Review: Love on a Dime by Cara Lynn James

Ladies of Summerhill, #1

Book Cover and Synopsis:

Newport, Rhode Island, 1899, is a place of shimmering waves, sleek yachts, and ladies of leisure. Of opulent mansions that serve as summer cottages for the rich and famous. Home of railroad magnates and banking tycoons--dashing young men and the women who aspire to marry them.

But it's not the place for lady novelists. Especially not those who pen disreputable dime novels. This poses a problem for Lilly Westbrook, because that's exactly what she does.

No one in Lilly's social set knows she pens fiction under the "nom de plume "Fannie Cole. Not her family or the wealthy young man about to propose to her. And especially not Jackson Grail, the long-lost beau who just bought her publishing company...and who stirs her heart more than she cares to admit.

But Lilly must put aside her feelings and follow the path that will maintain her family's social stature and provide the financial security that everyone is depending on.

Now Lilly faces a double dilemma. Can she continue to protect her secret identity? And will she have the courage to choose the man who will risk it all just to win her heart?

My source for book: Local Library

My Thoughts:
I don't often contemplate not finishing a book, but I have to admit that several times I considered giving up on this one. The story simply failed to engage me, and the characters didn't pull me in either. The descriptions and dialogue often struck me as feeling somewhat stiff and matter of fact, which admittedly could partially be due to the time period that it's set in...however, I don't normally have this issue with other books in the genre.

Though I really like the premise of being a closet dime-novelist, this alone wasn't enough to endear Lilly to me. Her longtime blindness in the romance department irked me quite a bit; it was hard to believe she couldn't see just how wrong a certain someone was for her. Additionally, through-out most of the story there is an impending blackmail threat, and Lilly is so stubborn, and also naive, that she absolutely refuses to ask for help, instead floundering around on her own and waiting until the last possible minute to finally seek assistance. Jackson was in a perfect position to help her, which he offered to do multiple times, and I so wanted Lilly to trust him and take him up on his offer. Things would have been much easier if she had.

Despite my qualms with the overall story, I must admit that the church service towards the end really spoke to me. The few short verses that made up the sermon were well chosen, being relevant not only to the story, but also in my own life, coming at exactly the time I needed. It's so awesome when God is able to speak through fictional stories like that. And that moment alone--no matter what else I have to say about the story--made reading the whole book worth it.

Overall, as far as the actual story goes, I really struggled to get through it.... so unfortunately I don't think I'll be reading the rest of the series. I think part of what didn't mesh with my tastes was the Newport setting, and all the uppity society rules and games that go along with it. Still, I won't tell anyone to stay away from the book, because of the blessing I received through the church service in the story. Personal tastes aside, you know an author is doing something right when God is able to speak through their book in such a way!

My Rating: 3 stars

Review: A Path Toward Love by Cara Lynn James

Book Cover and Synopsis:

Katherine came home to forget her past. The last thing she expected is a hopeful future.

Young widow Katherine Osborne returns to her family’s rustic camp on Raquette Lake in the Adirondack Mountains. She’s determined to live a quiet life, but her socialite mother is equally determined to push her into a new marriage while she’s still young.

Andrew Townsend has known Katherine since they were children. An attorney who is successful, but not wealthy, he knows she is socially out of his reach. But he’s curious what changed the free-spirited girl he once knew into this private, somber young woman.

Katherine has kept hidden the details of her unsuccessful marriage. When past sins come to light, she must turn to God for the courage to be honest. But how can she trust the God she feels has let her down? When she confides in Andrew, their relationship takes a dramatic turn into uncharted territory.

Amid impossible obstacles, two young people must learn to trust enough to walk the path that God has cleared for them. A path that leads to healing and restoration. A path toward love.

My source for book: Local Library

My Thoughts:
This is the type of review that's really difficult to write....I never like to "put down" a story or an author's work, but I simply could not connect with this novel in any way. The reasons are varied, and even though the writing itself is decent, I just couldn't find my way to relating with the characters at all.

I never felt close or connected to Katherine, and her motives were always hard for me to understand or sympathize with. She holds a death grip on her citrus grove in Florida, despite the fact that it's losing money, and refuses to sell even when she gets an above-market offer. Katherine goes on and on about how she loves it so much, but the atmosphere at the grove was never able to convince me of how "great" it was or what exactly made it so desirable to her.

The thing that struck me most about the story was the rampant manipulation spread throughout the entire novel. Society parents manipulating their grown (late 20's) children into all sorts of disagreeable situations for "their own good", including (but not limited to) courting someone not of their choosing. Yes, these types of stories are somewhat common in fiction, but the way it all came about just set wrong with me. One example: After an ultimatum from his parents, one man acquiesced into courting a lady he didn't care for simply because he found courting her less disagreeable than going to work at his father's company.

Andrew was a decent character and I could easily see why Katherine was drawn to him, but unfortunately he also fell victim to the widespread manipulation--in this case from his employer, threatening his job if he didn't stay away from Katherine. Despite the fact that Andrew didn't often keep his distance, I still didn't feel that he had much of a back-bone. I wanted him to blow-off and rip through all the manipulation that was going on, as he was aware of most of it, but sadly he didn't seem to have the guts or the will to take charge of the situation.

It grieves me to give such a low rating (2 stars), but I try to be very honest in my ratings, and I simply can't find my way to giving anything higher. :( In closing--hopefully on a slightly more cheerful note--I do want to mention that I wouldn't be opposed to trying more of the author's work.... The writing itself was of a good quality, I just really feel that it was the story, not the style, that didn't sit right with me.

My Rating: 2 stars