Stories where characters come alive to the reader, leaving them feeling as if they have peeked into the lives of the people living within the pages, are the very best kind. That is how I feel about this novel. I became extremely invested in the lives of Sadie and Oliver and Clara and Max. It felt as if this could not possibly be a work of fiction. I had this incredible desire to hop on a plane and travel first to North Carolina and then on to England to help Clara sort out the truth of her heritage!
This book pulled my emotions all over the place and there were tears that threatened to fall as I discovered all that had transpired in the past. However, there was such a ribbon of hope threaded throughout both of the timelines in this tale, that it kept me reading and left me sure that God could use any circumstance for good.
The two couples in this story were simply wonderful. I loved the way Oliver saw Sadie for the woman she was and not the position she held as a maid. And I loved that Clara saw Max for the man he was and not the scars that marred his face.
The two timelines were woven together nicely. I liked that the story from the past, Oliver and Sadie’s story, was sometimes written as if the reader was right there experiencing these two fall in love, however, it was helpful to sometimes discover what happened through letters and even from stories passed down through the generations.
This was such a beautiful book and I know that I will be thinking of these characters for a long time to come.
(5 stars)
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Uncover the Story Behind a One-Hundred-Year-Old Love Letter
Walk through Doors to the Past via a new series of historical stories of romance and adventure.
Clara Blackwell helps her mother manage a struggling one-hundred-year old family bookshop in Asheville, North Carolina, but the discovery of a forgotten letter opens a mystery of a long-lost romance and undiscovered inheritance which could save its future. Forced to step outside of her predictable world, Clara embarks on an adventure with only the name Oliver as a hint of the man’s identity in her great-great-grandmother’s letter. From the nearby grand estate of the Vanderbilts, to a hamlet in Derbyshire, England, Clara seeks to uncover truth about family and love that may lead to her own unexpected romance.
Purchase your own copy here.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes historical and contemporary romance novels with grace, humor, and culture clashes. She’s a Blue Ridge Mountain native and an anglophile who enjoys combining her two loves to create memorable stories of hope. You can connect with Pepper over at her group blog, The Writer’s Alley, her website, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or Twitter.
Britt Reads Fiction 