I was 2/3 of the way through this before realizing that it's part of a series, which is a testament to how well it works as a stand-alone.  The characters are lovable, with their issues and faults, they have good intentions and beautiful hearts.  The children are adorable, and you'll want to adopt them all.  Each of the main characters must overcome something from their past, accept themselves and their faults, and be willing to move forward...whether that ends up being together or not is something you'll discover.  There are, however, a few questions that won't be answered...for that, we'll need book three!

Together Forever is Jody Hedlund's second full length novel in her orphan train series. With historical romance, I expect to be taken for a journey through some historical event or element and follow two characters as they fall in love. With Hedlund's story, Together Forever, she definitely does that. 
The writing is clear and concise. I had no problem visualizing the settings and roaming around the countryside with the main characters and all the orphans. She does allow me to understand and see the character's different emotions and internal dialogue as they work through situations. 
At the beginning of the story, Hedlund spends a little time giving backstory. She starts the story with action then explains the life of the orphans to lead them to their current situation, then she jumps back into a little action, then repeats the same backstory, a little action, more backstory before jumping into the forward moving story. This took me out of the story instantly. Delete the first couple of chapters and weave in the backstory as they story moves along. Only once. 
As for the characters, Marianne and Drew, I really didn't empathize with either character. The characters you meet at the beginning of the novel are the same at the end of the novel. No transformation at all. They didn't learn anything or change at all. They were static characters. Marianne is a sweet, loving woman who desires to find her missing sister and tries to look for clues in the opening chapter. But after that, she really doesn't do anything in the rest of the novel to keep looking for her missing sister. Similarly, Drew knows how to put enough force to keep the orphans in line, but he also has a tender heart to show them he loves them. 
The romance bothered me the most. Marianne and Drew got engaged pretty quickly in the book and the sparks fly all over the page, confusing me and probably Marianne and Drew too. I found their courtship really unrealistic even though there were a number of obstacles in their way throughout the rest of the novel. 
The historical element of placing orphans outside the city to learn skills and to be educated is a neat idea. I have never heard of it. But the way the story was written, I wasn't really interested in what was going on with the orphans. They didn't appear to be the main part of the novel. The story centered around Marianne and Drew and their unbelievable romance. 
Overall, Together Forever by Jody Hedlund surrounds a historical element I didn't know happened. While the synopsis gripped my attention, the plot, characters, and romance fell short for me. I really had a hard time paying attention and couldn't wait for the novel to be over with, so I could read something better. 
I received a complimentary copy of Together Forever by Jody Hedlund from Bethany House Publishers, but the opinions stated are all my own.

Marianne Neumann takes a job as a placing agent with the Children's Aid Society in 1858 New York, she not only hopes to give children a new start in life but seeks to discover where her sister Sophie is. 
Andrew Brady, her fellow agent on her first placing trip has an easy way with children. The two draw closer together and everything seems almost perfect until a tragity takes him away and it seems like hope for a life together is lost.

This story picks up somewhat where the first in this series left off.  Marianne is not my favorite character but she grew on me more and more throughout the book. I was also presently surprised by the inclusion of some of the side characters we met in the first book. The plot was a steady pace and I liked the historical information about the Orphan trains. That said this wasn't my favorite book by Jody, but it was well done and I am excited for the rest of the books in the series. As always much of Jody's writing based on historical facts and she seeks to give a small glimpse into this time in history. Shedding light on the Orphan train program from the perspective of the placing agents was a fresh perspective. Some conversations in the book bring forward much of the controversy that surrounded the program at the time. I appreciate that she gives more historical information in the back of the book. I always learn something from reading one of her novels.  Fans of Jody Hedlund's other books will enjoy this book.

A look at a part of American history I never knew existed. Although fiction it was based a on facts. Two strong main characters and a host of small cute ones.