This is a collection of 7 novellas all taking place in Michigan in lighthouses. Each of the seven books were historical romances. These were all fun to read. I enjoyed each one of them. These gave me a few new authors to look up. I received a copy of this book from Celebratelit for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will. ( )

I was excited to read this book because I love lighthouses. I actually collect them and they have always fascinated me. They bring light to darkness and give hope for those lost. The book contains several stories and I loved how we get a taste of each author's style of writing. The stories are short and for some of them I wish they were longer because I felt the story ended too soon. Overall I was pleased with the book and thought the stories flowed easily from one to the next. There are a few stories that had similar plots which I was disappointed in.

Anna's Tower by Pegg Thomas

The first story is set in 1883 where a shipwreck has just happened. I liked the excitement the author built up as rescuers came to help. There is one man from the ship who may find himself in trouble if it is discovered who he is and how he came to be on the ship. Anna is a wonderful character and has dreams of running the lighthouse by herself one day. I would love to visit a lighthouse and see the beauty and power it displays. I really liked Makism and his gentle way he had around others. He was eager to work and the attraction between him and Anna was a breath of fresh air. The author does a great job of wanting readers to follow these two and see what happens between them. I loved the theme in the story about overcoming fear and trusting others.

Beneath a Michigan Moon by Candice Sue Patterson

This story finds us in 1885 at New Presque Isle Lighthouse, Lake Heron. I immediately liked the light hearted banter between Ava and Benjamin. He is insisting to see Ava's father, but there is a slight problem with that. How long can Ava hide her secret before others find out? Ava is a feisty young woman determined to do things on her own. The lighthouse is so important and she resents that snoopy Benjamin keeps coming around. There were times I found their encounters to be comical while Ava tries to discourage Benjamin from coming back to bother her so much. What does he want and why is he so interested in the lighthouse? The story is good and has wonderful details of the lighthouse. What will happen between Ava and Benjamin? It's a great story and I loved the characters. I wanted to spend more time with them and enjoy their connection that grew slowly. The unexpected twist in the story was well written and brings a barrier between Ava and Benjamin. This is a story is about forgiveness and new beginnings.

Safe Haven by Rebecca Jepson

We now get to visit Old Mission, Michigan in 1892. Rose is a very interesting character and I was intrigued about her past. It was hard for her to believe that someone left her at the lighthouse when she was an infant. Why would someone abandon such a special gift as a child? I have noticed a theme as I read each story so far. In this time period of the late 1800s it was not proper for a young woman to be alone with a man if they are not married. It was a refreshing thing to have women treated with respect and how their reputations were of the upmost concern. I am a bit disappointed that this story and the last one are kinda similar in story line. Both women are on their own after losing their father or grandfather. It does make the main character stronger but I was hoping for a little more variety. I did like the mystery surrounding Rose and loved the details of a past that has haunted Rose for years.

Love's Beacon by Carrie Fancett Pagels

Our travels take us to Mackinac Island starting in 1897. Val has traveled a distance to get medicine for her ill parents. When she gets ready to return home, she is told that she cannot travel there tonight. You could feel how distraught she was worrying about her parents. She is taken to the parish to spend the night. I could sense that Val would be receiving bad news soon. There is a mystery in this story about who Val's parents are. Again the story is very similar to the previous one. It is frustrating to read a story where you feel like it is almost the same plot as one you just read. Val gets work taking care of a child while the father works. I have to say I was intrigued to see how how the author would unravel Val's past. Will Val finally find out who her real parents are? There is a bit of romance in the story but I didn't find that it added anything to enhance the story. I have read other books that this author has read and always found them to be very good. This short story seemed rushed and not as detailed as she usually writes.

The Last Memory by Kathleen Rouser

This story opens up in 1899 where we find a young woman struggling to stay afloat before the waters take her away. The young woman is rescued but doesn't know who she is. I would not like to have amnesia. It would be frightening to not know who you are or where you came from. To be surrounded by strangers made the woman a bit on edge. The news that she is the only survivor of the Mallory shocks her. I adored the little girl in the story. She wants a mama so bad, she believes the sea has brought her one. Her father did tell her once that she would only have a mama if the Great Lakes coughed her up . I think her father has some explaining to do after the mysterious woman shows up from the sea. Cal is a good man and is willing to help Mallory as she calls herself. He wants to know who she really is as well ans its obvious that his daughter is starting to get attached to her. This story seemed to have a bit more mention of God and I found it be a welcome addition. The story did keep my interest and I did enjoy the ending.

The Disappearing Ship by Lena Nelson Dooley

Our journey finds us next in Upper Michigan in 1902. Norma is a female doctor who has found out that not many if anyone really welcomes a woman doctor. She feels like a failure and decides to go home to her aunt and uncle. This story was fun to read as a mysterious ship has disappeared . Did someone sabotage it or was the ship stolen because of what cargo it was carrying. Norma and Drake hit it off right away and she decides to help him find out what happened to the ship. The story is good and I loved how Drake trusted Norma by taking her with him as he looks for the whereabouts of his cargo. It's s a nice and tidy ending.

The Wrong Survivor by Marilyn Turk

We end our trip in 1911 at Au Sable Lighthouse. Jesse and Nathan go off to sea but only one brother returns. i could feel how guilty Jesse felt being the brother who survived. It reminds me of survivors guilt. You feel horrible that everyone you were with didn't make it and you wonder why you were spared. I liked how the author showed the bitterness Lydia had toward Jesse. it is a good story about forgiveness and I enjoyed reading how the characters found a way to overcome their guilt and try to become friends again.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit and Barbour Publishing. The review is my own opinion. ( )

The Great Lakes Lighthouse Brides Collection contains seven novellas. Its a collection of well-written stories taking you back from 1883-1911.

