The Hesitant Heiress (The Everstone Chronicles Book 1) by Dawn Crandall {Review}

The Hesitant Heiress (The Everstone Chronicles Book 1) by Dawn Crandall

Kindle Edition, 315 pages

Published August 1st 2014 by Whitaker House 

 

 

After being unjustly expelled from the Boston Conservatory of Music, Amaryllis Brigham sees her dreams of founding a music academy in her hometown of Seattle, Washington, disappearing before her very eyes. Now, the only way to achieve her goal comes with high stakes for someone set on avoiding men as much as possible: Marry within the year to inherit the immense fortune of her estranged grandmother. Amaryllis reluctantly moves in to her aunt's Boston home and rubs shoulders with fashionable society. Despite her own misgivings, she soon finds herself quickly falling in love with the most unlikely of men, Nathan Everstone, the envy of every eligible female, whose father has haunted her dreams for the decade following her mother's tragic death. However, Nathan turns out to be much more than he seems...and everything she never knew she wanted. But can she ever really trust an Everstone man?

 

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My Reviews: 5 Stars

 

What would you do if your dearest dream was to move back to the wilds of Washington state from Boston, in the 1890s, but you have no means of doing so? What if there was a chance of getting a good-sized inheritance if you married within a year, but you have no desire to do so? That's the dilemma that Amaryllis finds herself in. When she moves to her aunt's home and reunites with her cousin, Lawry, after years apart, she also finds herself face-to-face with his best friend, Nathan. A story of mystery, love, society expectations, and deep emotion ensues and had me devouring every page.

 

Amaryllis...don't you just love that name? She's very stubborn and it is aggravating at times.There's obviously a very volatile connection between her and Nathan, but she absolutely refuses to find out the truth of her past so that she can be free. You can run, but you cannot hide and I wished at times she would just face things head on, like she does with other aspects of her life. However, there are other times when she is extremely no-nonsense, naive, and likable. Her fight against her feelings and the resulting tension is entertaining. I couldn't get enough of Nathan's smoldering looks, unending patience, and all-around charm. He had me swooning, even with the mystery surrounding him. 

I came to really love the Everstone family and their circle of friends. The beginning of the story was a little confusing to me and I had to read it a couple of times, but once I got into the book, I couldn't put it down. I felt completely immersed in this world and I'm so glad there are other books in this series that will allow me to continue on. The plot is engaging and there's a perfect mix of mystery, religious elements, characters interactions and development, and romance. 

Content: mild-moderate religion; mild, swoony romance (tension, slight innuendos, kissing); mild violence (mainly talk of previous deaths; kidnapping). Clean!

*I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

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Buy Links:

 

 

About the Author:

 

 

Dawn Crandall is an ACFW Carol Award-nominated author of the award winning series The Everstone Chronicles, which currently consists of: The Hesitant Heiress, The Bound Heart and The Captive Imposter. The Cautious Maiden is her fourth book.
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.