Alice McNeil is determined to remain a spinster pursuing a life of purpose through career and hobbies despite her mother and society's expectations. Douglas Shaw is equally determined to use his intelligence and ambition to rise above a childhood of poverty regardless of what his heart may be saying to the contrary.
There is no doubt in my mind that Jennifer Delamere is a solid writer. She paints her world well, she's easily established a trilogy here with characters like Emma, Rose or even Mavis poised to take their own time in center stage. I even thoroughly enjoyed her little forays into the scientific advancement of the day and age showing the importance and procedures of the telegraph and the new found promises of the telephone.
That said, I struggled with this book. I did not connect with Alice or Douglas at all as story leads until the very last pages of the novel. Alice's character seems so focused on her spinsterhood it's hard to see the character underneath.It also makes the expected ending feel more jarring as Alice's character has to
undergo a complete inner shift in a very short time to reach the anticipated conclusion (while well written, the format did feel very familiar to the genre). Douglas' ambition also leaves out a lot of his personality until his acquaintance with Carnegie. I felt like I spent more time searching for a character to lead me into the story over enjoying the story itself.
Honestly I feel like this is still an enjoyable book just not a match for me.
3 out of 5 stars
"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc."
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