I've been so looking forward to this book and seeing the notorious Vance redeemed!
Description:
Violet Hawthorne is beyond mortified when her brother Ezra turns their deceased parents' New England country inn into a brothel to accommodate the nearby lumberjacks but when Violet's own reputation is compromised, the inn becomes the least of her worries. In an effort to salvage her good name, Violet is forced into an engagement with a taciturn acquaintance, Vance Everstone. As she prepares for a society wedding, Violet learns that her brother had staked her hand in marriage in a heated poker game with the unsavory Rowen Steele, and Ezra had lost. Now Rowen is determined to cash in on his IOU. With danger stalking her and a new fiance who hides both his emotion and his past, Violet must decide who to trust and who to leave behind.
About the Author:
Dawn Crandall is an ACFW Carol Award-nominated author of the award winning series The Everstone Chronicles, which consists of four books: The Hesitant Heiress, The Bound Heart, The Captive Imposter and The Cautious Maiden. Apart from writing, Dawn is also a mom of two little ones and serves with her husband in a premarital mentorship program at their local church in Fort Wayne, Indiana. A graduate of Taylor University with a degree in Christian Education and a former bookseller at Barnes & Noble, Dawn Crandall didn't begin writing until 2010 when her husband found out about her long-buried dream. It didn't take her long to realize that writing books was what she was made to do.
Dawn is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, the secretary for the Indiana ACFW Chapter (Hoosier Ink), and an associate member of the Great Lakes ACFW Chapter. She is represented by Joyce Hart of Hartline Literary Agency.
My Review: 5 stars!
The Cautious Maiden is the fourth book in Dawn Crandall’s, Everstone Chronicles series and I have to say that it “might” be my favorite! But then, I do love marriage of convenience of stories and seeing the prodigal redeemed, and while this was more of an engagement of convenience story, I still loved it! I’m really hoping there’s either going to be a fifth book to the series, or perhaps the start of a new one.
Dawn’s writing style is undeniably unique, in that she’s one of the rare historical romance authors that writes from a sole character’s perspective, and pulls it off extremely well! As I’ve stated before, I’m not generally a big fan of this style, but Dawn does it so beautifully, that I found it very compelling! I didn’t want to put the book down and I caught myself musing over what might happen next, while I was supposed to be doing other things (like working). I also loved the historical details and descriptions, as well as reading the story from Violet’s view point and getting to see the world (and Vance!) through her eyes.
Violet Hawthorne is the heroine in this novel and I really enjoyed her and Vance’s story. She’s the kind of character I was easily able to connect with and could definitely see myself being friends with, were she real. She’s rather quiet at first, unsure of herself and what her future will be. I loved seeing her become bolder and stronger as she spent more time with the Everstones and learned to see her worth. That being said, I do have to confess that Vance Everstone was probably my favorite character in this book, solely because I’ve been waiting for his story since the second book! Vance is the perfect example of the prodigal son and I loved getting to know him after he’s been liberated from his past. He’s been more than a bit of a rogue since I first met him, but it’s very evident at the end of third book, The Captive Imposter, that something has changed about him. He’s still a bit rakish, but he’s also learning to trust God, and become a better man, which I was so happy to see! I loved how honest he is with Violet regarding his past, and how he truly wishes to be the new creation God is making him.
For those who were wondering, the romance was also fantastic! I adored Vance and Violet’s relationship, as they go from barely acquaintances, to fiancées overnight! I enjoyed seeing them get to know one another and slowly fall in love with the least likely of people. It’s a bit steamy here and there, after they begin to trust each other, and I really appreciated the emphasis Dawn put on staying pure and waiting, especially after Vance’s past had the exact opposite. It was wonderfully handled, without becoming preachy or trying to sway an opinion. I also liked that she showed some of Violet’s self-doubt regarding everything that was happening, as well as expressing Vance’s questions through her. It added another level of realism to it, which I always enjoy.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical romance with incredibly realistic characters, a dose of suspense, and a great romance!
Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed my review! I will hopefully be posting a bit more often, so maybe I'll figure out a regular schedule. Haha! Yeah, probably not so much. But do stop by again soon! I'm plotting a couple giveaways and (hopefully) fun things in the next couple months!
Also, if you'd like to learn more about Dawn's books, you can find links below! Don't you just love her covers?
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Christian Book
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