of the same character's name.

I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. I am taking one star off due to the number of errors. With additional editing, this could be deserving of a perfect rating. Otherwise, this was a compelling story. The book does not contain explicit content, so I believe it is suitable for those ages sixteen and up. If you enjoy historical fiction and romance, you should give St. Michaels Harbor a try!

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St. Michaels Harbor
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