Blog Tour and Review - 'Her Dear and Loving Husband' by Meredith Allard

Welcome to the blog tour for Her Dear and Loving Husband, a historical romance novel with a paranormal twist ...

Her Dear & Loving Husband (The Loving Husband Trilogy Book 1) – Meredith Allard

What they say:
‘James Wentworth has a secret. He lives quietly in Salem, Massachusetts, making few ties with anyone. One night his private world is turned upside down when he meets Sarah Alexander, a dead ringer for his wife, Elizabeth. Though it has been years since Elizabeth's death, James cannot move on.

Sarah also has a secret. She is haunted by nightmares about the Salem Witch Trials,  and every night she is awakened by visions of hangings, being arrested, and dying in jail. Despite the obstacles of their secrets, James and Sarah fall in love. As James comes to terms with his feelings for Sarah, he must dodge accusations from a reporter  desperate to prove that James is not who, or what, he seems to be. Soon James and Sarah piece their stories together and discover a mystery that may bind them in ways they never imagined. Do vampires and witches live in Salem? Will James make the ultimate sacrifice to protect Sarah and prevent a new hunt from bringing hysteria to Salem again?

Part historical fiction, part romance, part paranormal fantasy, Her Dear and Loving Husband is a story for anyone who believes that true love never dies.’

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My Review - 'Her Dear & Loving Husband (Loving Husband #1)' by Meredith Allard ~ 5 Stars!

‘Her Dear and Loving Husband’ was a stunning novel, and a heart-warming journey to read.

Infused with a beautiful and heart-warming love story, this book is a definite must for everyone who believes that true love never dies, even after the death of the body. ‘Her Dear and Loving Husband’ tells the beautiful spiritual tale of love after death and having a second chance with the one you love.

I loved the characters that I was introduced to throughout the novel, and I really felt connected to Sarah as she struggles to make a place for herself in Salem after the breakdown of her marriage, and sympathised with her desire to avoid making any romantic connections for the foreseeable future.

I can’t say how impressed I was with the cleverly written dreams that Sarah has. Meredith Allard presented a realistic, and scary image of the Salem Witch Trials, and these sequences were brilliantly contrasted with the writing style of the present day action. The voices and speech of the past was clearly well researched, and made the reading experience so much more believable, and making me feel as though I was actually there in that era. Brilliantly done!

I loved the elements of fantasy that were introduced throughout the novel, which although made up a large part of the story, what with our discovery of James’ true form, and Jennifer and Olivia’s true powers, didn’t seem forced or unrealistic. Not once when reading this book did I think that the fantasy elements were taken too far, and I really admire the author for being able to balance the fantasy and contemporary storylines so well.

The spiritual past life elements were spoken of in a way that made the idea of past lives seem not only possible, but probable. I think this story will resonate greatly with pagans, like myself, those who are interested in the worlds other, unseen elements, and those who believe that there is more to life than what we are told.

I adored James as a character, and greatly admired the devotion he had for his long dead wife, and how he made it his mission to prove to Sarah that he loved her for herself and not because of the possible connection between her and his wife. The scenes that were written after the death of James’ wife were heartbreaking and poignant, and shows the struggle that people who are left behind after the death of their loved ones must face. I cried when I read some of the simple yet overpowering lines.

“I miss my Lizzie.”

This story was cleverly crafted and in some ways I’d describe it as a suspense or thriller. There was a real focus on the issues that have been brought to the world’s attention since the days of the Witch Trials, and Meredith Allard showed a heartbreaking reality where we see the true dangers of stigmatism and prejudice. One worry or fear of something that can’t be seen or explained, can easily turn communities against each other, eradicate whole towns, and kill innocent men, women and children in the crossfire. It was a powerful message that gave me chills.

The pace of the novel was perfectly set, making the story a fluid and believable journey to read. It was a fantastic and beautifully written story, with an incredible amount of feeling put into every word.

5 Stars and a definite recommended read!

~

***GIVEAWAYS***

Win a copy of The Salem Witch Trials: A Day by Day Chronicles of a Community Under Siege by Marilynne K. Roach. This is a factual book Meredith used to research the Salem Witch Trials:

What they say:
‘Based on over twenty years of original archival research, this history unfolds a nearly day-by-day narrative of the Salem Witch Trials as the citizens of Salem experienced the outbreak of hysteria.’

Entry via Rafflecopter. Giveaway open to US residents only and closes on August 27th.

A Rafflecopter giveaway
Win a dinner for 2 at Salem’s very own Adriatic Restaurant & Bar! Enter our giveaway and you could be the lucky winner of a sumptuous meal for 2 at Mediterranean eatery Adriactic Restaurant & Bar. Set within a warm interior, you’ll not only be treated to excellent, fresh cuisine but you’ll also find yourself in the heart of Her Dear & Loving Husband’s setting. Entry via Rafflecopter. Giveaway is for food only. Airfare is not included. Closes on August 27th.

ARafflecopter giveaway

Win 1 of 5 e-copies of Her Dear & Loving Husband by Meredith Allard

Entry via Rafflecopter. Closes on August 27th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Bio – Meredith Allard:



Since 2000, Meredith Allard has been the Executive Editor of The Copperfield Review, an award-winning literary journal for readers and writers of historical fiction. She received her B.A. and M.A. degrees in English from California State University, Northridge, and she has taught creative writing and writing historical fiction seminars at Learning Tree University, UNLV, and the Las Vegas Writers Conference.

Her short fiction and articles have appeared in journals such as The Paumanok Review, Moondance, Wild Mind, Muse Apprentice Guild, Writers Weekly, CarbLite, and ViewsHound. She is the author of the Amazon Best-Selling Loving Husband Trilogy, as well as the historical novels Victory Garden, Woman of Stones, and My Brother’s Battle.

Victory Garden and Woman of Stones have also been Amazon Best-Sellers in the Historical Fiction and Religious Fiction categories.

Find out more about The Loving Husband Trilogy:

Find Meredith Allard:

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