by Margo Hansen
Unconditional Recommendation: A shotgun wedding to a stranger, a tangle of relationships, and strange circumstances happening all over Sand Creek make for an engaging and sentimental finale to the series.
Genre: Historical Christian Romance
I enjoyed this series finale. It’s just what I’ve come to expect from Margo Hansen: an interesting story coupled with biblically accurate spiritual truths—such as a correct gospel message!
Irena’s Bond of Matrimony (A Newly Weds #4)
When Mattie awakes from a deep sleep, she’s in for quite a surprise. While she was sleeping, an irate preacher had done what he considered his duty and married her off to some stranger. Now Mattie must live with the consequences. She does not learn the identity of her husband until she runs into him in Sand Creek. Mattie recognized Abel Newly. Abel, on the other hand, has no idea Mattie is the bride he was tricked into marrying. Instead he’s eager to marry Delphinia Digby and to begin setting up his medical practice. He considers the wedding ceremony an elaborate hoax.
Abel’s seemingly single state concerns the townspeople. They’re not at all sure about having an unmarried doctor tend to their womenfolk. More than once, Abel calls upon Mattie to lend a hand at the doctor’s office. But what is it about her that seems so familiar?
Margo Hansen’s fifth book, Mattie’s Unspoken Vow, completes her series about the Newly family and sets the stage once again for romance, mystery, and adventure in the north. As Mattie and Abel come face-to-face with town strife, an outlaw gang intent on robbing the bank, and finally with each other, they learn that God’s ways are not always their ways, but he ultimately knows best.
Family – A consistent theme throughout the entire series and no less in this book. Mattie herself is the oldest in a big family and she has an understanding and loving relationship with her parents. She works away from home to send money back to her family. Abel, the youngest of the Newly clan, also has good relationships with his parents, all of his siblings, and his nieces and nephews. Family is valued by the characters throughout the series and even if it’s idealistic, it’s so wonderful to read about healthy familial relationships. Our sin-cursed, Satan-run world attacks the family unit from all sides and I don’t think we could ever get enough encouragement or example of how good family can be.
All the spiritual truth that Margo Hansen weaves into the story is biblically accurate and incorporated seamlessly. Because of this, every book of this series including this one is spiritually encouraging and refreshing to read.
We first met Mattie in the previous book, Irena’s Bond of Matrimony, and if you don’t remember her, don’t worry, there’s some recap to refresh your memory. I like her as a character because she seeks to do what is right before the Lord in every situation she’s in, she’s prayerful about her life, she has a helper mentality and is a willing hard worker.
The plot is easily holds your interest because the story is told from many points of view—Mattie, Abel, Sky & Russ Newly, Dorcas and Cavan Nolan, and a gang of outlaws. And they all intertwine with one another in some way making the experience that much more engaging.
The romantic plot of novel is very sweet despite its absurd and awkward beginning. After the shotgun wedding, Abel and Mattie go their separate ways only to find that they’ve both moved to live and work in the same town. They witness each other’s character as circumstances throw them together whether it’s a crisis caused by the gang of outlaws or Abel needing an assistant while he treats a patient. It’s enjoyable to watch their relationship start as appreciation then grow into love.
The way Margo Hansen wrote it couldn’t be any more fitting: the last Newly child weds, there’s a big gathering of all the characters throughout the series, and of course, some exciting plot twists before the sentimental conclusion where Abel acknowledges every member of his family (whose stories we’ve already read) in thanksgiving before his wedding reception. It’s a perfect ending to this book and the series. Please enjoy!
*This post may contain affiliate link(s). See full disclosure on legal page.