About the Book A Love Restored

Book: A Love Restored

Author: Kelly J. Goshorn

Genre: Historical Romance

Release Date: June 18, 2018

Loudoun County, Virginia, 1873

With pert opinions and a less-than-perfect figure, Ruth Ann Sutton doesn’t measure up to society’s vision of a perfect lady. When she accepts a position teaching in a Freedman’s School, it threatens the only marriage offer Ruth Ann is likely to receive. She’s forced to choose between life as a lonely spinster or reinventing herself to secure a proposal from a man she doesn’t love.

Determined to rise above his meager beginnings, Benjamin Coulter’s reputation as a fast learner and hard worker earns him the opportunity to apprentice with a surveyor for the railroad—a position that will garner the respect he craves. After a chance encounter with Ruth Ann, Benjamin is smitten with her pretty face, quick wit, and feisty personality.

When others ridicule his choice, Benjamin must decide if he will follow his heart or put ambition first.

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My Thoughts on A Love Restored

Oh goodness.  This one will pull at your heartstrings.  And maybe have you take a deeper look at yourself and what you believe.  I know when I got married, I thought I was fat, but really, I was super tiny.  It goes to show you what body image can warp and destroy.  Fast forward to now.  I’ve been pregnant a dozen times and have 13 children here on Earth.  

How do you view your body?  Do you view it as something wonderful?  Something that has given birth, given life, something that sustains you?  Do you see it as something made in the image of God?  Or are you ashamed and talk down about your body?

These are all some things that our main character deals with in the story.  It’s also what the author went through.  You see, this is her story.  Well, not entirely because it obviously is fiction, but it is based on their romance.

Ruth Ann is a wonderful person.  But her outside is a bit on the heavy side.  She takes a job teaching.  She’s given up on getting married.  But teaching might lose her the one chance she sees herself having at marriage.  It’s loveless, of course.  Does she want to keep trying for love?  Or will she give up her dreams?  

Benjamin is the hero.  He’s flawed as well.  And he has dreams.  But then he meets Ruth Ann, and he has some decisions of his own to make.  Like, will he pursue Ruth Ann or a career?  

I loved this novel.  It teaches some important lessons, but it’s also a sweet romance novel as well. 

I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, which I received from Celebrate Lit. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.

About the Author of A Love Restored

Kelly Goshorn weaves her affinity for history and her passion for God into inspiring stories of love, faith, and family set in America’s vibrant past. She is the bestselling author of The Undercover Heiress of Brockton and A Love Restored. When she is not writing, Kelly enjoys binge-watching BBC period dramas, exploring historical sites with her husband, board-gaming with family and friends, and spoiling her Welsh corgi, Biscuit.

More from Kelly

Writing my Real-Life Romance

When I first began tinkering with storytelling in 2011, I wrote about an Irish mail-order bride. I’m not sure what it is about mail-order bride stories that fascinates me, but I will read everyone I can get my hands on. When my husband discovered that I was writing creatively, he looked over my chapter and advised that it “wasn’t bad,” then suggested I write our story.

Honestly, God had whispered in my heart a long time ago that I would share our story, but I assumed I’d give my testimony in a ladies’ Bible study or something. I never imagined I’d share some of the most painful moments of my life with the world in written form. However, the more I thought about it, the more I agreed that our story had all the elements needed for a great romance—interesting characters, a strong spiritual arc, and enough conflict to drive a Mac truck through the hardest of hearts.

Like my full-figured heroine, Ruth Ann, I’ve struggled with weight issues my entire life. I’ve had cruel things said about my appearance.

Oftentimes, by people who were supposed to love me.

Boys don’t date chubby girls.

You have such a pretty face, you really should do something about your figure.

Men don’t marry overweight women.

But their insensitive words failed in comparison to the ugly way I spoke to myself.

You’re fat.

You’re ugly.

No one likes you.

No man…will ever…love you.

I’d become so defined by the negative comments and opinions of those surrounding me that I no longer saw anything to esteem. I’d allowed my self-worth to be determined by a yardstick that measured my value according to the size of my waist or the flatness of my stomach, always coming up short.

Then one night, the unthinkable happened.

Mike, the man I’d previously been dating, told me the real reason he ended our relationship weeks earlier. “I made a vow that I wouldn’t marry a woman who was overweight.” My mind spiralled out of control, recalling every unkind word that others or I had spoken about my appearance. Within an hour, I was curled up on my bathroom floor, an entire bottle of ibuprofen emptied in my shaky palm.

Thankfully, that is not where the story ended.

Weeks earlier, knowing I was sad about the breakup with this man, my pastor’s wife asked if I had been thinking about suicide. Shocked, I told her no. Prompted by the Holy Spirit, the two of us prayed against the spirit of suicide and that no harm would come to me by my own hand. I firmly believe those prayers saved my life in that dark moment when the voice of the enemy was silenced, and I chose to live.

Although I learned that God loved me in a way no man ever could, he brought a soul mate into my life. A loving husband who, despite my fuller figure, often greets me in the morning with a loving salutation, “Good morning, Beautiful.”

Mike and I will celebrate 36 years of marriage in June.

Yes, the same Mike whose other words had sent me into a life-threatening tailspin.

God had to purge those negative thoughts from the minds of both Mike and me. We had to experience the fullness of God’s love for us before we could give and receive love unconditionally in marriage—to anyone. God could’ve decided to bring us new relationships, start over with a clean slate. Instead, He taught us about forgiveness, trust, and unconditional love.

He had not only chosen to heal, but to restore.

Our journey to unconditional love and acceptance is told through my characters in A Love Restored. At its core, A Love Restored is not only a story of love, romance, heartache and restoration, but also a story about the power of words over our lives. It is a story about the struggle each of us faces to take our thoughts captive to the truth of Scripture so we may experience the fullness of God’s unequivocal love for us. As my husband and I discovered, it is only then that we are truly able to give and receive love unconditionally.

My prayer for you and your lovely readers is that you will not allow the enemy to steal the joy that is rightfully yours as a child of God. Speak the truth of the gospel over yourself every day and ask God to give you His eyes to see yourself as He does (1 Samuel 16:7b).

Your Turn: Have you ever been plagued by self-doubt? If so, in what area of your life? How did you overcome it?

Blog Stops for A Love Restored

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 8

Devoted Steps, May 9

Artistic Nobody, May 10 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Familiy, May 11

Simple Harvest Reads, May 12 (Guest Review from Marilyn)

Guild Master, May 13 (Author Interview)

Holly’s Book Corner, May 13

Life on Chickadee Lane, May 14

Fiction Book Lover, May 15 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, May 16

Happily Managing a Household of Boys , May 17

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, May 18 (Author Interview)

Pause for Tales, May 18

Books You Can Feel Good About, May 19

Cover Lover Book Review, May 20

Books Less Travelled, May 21 (Author Interview)

Giveaway for A Love Restored

To celebrate her tour, Kelly is giving away the grand prize of a canvas tote bag with XOXO printed on it, a print copy of A Love Restored, a few “novel teas” tea bags, one “I’d Rather Be Reading” notepad, a pen, a pair of booklover socks, and a “I can do all things through Christ” charm bracelet!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway!

Click the link below to enter.

https://gleam.io/wYPCS/a-love-restored-celebration-tour-giveaway