The Seven Stories are:
1. Anna's Tower by Pegg Thomas - 1883- Thunder Bay Island Lighthouse.
Topic: Shipwreck, love, future, career
Anna's Wilson plans to be the next lighthouse keeper until Maksim Ivanov is shipwrecked on Thunder Bay Island.

2. Beneath a Michigan Moon by Candice Sue Patterson
1885- New Presque Isle Lighthouse.
Ava Ryan's father passes away leaving her alone and ill to tend the light with nowhere else to go. Logging foreman Benjamin Colfax needs the height of the lighthouse to determine the best cutting route but he senses something amiss in Ava and her determination to remain reclusive. Can he get her to open up, or will she keep herself locked away?
Topics: Friendship, Isolation, Sadness, Family, Death, Trust

3. Safe Haven by Rebecca Jepson- 1892 - Old Mission Lighthouse
Rose Miller was found on the lighthouse doorstep as an infant, and now she must hide her quest to find the child who left her there from Captain Nathan Perry, the man she loves to hate.
Topics: Isolation, Sadness, Revenge, Being Left, Family

4. Love's Beacon by Carrie Fancett Pagels
1898 - Round Island Lighthouse
Valerie Fillman's best hope for a future lies on the tiny island that holds her worst memories. Can Paul Sholtus, the new light keeper, and his daughter help bring healing? And Love?
Topics: Forgiveness, Love, Friendship, Family, Faith

5. The Last Memory by Kathleen Rowser
1899- Mackinac Point Lighthouse
Natalie Brooks loses her past to amnesia, and Cal Waterson, the lighthouse keeper who rescues her didn't bargain on risking his heart -- when her past might change everything.
Topics: Love, Faith, Past, Broken Heart

6. The Disappearing Ship by Lena Nelson Dooley.
1902- Whitefish Pant Lighthouse
Romance and mystery collide at Whitefish Point Lighthouse when unemployed doctor Norma Kimbell and Drake Logan, owner of a steamship line, search for evidence of a supposed shipwreck.
Topics: Mystery, Romance, Love

7. The Wrong Survivor by Marilyn Turka
1911- Au Sable Lighthuse
Lydia Palmer's dream for happiness as a lighthouse keeper's wife shatters when her fiance Nathan Drake drowned in a shipwreck, but his brother Jesse survived.

Kathy Rouser did her research because living in Michigan you learn a lot of the history of the Great Lakes and its lighthouses. The Great Lakes Lighthouse features many Great Lake history from shipwrecks, immigration, war, weather, and mining. Rouser takes you into what these men and woman dealt with. It gives us an idea of how isolation, strength, faith, courage, love, family, friendship, sadness, and faith which is happening in and around these beautiful lighthouses.

If you love history, lakes, lighthouses, Great Lakes, shipwrecks, love, mysteries, survival, and faith then I would recommend reading this book. ( )

Lighthouses have long been the symbol of salvation, warning sailors away from dangerous rocks and shallow waters. Along the Great Lakes, America’s inland seas, lighthouses played a vital role in the growth of the nation. They shepherded settlers traveling by water to places that had no roads. These beacons of light required constant tending even in remote and often dangerous places. Brave men and women battled the elements and loneliness to keep the lights shining. Their sacrifice kept goods and immigrants moving. Seven romances set between 1883 and 1911 bring hope to these lonely keepers and love to weary hearts. The Last Memory by Kathleen Rouser 1899—Mackinac Point Lighthouse Natalie Brooks loses her past to amnesia, and Cal Waterson, the lighthouse keeper who rescues her, didn’t bargain on risking his heart—when her past might change everything.



My Thoughts: This is a collection of short stories "novellas" about lighthouses and their keepers. The authors have given a precise account of the lives that these people led while helping to save the lives of others. The hardships they faced, loneliness, living in a remote area and dealing with the aftermath of shipwrecks.


The stories will draw the reader in and will fall in love with the heroines in the stories. I think of all the stories my favorites were Rose and Natalie. Rose being strong and independent, Natalie has a wonderful outlook on life after losing her memory. The reader will love all the women in the stories, these are the two that I identified with the most.

Living on a small island has given me a love for the lighthouse, and I have visited many on the Eastern Shore. That's one of the reasons I enjoyed these stories and the characters in them. Whenever you visit a lighthouse you try to envision the people that were once living there, this book gives us a wonderful look into some of those lives.


The readers will also learn how important the lighthouse is to people and the ships. It is fascinating to learn the working day of the lighthouse keepers. It was pleasant reading that the writers did make sure that the word of God was written into the stories. God is our lighthouse and we must always remember to look toward the light.


I think that everyone will enjoy this novella.


⭐⭐⭐⭐ ( )

The Great Lakes Brides collection contains a group of stories about the lighthouses on the Great Lakes and each story takes place between 1883-1911. Each bride has circumstances to overcome. For example, one bride has to overcome the need to hide her father’s death so she can continue being the lighthouse keeper. Another bride has to move past the death of the man she thought was her grandfather along with keeping up the lighthouse.

In each story, there is a strong, brave, and heroic man who comes along beside the bride and ensures she receives a “happily ever after”. Growing up, my grandparents lived on the Inter-Coastal waterway in Wildwood, New Jersey. I can remember riding to their home and seeing the lighthouses. Then when I met and married my husband who was born and raised in Eastern North Carolina, I saw even more lighthouses. These structures contain so much history and are vitally important to ships sailing. So I was thrilled with the opportunity to learn more about the lighthouses of the Great Lakes. And these stories did not disappoint.

So if you love lighthouses history or just a really great collection of stories, check out The Great Lakes Brides collection for yourself. ( )