The Best of Intentions by Susan Anne Mason (Review)

Series: Canadian Crossings #1
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Bethany House
Released: July 3, 2018
347 pages

About the Book:

In the aftermath of tragedy, Grace hopes to reclaim her nephew from the relatives who rejected her sister because of her class. Under an alias, she becomes her nephew's nanny to observe the formidable family up close. Unexpectedly, she begins to fall for the boy's guardian, who is promised to another. Can Grace protect her nephew . . . and her heart?

  

My Rating & Thoughts:    ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I loved these main characters and felt their anguish. Grace arrives in Toronto to some terrible news and then needs to make a decision on what she is going to do. A lie allows her an opportunity she couldn't imagine having without the lie. Someone tells her early on, 'Nothing but heartache will come from this.', and they were correct. Virginia and Andrew come from a family with money and feel like they have certain expectations placed on them and struggle with aligning those expectations to how they imagine their future. I loved Virginia from the moment her and Grace met. I was extremely proud of her when she stood up for herself and acted on what she wanted rather than following who her parents wanted her to marry. I kept hoping Andrew would wise up and follow Virginia's lead. I don't encourage lying, but with Grace in such a difficult situation, I understood how she couldn't see any other way. I did not want to put this book down, and I had to know what was going to happen. Could there be a way for harmony to exist? Faith is interspersed throughout the story, and Grace especially leans on God for wisdom. Each time a character stood up for themselves or another person, I was proud of them. The clearing of the air between father and son near the end made me like that character much more than I did before. My two negatives are one - I feel like the ending wrapped up too quickly. And second, the prologue didn't seem to add anything to the story. I did really enjoy watching people from different status classes come together and erase the social norms of the day.

Favourite Quote: 

“Only God can change a person's heart, Grace. All we have control over are our own feelings and actions.”

(I borrowed this book from the library; opinions expressed 

in this review are my honest opinion and completely my own.)

Other books from this author that I have reviewed:   

   

A Most Noble Heir 

Recent Faves: May & June

 

Summer is here! I love summer. I am all about the heat and the sunshine. Before we say goodbye to June I am looking back and sharing my favourites reads from the last two months.

           

My Review: A Most Noble Heir  // A Twist of Faith  //  Charming the Troublemaker

           

My Review: In the Presence of Mine Enemies //  Lake of the Cross  //  More Than Meets the Eye

           

My Review:  Perilous Riptide  //  The House at Saltwater Point  //  The Love Letter

  

What have been some of your favourite reads recently?

Do you have any recommendations for me?

Jane Reviews: A Most Noble Heir by Susan Anne Mason

Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Bethany House
Released: March 6, 2018
370 pages

About the Book:

When stable hand Nolan Price learns from his dying mother that he is actually the son of the Earl of Stainsby, his plans for a future with kitchen maid Hannah Burnham are shattered. Once he is officially acknowledged as the earl's heir, Nolan will be forbidden to marry beneath his station.

Unwilling to give up the girl he loves, he devises a plan to elope--believing that once their marriage is sanctioned by God, Lord Stainsby will be forced to accept their union. However, as Nolan struggles to learn the ways of the aristocracy, he finds himself caught between pleasing Hannah and living up to his father's demanding expectations.

At every turn, forces work to keep the couple apart, and a solution to remain together seems further and further away. With Nolan's new life pulling him irrevocably away from the woman he loves, it seems only a miracle will bring them back together.
 

Goodreads / Amazon / Christianbook 

                                     Susan Anne Mason's Website

My Rating & Thoughts:    🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟    (4 stars)   

I quickly became engrossed in these characters lives, so engrossed I did not want to put the book down. Nolan and Hannah begin the story as a couple in love planning a future together, but their plans are challenged when a secret is revealed in a death-bed confession. It was finding out how this revelation was going to affect them that kept me immersed.

I easily fell in love with Nolan and Hannah as a couple. Nolan will do anything to make Hannah happy, I liked that he would ask for her input before making decisions, and he granted her wishes even when it pained him to do so. He has longed to know his father for years, but is willing to sacrifice that chance for Hannah. They both have good hearts and deserve happiness, but they face so many obstacles along the way you wonder if a happy ending if possible.

Aside from loving Nolan and Hannah there were many other great characters that added to this story, but there are two in particular the stand out for me. Aunt Iris who was not the type of woman you would expect for her standing in society, but she was just what all these characters needed. Edward is probably the character that I saw the biggest change in. At the beginning he annoyed me, manipulating Nolan for his own benefit and having no compassion for anyone else’s feelings. I was especially frustrated with his actions when he was the one person that should have been understanding towards Nolan’s feelings after having been in a very similar situation once. He needed someone to stand up to him (and I cheered when Nolan did just that), but over the course of time he changes and becomes a character I wanted around.

This story took me through many emotions, I was elated when things were going well, hurt for them when things weren’t, and afraid of what might happen next at other times. There was one part of the story where I literally yelled out loud ‘NO that can’t happen’. I appreciated how I could see growth in each character. The theme I took away from the story with is that with God as the center of your life you can handle anything. This is the first book that I have read by Ms. Mason but I will be looking to pick up others by her, I enjoyed her writing style and appreciated how she was able to get me to care about these characters.

(I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House through NetGalley.

Opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinion and completely my own.)

First Line Friday (Week 51): A Most Noble Heir

Happy Friday!

Welcome to First Line Friday's hosted by Hoarding Books.

 

Today's book is: A Most Noble Heir by Susan Anne Mason

First Line:

"Nolan Price scanned the fields of newly budding greenery that stretched as far as he could see and slowly inhaled the scent of grass, soil, and freshly spread manure."

I was influenced to add this book to my wish list after reading a review from Trisha at Joy of Reading.  You can read her review here. This week I picked it up and hope to be starting it soon.

Now it's your turn!

Let me know your first line in the comments and then head over
to Hoarding Books to see who else is participating!