April 2011

Lisa Lickel is a Wisconsin writer who lives with her husband in a hundred and sixty-year-old house built by a Great Lakes ship captain. Surrounded by books and dragons, she writes inspiring fiction. Her published novels include mystery and romance, all with a twist of grace. She has penned dozens of feature newspaper stories, short stories, magazine articles and radio theater. She is the editor in chief of Creative Wisconsin magazine. Lisa also is an avid book reviewer, blogger, a freelance editor, and writing mentor. She loves to encourage new authors.

Read more about Lisa Lickel.

Title: Uncertain Heart (Seasons of Redemption, Book 2)
Author: Andrea Boeshaar
Publisher: Realms
Genre: Historical Romance
Date:  October 2010
ISBN: 978-1616380236
Reviewed by: Lisa Lickel

Boeshaar weaves a charming tale of big city life in the mid-1880s for historical romantic fiction lovers.

Andrea Boeshaar’s Uncertain Heart follows the story of Sarah McCabe, younger sister of Ben, the hero in her first book of the series, Unwilling Warrior.

Immediately following the conclusion of the Civil War, Sarah sets out from her home in a small Missouri town for adventure as a music teacher in Chicago. When she arrives, the position has dried up, so Sarah finds work for the summer in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as a nanny to a ship captain’s four children.

From the first time I met Captain Brian Sinclair, I couldn’t help comparing Boeshaar’s tale with The Sound of Music. Captain Sinclair’s serious treatment of his children, his tendencies to leave for extended periods of time, and even his choice of friends reminded me of the Von Trapp family story. Sarah even brings the gift of music: She teaches piano to the children.

Boeshaar weaves a charming tale of big city life in the mid-1880s for historical romantic fiction lovers. Sarah’s desire to experience independence before settling down in a home of her own draws the reader into her battle. Her quest sometimes leads her down questionable paths as she struggles to maintain a life of faithfulness in the Sinclair home. She must also contend with a cantankerous housekeeper and the very friendly and too-likeable accounting assistant, Richard Nevis.

At the end of the summer, Captain Sinclair vows to do anything to keep Sarah in Milwaukee instead of letting her return to Chicago as a music teacher. Just how far he’s willing to go gets Sarah into plenty of trouble. When her big brothers come to her rescue, Sarah is determined to choose her own destiny. Will it be Missouri, life with Richard who wants a quiet life on the family farm, or the luxury of the worldly captain? When fate intervenes, Sarah and Richard must make difficult choices.