Heart's Safe Passage: A Novel (The Midwives) [Paperback]

Laurie Alice Eakes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2012 | Series: The Midwives (Book 2)

It's 1813 and all Phoebe Lee wants out of life is to practice midwifery in Loudon County, Virginia. When Belinda, her pregnant sister-in-law, presses Phoebe to accompany her onto a British privateer in order to cross the Atlantic and save her husband from an English prison, Phoebe tries to refuse, then finds herself kidnapped.

Captain Rafe Docherty is a man in search of revenge. His ship is no place for women, but he needs Belinda in order to obtain information about the man who destroyed his family and his life. Between Belinda's whining and Phoebe's hostility, Rafe can't help but wonder if he made the right choice.
When it becomes apparent there is an enemy among them on the ship, the stakes are raised. Will they reach the English shore in time? Can love and forgiveness overcome vengeance?

Book 2 in The Midwives series, Heart's Safe Passage is a stirring tale of love, intrigue, and adventure on the high seas. Readers will feel the salt spray and the rolling waves as they journey with Laurie Alice Eakes's vivid characters on the treacherous path toward redemption.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

One woman takes the treacherous journey toward redemption . . . and love.

All Phoebe Lee wants out of life is to practice midwifery in Loudon County, Virginia. But when she refuses to accompany her pregnant sister-in-law to help save her husband from an English prison during the War of 1812, Phoebe finds herself pressed aboard a British privateer.

Captain Rafe Docherty promises to get Phoebe's brother-in-law out of prison in exchange for information Rafe needs to exact revenge on the man who destroyed his family. As he realizes his attraction to Phoebe, she determines to get ashore before her patient goes into labor--and before her own heart is in danger. But an enemy in their midst threatens to end their plans--and their very lives.


"In her delightful and descriptive style, author Laurie Alice Eakes has once again crafted a story that will capture readers' hearts from the first page."--Kathi Macias, author of Deliver Me from Evil

"Laurie Alice Eakes's turn of phrase and twist of a plot had me smiling long after the last page was turned. A don't-miss story."--Kathleen Y'Barbo, author of The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck

"Make room for this one on your 'keepers' shelf!"--Loree Lough, author of From Ashes to Honor


Laurie Alice Eakes is the author of Lady in the Mist, A Necessary Deception, and several other novels. She won a National Readers Choice Award for Best Regency in 2007 for Family Guardian. Laurie Alice writes full-time from her home in Texas, where she lives with her husband and sundry dogs and cats.

About the Author

Laurie Alice Eakes is the author of Lady in the Mist, A Necessary Deception, and several other novels. She won a National Readers Choice Award for Best Regency in 2007 for Family Guardian. Laurie Alice writes full-time from her home in Texas, where she lives with her husband and sundry dogs and cats.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Revell; Original edition (February 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0800719859
• ISBN-13: 978-0800719852
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (58 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #186,425 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Award-winning author Laurie Alice Eakes wanted to be a writer since knowing what one was. Her first book won the National Readers Choice Award in 2007, and her third book was a Carol Award finalist in 2010. Between December of 2008 and January of 2010, she sold thirteen books to Barbour Publishing, Avalon Books, and Baker/Revell, making her total sales fifteen. Recently, she added two novella sales to that collection, as well as having her first book with Baker/Revell, Lady in the Mist, picked up by Crossings Book Club, and six of her books chosen for large print editions by Thorndike Press. She has been a public speaker for as long as she can remember; thus, only suffers enough stage fright to keep her sharp. In 2002, while in graduate school for writing fiction, she began to teach fiction in person and online. She lives in Texas with her husband, two dogs, and probably too many cats.

www.lauriealiceeakes.com

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars A romance on the high seas March 3, 2012

By Jlwhitney

Format:Paperback

Heart's Safe Passage is the second book in Laurie Alice Eakes Midwives series but stands along rather well. I did not have time to read book one, Lady in the Mist, and was able to follow along really well. I think that it helps that most of the book is set on a ship and so the main characters from the first book play a very very small role in this book. Laurie Alice Eakes does a great job at setting a story just about entirely on a ship and keeping it interesting and weaves together a romance of two very different people. I sadly though did not find this to be a favorite book. I had a hard time getting into the story and staying focused on it. I know we all read book that we love and ones that we don't and in the end it is only our personal opinion. Just because I did not care for it does not mean others won't like it either. It is heartbreaking to not like a book that you looked forward to reading. Oh, before I forget the cover is stunning and really helps set the setting. Final rating 3.5 out of 5 stars.

