Love's Unwavering Hope: A Christian Romance (Beneath the Southern Cross: The Dawn of a Sunburned Land Series Book 1) PAPERBACK

A young woman forging a new life, an unscrupulous wealthy suitor, and a farmer fighting for her heart...

In the untamed wilderness of 19th-century Australia, Eliza Reynolds is faced with a life-changing decision that could shape her destiny forever.
After the tragic loss of their mother during the voyage from England and the subsequent death of their father, Eliza and her young brother Thomas are left to fend for themselves on the family’s fledgling farm. The land is wild and unforgiving, and every day is a battle for survival. But amidst the trials, the beauty of the land and the promise of a new beginning offer a glimmer of hope.
Enter Jamie Goddard, a farmer with sun-kissed skin, dreams of his own, and a heart yearning for something—or someone—to call his. He’s a breath of fresh air, a soul as boundless as the horizon, and he ignites a flame of possibility and hope in Eliza’s weary heart.
Yet, amidst the burgeoning affection between Eliza and Jamie, a shadow lurks. Mr. Bartholomew, a wealthy and unyielding suitor, seeks Eliza’s hand in marriage. His persistence knows no bounds and his offer, laden with the promise of security and wealth, is tempting.
As Eliza stands on the precipice of choice, nature’s wrath unleashes a devastating fire that sweeps through their lands, testing their resolve and fortitude. In the aftermath, with their lives and the farm hanging in the balance, Eliza must make a decision that will not only determine her own fate but that of young Thomas, and the man who has quietly claimed her heart.
Will she choose the safety and security that Bartholomew offers, or will she risk it all for a love as untamed and boundless as the land they tread? In the harsh terrains of a land down under, a story of relentless hope, enduring love, and the indomitable human spirit unfolds. This is not just a story of survival but a narrative of life in its most poignant form - raw, unpredictable, yet achingly beautiful.
Love's Unwavering Hope is Book One in the Beneath the Southern Cross: The Dawn of a Sunburned Land Series, a Christian romance set in the harsh, but beautiful Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia in the 1880's. It is the prequel series to the bestselling A Sunburned Land Series.

Gippsland, Victoria, 1882
Prologue

The Cobb and Co coach jostled its passengers, every bump in the road resonating through its timeworn frame. The wheels’ creaks and groans echoed the pulsating ache in seventeen-year-old Eliza Reynolds’s temples. For three days, she and her twelve-year-old brother, Thomas, had been travelling, first by carriage, then by train, and now by coach, after their father sent word that their home in Gippsland was ready.
In Melbourne these past four months, she and Thomas had felt far from welcome with distant relatives in an already crowded house. Then the promise of a better life in Australia had seemed but a distant dream.
The unimaginable marred their voyage on the SS Sovereign Star. Fever cruelly claimed their mother. The memory of her body, veiled by the dark cloak of the sea, was still raw. Their father had been a broken man, and their collective grief felt insurmountable. But their parents’ shared dream—a dream whispered in the corners of their tiny London flat—had propelled Father to venture into Australia’s wild terrain, seeking out the land they dreamed of.
Now, Gippsland’s savage beauty unfurled outside the coach window, its sprawling pastures dotted with livestock and shadowed by towering eucalyptus trees. The sun-drenched terrain, while beautiful, also stood as a stark reminder of how far they were from their London home.
Thomas leaned against her. “How much longer, Eliza?”
Her lips curved as she ruffled his wavy brown hair. “I believe Baker’s Run is close.”
He tipped his head upwards. “Do you think Father will be there to meet us?”
“He knows our journey’s schedule. He should be.” She couldn’t share her doubts. Her brother already suffered too much. But those doubts clenched her jaw. Had living in this new country changed Father, or was he still the moody and unpredictable man he’d always been? God, please, let him have changed.
Thomas, his voice tinged with the innocence of youth and shadows of past sorrows, whispered, “What’s our new life going to be like?”
Heart softening, she replied, “It’s going to be wonderful.”
“I do hope so.” He jiggled in his seat, displaying his first eagerness in months. “Maybe Father got the ponies Mother promised us.”
She hesitated, thinking of their father’s inconsistent nature. “Time will reveal all, dear brother.” Straightening, she pointed to a distant collection of buildings. “I do believe that’s Baker’s Run.”