AUTHOR: Ann Shorey
PUBLISHER: Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group
STARS: ***1/2
It isn’t Cassie Haddon’s fault that she has reached the age of twenty-five without possessing any useful skills. Until the War Between the States, she always had servants. Since then, she and her mother have been forced to rely on family to care for them. But now the well of human kindness has run dry – and Cassie must find work to support them.
Unfortunately, leaving the past behind is easier said than done, and Cassie must summon all of her courage and wits to convince the local restaurateur and grocer Jacob West that she’s exactly what his business needs.
I have mixed feelings about this novel. The attitudes of post-Civil War America created difficulties for me, so that may be one reason I could not immerse myself in the story.
Cassie’s determination to support herself against all odds sparks admiration. She has to fight not only her own lack of experience but also strident opposition from her mother. The mother is a negative character is every way. I must admit that several times I wished someone would shake her.
Jacob seems to be mostly a background character for most of the story. He is not described other than having dark eyes, dusky skin, and a gravelly voice. We’re eventually told his age, but nothing more of his physical attributes. I could not envision him in spite of my best efforts. In spite of that, once his secret was revealed he became more appealing to me.
I intend to read more of this author’s work, but this one gets three and a half stars.