*I received this book from Revell in exchange for my honest review.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Yet another book by Laurie Eakes that I really enjoyed! March 1, 2012

By Katie McCurdy

Format:Paperback

While I have really enjoyed all the books I've read by Laurie Eakes, I think Heart's Safe Passage has been her best book yet! The characters are realistic and memorable, the story plot woven with suspense, danger, and hidden enemies, and the tempo of the book fairly fast-paced.

Okay, I just have to say this--Rafe is an awesome name for the captain of a privateer brig! But, really, regardless of his name, he really was a neat character to get to know. So complex! We meet him and his path is dead set. Determined. But through the course of the adventure...he's not so sure anymore, and you feel for his uncertainty.

Phoebe made for a strong heroine--though who had her own faults and fears. The reason for her seasickness was rather neat, in my opinion, but I felt the author kind of forgot about it for the second half. And, just for the record, I think Phoebe had amazing tolerance--I would've slapped Belinda, with everything she did to Phoebe and put her through!

The story takes place on the sea, so readers who enjoy a book sprinkled with sailor terms and what life aboard a ship--I mean brig!--is like will enjoy this book! It reminded me of MaryLu Tyndall's swashbucklin' romances...though without the pirates! (Sorry pirate-lovers! ;-) So, if you want adventure on the high seas and romance that will leave you breathless, then get a copy of Heart's Safe Passage and dive right in!

I reviewed this book for Revell. It was not required that I give a positive review, but solely to express my own thoughts and opinions of this book, which I have done.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Romance On The High Seas! ( actually 4.5 stars) February 2, 2012

By DianaFlow

Format:Paperback

In Heart's Safe Passage, L. A. Eakes has weaved an exciting tale of intrigue, betrayal, vengeance, and romance on the high seas!

It is the year 1813, and our lovely heroine, Phoebe Lee wishes only to practice midwifery in Virginia, amidst the turmoil of the War of 1812. Her pregnant sister in law, Belinda, arranges for Phoebe to be kidnapped and thrust aboard a British privateer, in order to accompany her to rescue her husband from an English prison. The captain of the ship, Rafe Docherty, has agreed to do this for Belinda, in exchange for information from her husband, that he might exact revenge on the man who has destroyed his family.

Rafe has had but one thing on his mind in nine years, to find and kill the man who has perpetrated such horrific crimes on his wife and parents. Although, neither British nor American, he and his twelve year old child have sailed the wild seas in search of the elusive James Brock, the man responsible. Although fiercely attracted to the lovely Phoebe, Rafe will let nothing stand in the way of his quest for vengeance, but will he lose his own soul in the process? What horrendous secrets is he hiding, and can Phoebe break through the tremendous wall of bitterness he has built around himself? And what of Phoebe? What gut-wrenching secrets is she concealing, causing a canker of bitterness to grow deep within her as well, although she is a Christian? Can the two find peace with God and love again, or will their bitterness destroy them both?

Laurie Alice Eakes is a brilliant author...face it, anyone that can make a story exciting with a ship as the setting throughout...has to be! Her characters are very realistic and endearing, her research and knowledge of ships is astounding, her storyline exceptional. With a strong spiritual thread of forgiveness and redemption throughout, and a satisfying conclusion, this is a must read! My reason for giving this book a 4.5 rating instead of a five is very small...I don't care for shipboard settings, but it didn't ruin the book for me. Nicely done, Ms. Eakes!

I was sent an ARC of this novel from Revell Publishing Co. and was not required to write a positive review.