Lady in the Mist: A Novel

LADY IN THE MIST is a must read novel. Full of history of early America, traitors, romance and suspence, I stayed up til the wee hrs to read this book. Author Laurie Alice Eakes did a great job researching the time period and midwives. The female herione Tabitha was so well developed as was her English love Dominick. I felt every emotion they went through. Ms Eakes writing is a refreshing change for me. Great job author. I look forward to reading her other books, and highly recommend this book to everyone. You will not be disappointed. Vallie

I hadn't read anything by this author and was thankful to receive a review copy of Lady in the Mist. I'm not a history buff so reading about midwives in 1809 was very interesting. Laurie depicts Tabitha as a strong women determined to do her job well in Seaborne, Virginia. I couldn't believe all that was expected of a midwife when a regular doctor was not in town. I loved the way Laurie brought history to life. She shows a scary time in American history when the British boats were stealing American men off the shoreline at night and forcing onto their ships. Duty called all hours of the day and night and Tabitha found her unescorted on the same shores men were stolen from. For that reason she kept her eyes and ears alert as she made the walk on the beach to her home. Then one night she bumps into an unexpected visitor. Dominick Cherrett, a British aristocrat, on American soil working as an indentured servant. Tabitha's world is never the same. Dominick is just as shocked as she is and fears she'll turn him in to the Mayor (his employer) because he's out at night. She says he's British, and not to be trusted and after all the British were the ones stealing American men. She was in a quandary about what to do. Dominick is charming, a man on a mission with a mysterious past. Could she trust him? He was a bit of a flirt it wouldn't hurt to be his friend and see what he was up to. Both Dominick and Tabitha have something in common, each are trying to do their best in working for their redemption with God, to be good enough for him to love them. They found it hard to accept the free gift God gives. I hadn't expected a murder mystery and all the suspense and drama inside Lady in the Mist. I loved how this author wove this mystifying web and had the reader guessing who done it all the way till the end. I did find myself anxious for Tabitha as I really did want her to find true love, trust God like she once did and accept the love God offered her as a free gift. I love books that help me learn about history, what life was like back then and the part midwives played. This was one fascinating, suspenseful, charming, and fun read I most definitely recommend. I'll certainly be looking for the next book in this midwife series.

What a treat for the romantic soul. The vibrant characters leapt off the page and into my heart. The heroine strong yet feminine, the hero dashing and witty. The rich mysterious setting became a character of its own. More than anything, though, I appreciated the depth of passion between the hero and heroine. Too often in Christian romance novels I see nothing that reflects the actual human experience of falling in love. And the author portrayed these emotions with such skill and innocence. The brush of a finger. The heat of a glance. That sense that the world ceases to exist when their beloved walks away. This, I recognize as love. I'll admit that early on I struggled with some of the motivations. But don't give up on this book. It's well worth your time, and I suspect you will fall in love with it as I did. This is a novel that will please both genre romance readers and those who prefer deeper themes and an artistic touch.

Laurie Alice Eakes is a great storyteller. She places trouble after trouble in Tabitha's path to be allowed to follow the occupation of her mother and grandmother. She has heard secrets from mothers-to-be in the pain of delivering a child. Tabitha has never revealed those secrets. She could use some of these secrets to shame men sitting on the town council that reviews her case for continuing to be a midwife. Will she do that or risk being run out of town?. Then there's Dominick and a former beau that has re-entered her life that she must consider for her future. Strong characterization and setting description. A page turner.

Interesting and entertaining.

I thought this book was going to be to have to much romance but it is perfect i loved it and the charachters ( sorry cant spell) were amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In a market saturated with inspirational romance authors, few books stand out as spectacular reads. Lady in the Mist is one of those books. It won't leave you feeling as though you've read this story before. Eakes takes a woman deserted by every significant person in her life and pairs her with a man who has no choice but to one day abandon her. The characters of Tabatha and Dominick embody the essence of Christian romance. As the couple confronts forces both internal and external that drive them apart, both characters must work out their own relationships with God as well as solve a threatening mystery. I wish more romance writers wrote stories like this one. I'll definitely be reading Eakes' next book.

Thought the story plot was interesting and as unpredictsble as the characters. The only reason I rated it down was because the chapter transitions were a little choppy and confusing.

Lady in the Mist did not transport me to that characters town. I enjoy reading books that send me back in time as though I am the character. I kind of got confused a few times within the book, not knowing exactly what was happening. I guess it was a bit choppy and not well explained in some places. Since I got confused and could not get into the book I did not care much for it. The cover is great though!!!

If you love period work, this is a really good one. I enjoyed all of it and will read the rest of the series. It touched on bits of history and a lot of excitement.

A story of love, trust and forgiveness. Draws you into the pages wondering what next she will have to face and how will she learn to trust God again?

Kept me interested...I had to find out how it would end.

Ms. Eakes characters are wonderfully developed and I fell in love with them. The subject matter was interesting as well. I did have trouble following the action at times, but I read it as an e-book (which sometimes have text errors, and lines mixed up). Overall I enjoyed the book and would recommend it.

The storyline is interesting and the main characters keep you interested but the end of the book was not so good. It ended abruptly. I don't intend to read anymore books by this author unless it is free.

Good characters, good story but just a little too much religion for my tastes although I would read another by this author.

