Emma: There's No Turning Back (Emma Le Goff #2) by Linda Mitchelmore

Once again, Ms. Mitchelmore writes in the style of Catherine Cookson, bringing us the second in a saga about Emma, a girl who has faced more hard times than many of us can imagine, from being orphaned to bullied to shunned to almost raped, this girl has been through a lot.
Only, she's no longer a girl. She's now a "married" woman, sorta.

I liked this book, but not as much as the first. In the first, Emma was just so spunky, never a doormat, always sticking up for herself. She was heroine after my own heart. In this one, she's lost something. I get that she's matured, but it's also almost as though being in love has taken some of the fight out of her and the fight in her is what I adored about her before. She still wants to run a business, she does tell Seth off sometimes, and she sure does care for those she loves. But...

I think the relationship with Seth put me off. I didn't like him in book one and didn't like him in this one either. His jealousy, his...well, his...surprise. I would have kicked him and it out of the house, not forgave and taken on the responsibility of the surprise. 

Matthew enters the story very, very late. His presence is only in form of letters and frankly, I don't see what the tizzy over them was about. Letters are harmless and it's not like Seth has always been an angel.

So I was disappointed in Emma this time, the way she handled the letters, the way she let Seth be...well, Seth. 

But the writing is solid and there's a lot going on. Sickness, crime, struggles with her business, problems with the town (AGAIN! Ugh, these people.) Some scenes really had me nodding my head, such as when Seth runs into the church for help and the folks don't really act very Christian. There are little, hidden things in the story that make you think about how we treat others.

I did not find it as exciting as book on and it did begin to drag for a while. I do have to say though that I appreciate the whole "married couple" romance here. I've often complained that there is not enough books that show you what happens after you walk down the aisle. Kudos to the author.

But I confess I wish Ms. Mitchelmore would write an alternative novel, a what if she'd ended up Matthew story. 

I received this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.