Love's Sweet Beginning Book Review

Sisters at Heart Series

Book Three

SUMMARY:  What will it take for a once-privileged woman to make her way in the world?

     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 local restauranteur and grocer Jacob West that she's exactly what his business needs.

     With her signature sweet romance, Ann Shorey weaves a tale of two people from different backgrounds finding common ground and the hope of a bright future together.

REVIEW:  This being the last book in the Sisters at Heart series, and having read the first two, I was very interested in reading this one.  Like the others, I was not disappointed.  I really liked Cassie.  Even though she grew up privileged, she was not afraid to get her hands dirty and did not give up when she felt overwhelmed or unappreciated.  There were a few times that I wondered if Callie could keep doing everything she had to do without just collapsing from pure exhaustion.  While working in the restaurant all day then trying to make a place for her mother and herself to live, Callie had to cater to her mother's whims while Eliza Bingham sent letter after letter looking for her brother.  She also was not afraid to speak up and loved to help others in need.  Callie is one heroine we all can learn from and model.

     I also liked how Callie and Jacob's feelings for each other and their relationship grew over time and didn't all happen all at once.  Some stories rush the love story too quickly. As Jacob saw Callie work and grow in her job, his feelings for her (and hers for him) had time to develop into something meaningful.

     This is a great book and a wonderful end to the series.

This book was provided by Revell for review without compensation.

Ann Shorey is the author of the At Home in Beldon Grove series, Where Wildflowers Bloom, and When the Heart Heals.  She has also published selections in the Cup of Comfort series and in Chicken Soup for the Grandma's Soul.  Ann and her husband make their home in southwestern Oregon.  Learn more at www.annshorey.com.