Lady in the Mist is a fantastically and enliveningly different read, one I really enjoyed. I easily got into the characters, whom were well-developed, unique, and believable, and I also got into the plot, as well, which was original, creative, and also interesting. The characters were so easy for me to envision, and I think maybe one reason I loved them so much was because, though they were set in almost a chimerical scene, they felt realistic and relatable. Dominick Cherrett, one of the main characters, was one in which I found similar qualities as that of someone very close to me, so I personally appreciated his character. This novel actually contained my interest and is one I would recommend to a friend. The storyline was a bit confusing in the beginning, because I did not know all of the terms which Laurie Alice Eakes used and also because I felt that the author provided too little information for the reader as a basis for the story. You may start out confused with this novel, but I urge you to continue reading, as questions are answered the further you read. You will not find it to be a waste of your time; the story does complete itself, of course, in the end. I feel as though I did miss some things because I was a little confused at first, so I will most likely reread this book. In all honesty, though, I look forward to reading it a second time.

Yesterday I received a new book by new-to-me author Laurie Alice Eakes from another publisher I love Barbour Books - Jersey Brides, one of their Romancing America series and right now I cannot be anymore delighted to see it as I have just finished reading my first book from this author in Lady in the Mist from Revell Books and I loved it. Although I have a qualm with the cover not appearing to look like the woman described (hello, widow's peak anyone?) the writing through out was entertaining and captivating! I could hardly put this one down, toddler and all. Post Revolutionary War and on a strong independent female character is not a setting often seen in my genre and I loved it. The characters were all real to life and the mystery was fun to follow and try to pick up what were who's motives and so on. Laurie has a great story in this book and definitely look forward to more in the Midwives Series as well as other publications from her pen as well. *Thank you to Revell Books for providing a copy for review.*

Enjoyed the storyline. Was a bit drawn out in the end, but ended well.

Actually, this was a very good story. I'm a somewhat religious person, but there were times when the God stuff got pretty corny and old. But I actually found it hard to put this book down. I found the main characters very likeable. I would read more from this author.

This book was very intriquing and kept you attention at all times. I started reading it and just couldn't put it down. This was the first book by Laurie Eakes I had read and she quickly became my new favorite author! She does a great job of leading you through a story with many unexpected twists and turns. Great book and I would recommend it highly.

A little slow at first but good clean book

I loved this book. It was set in the time of 1809 along the coast of Virginia. Tabitha has lost so much in her young age, her dad, her mom, her grandmom, the love of her life a nd most of all her faith. She followed her grandmother, great grandmother, and mom to become a midwife. Then one night while walking home from a birthing she runs across the mysterious Dominick. Dominick is a Lord from across the seas, involved in some young men being kidnapped. But, a Lord he is not, as his uncle has placed him in a servant's role. Couldn't put my nook down! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

While there is a place in the storyline to talk about the characters' issues with their faith, it just got monotonous reading almost the same lines over and over and over, etc. The ending was as if the author, herself, got tired of writing. Won't be reading any more from this author! Zero stars.

Lady in the Mist by Laurie Alice Eakes is the first book in the Midwives series. Tabitha works as the midwife in her coastal Virginia community in the early years of the nineteenth century. She inhabits a gray zone there, where because of her unmarried state she doesn't fit in with the other families, but she's not quite a servant either. After the deaths of her father, mother, and finally grandmother that left her alone, she's turned her back on God for his apparent abandonment and throws herself into her work. But that work is endangered when the husband of one of her patients dies along with her unborn child mysteriously and he lays the blame at her feet. Her former fiance, Raleigh Trower, has returned from the sea where he fled to get out of their engagement and is now determined to win back her heart, but redemptioner Dominick Cherrett keeps getting in the way. Tabitha and Dominick are thrown together again and again as each tries to spy on the other in the hopes of discovering who is behind the disappearance of so many men from their small town. Eakes has written a powerful romance with plenty of intrigue. Tabitha, Dominick, and Raleigh each suffer under the impression that we must earn God's love, and when we sin, we need to earn it back. The villain is fairly obvious from early on, but Eakes does a good job of throwing out some red herrings and keeping the suspense high. Sometimes she does so, however, by leaving the reader at a moment of high tension and then skipping ahead several hours or days without giving readers the payoff of following the characters through their struggles. This is still a terrifically entertaining historical romance with twists and turns and a healthy dose of faith. I look forward to the next book in the series.

Lady in the Mist is the fruition of a dream that was birthed in author Laruie Alice Eakes while she was in grad school. Then one of the things she studied was the role of midwives in history...and she knew she'd someday write books highlighting the contributions of those women. Now she's doing just that. I've heard a lot about Laurie Alice's books, but this was the first time I've read one of them. Set in coastal Virginia in 1809, it took me the first chapter or two to get into the time period. Once I did, though, this book kept calling me back to its pages. The book is a blend of romance, suspense, and historical. Tabitha Eckles is a midwife, and with that role comes the responsibility of keeping secrets. All alone in the world, she is drawn to an English redemptioner who could be a spy. Either way, he isn't free to marry until his indenture is complete -- and even then, he's titled. What would he want with a woman like her? Then there's the fisherman she'd planned to marry before he disappeared...only to return two years later. The book is layered with alternating twists of suspense and romance. And the setting grew on me as the town and characters became real. For those who love the regency time period, this book is an easy one to pick up. And for those of you who haven't tried it before, this is a great one to start with. And being set in a rural American village made for an interesting twist in the genre.