"Yours Truly, Thomas" by Rachel Fordham

Yours Truly, Thomas (July 2, 2019) by Rachel Fordham.*

Years have been spent working as a clerk at the dead letter office since the passing of her father and his fortune being siphoned by someone they’d entrusted with the management of those funds. Penelope “Penny” Ercanbeck is a 22-year-old romantic struggling to support herself and her mother (who does nothing to help). When she comes across a brokenhearted letter from Thomas Conner to Clara, Penny’s heart breaks for him, and she convinces herself that she must get his letter to Clara. What she learns of Clara is wrenching, and soon after finding herself at a crossroads, Penny heads from 1883 Washington, D.C., to the quaint town of Azure Springs, Iowa, with her dog, Honeysuckle (Honey). Thomas’ letters seem to be leading him toward healing, but Penny wants to see it for herself. She finds Thomas to be a very good man, though she wonders why he blames himself for what happened to Clara.

            Thomas is equally drawn to Penny. He tells the overly presumptuous but kindhearted Margaret Anders (owner of the yellow boardinghouse), that Penny’s “looks are unique.” Margaret rolls her eyes at this, sensing his interest in Penny, and declares her gorgeous, which is surely what Thomas meant. (Margaret is a self-declared good judge of people and is prone to a little matchmaking now and again.) Thomas is curious to know more about Penny and falls for her, despite knowing she has a secret. Meanwhile, he is learning to be a farmer and a member of a rural community, the opposite of the way he was raised. Not only is it more work than he could have imagined, someone is clearly trying to run him off his newfound property and may go to any length to chase him away. Can the culprit be caught before anyone is injured?

            Originally wary of this historical romance, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I enjoyed this inspirational fiction novel. From characters emboldened by faith to the intensity of a potentially dangerous antagonist (or two), this wholesome story made for a fairly fast-paced read. Thomas’ letters were so eloquent and sweet that it made me imagine what it’d be like to have a guy write something even half as moving. “Yours Truly, Thomas” encourages second chances and believing in the power of hope and forgiveness. There is a preceding novel also set in Azure Springs, but this one read easily as a standalone.

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are expressly my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”