Beyond the Ashes - The Golden Gate Chronicles 2 - by Karen Barnett

About the book:
Beyond the Ashes (Abingdon Press, June 2015)

Where better to rebuild and face one's fears than in 1906 San Francisco, a city rising from the ashes?

Ruby Marshall, a young widow, is certain she'll discover new purpose assisting her brother Robert with his cancer research, but she doesn't anticipate finding new love.

Dr. Gerald Larkspur dreams of filling his empty home with family, but he'd always hoped it would be a wife and children. In the aftermath of the great earthquake, the rooms are overflowing with extended family and friends left homeless by the disaster. When Robert's widowed sister arrives, the close quarters seem close indeed.

Ruby and Gerald's fledgling romance is put at risk when Gerald develops symptoms of the very disease they're striving to cure. Together they must ask---is it worth a second chance at love when time might be short?

My review:

This was a very enjoyable story set right after San Francisco's huge earthquake in the early 1900's.  It was fascinating to learn more about what was going on in the city during that time, not only the makeshift homes and camps many people lived in because theirs were destroyed, but also the research being done on the use of x-rays on cancer.  It was interesting to learn about their work.  I liked revisiting the characters I enjoyed from book one and it was fun getting to know Gerald better and meeting Ruby.  I liked both of them and could relate to Ruby's struggle to let God be in control.  She'd already lost a husband and didn't know if she could trust God for her future.  I admired how both of them were so selfless in caring for people, especially Gerald.  I did get frustrated with how he wouldn't take care of himself, though.  There were quite a few sweet romantic moments, including some humorous ones.  This was a well-written story with a good mixture of history and romance.  I'm looking forward to book three.  I highly recommend it!

I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity in exchange for an honest review.

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About the author:

Karen Barnett is the author of Beyond the Ashes, Out of the Ruins, and Mistaken. Named the 2013 Writer of Promise by Oregon Christian Writers, Karen lives in Albany, Oregon, with her husband and two kids. When she's not writing novels, she loves speaking at women's events, libraries, and book clubs.

Find Karen online: website, Twitter, Facebook