5 stars Apparently, this is the seventh book in a series about the Whickertons, but since I am new to this author, I’ve never read the others. I’m grateful that I received an ARC of this one from WOLF Publishing because I truly enjoyed it. The pacing and the plot were exactly right, and I found myself surprised by events again and again. Naturally, the final result didn’t come as a big surprise, but the twists and turns along the way were unexpected and kept my interest. This book is about Nora, recently widowed from a man with whom she shared no affection, and Troy, the man with whom she grew up who has not married. Of course, they are in love with one another, but both are hesitant to share their true feelings—Nora because she believes she is barren, and Troy because he believes she ignored his declaration of devotion five years earlier. Nora, pursued by her late husband’s cousin and heir to his fortune/title, Mr. Clarke, goes home to be with her mother, swearing never to marry again—even though she desperately wants to be with Troy. She feels lonely and disheartened that this will be her life—embroidery, tea, embroidery again. Meanwhile, Troy is surrounded by his boisterous and happy family and cannot hide his anger and resentment that they are finding happiness and he cannot. Luckily for the both of them, Grandmother Edie is a meddler and determined to bring them together. It is revealed to the reader that she had a hand in facilitating the love-based marriages of every one of his sisters, and even his parents. After secretly seeing Nora, Troy wonders if his grandmother might somehow know. “It seemed impossible. And yet Troy knew that with regards to his grandmother, that word held no meaning at all.” And of course, he was right. I only have one complaint about the book and it’s a picky little thing, and might not even be noticed by anyone else, but here it is. The narrator says, “She, too, had been worth waiting for!” I don’t think an omniscient narrator should be sharing their feelings with the reader so emphatically. Had the exclamation point been omitted, it would simply be a statement of fact, but adding the exclamation point made it something that the narrator was excited to share. The only time an exclamation point should be used in fiction is during internal or external dialogue, but I can’t think of any other time it would be appropriate. Overall, I think the book was well-written and the characters were engaging. I’d be happy to read more from this author. April 6, 2022
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Elizabeth J ConnorWriter. Editor. Proofreader. Archives
September 2022
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