The Hesitant Heiress (By: Dawn Crandall)

The Hesitant Heiress
By: Dawn Crandall

The Hesitant Heiress is the first book in the Everstone Chronicles. What a breath of fresh air! Set in the gilded age in Boston, it was a new adventure for us as it is our first book by Dawn Crandall and it certainly will not be our last! Written from the first person point of view, the author kept us turning the pages long into the night. 
 
Storyline

Amaryllis has led a lonely life for the last 11 years since her mother's death. She has been in and out of schools and now, after a slanderous letter of false accounts, she is kicked out of the Boston Conservatory. Her dreams of opening her own music academy back home in Washington State are now nearly hopeless. But surprising news of an inheritance handed down by her estranged grandmother can be hers if she marries within one year. The problem is Amaryllis has no desire to get married at all - and is definitely not interested in the elite social class of Boston she now sit among! She moves in with her Aunt Claudine who is determined to find her a husband. Let the fun begin! 

Nathan Everstone is considered by many to be the most charming, eligible bachelor in Boston. Right away, Amaryllis wants nothing to do with him. Additionally, he happens to be the son of the man Amaryllis believes is behind most of her misfortune in life. Of course Nathan is intrigued by her, since she pays him no attention, unlike all the other single ladies in town. We are taken on a journey of discovering past secrets and mysteries, fun moments and lovable characters.

Depth

Amaryllis has never understood much of what happened after her mother's death 11 years ago. A great deal of the depth in this story is brought through the front-row seat to watching the answers play out. The reader has a first person account on all of Amaryllis' dreams, fears and thoughts but we are kept guessing on those of the other characters (which actually captivated our attention and had us thirsting to dig deeper as we read on). There is mystery, a little suspense and lots of fun trying to fit all of the pieces together.

Faith

Faith was woven beautifully into the storyline, a little at first and then it continued to blossom. Amaryllis' struggles are real and we find it refreshing to see characters grow and rely on the Lord to overcome these issues. Themes of trust, forgiveness, love and simply letting go and believing God has a plan and a purpose in all that happens in life all add to the beauty of the story. 

Squeal Factor

This book is filled with romantic tension and feelings. At one point, the reader may want to scream and knock some sense into Amaryllis, because after all, who in their right mind would hold Nathan at arms-length? You'll love the interactions, heated arguments, and smoldering looks, but you'll also find your heart racing as these two finally start to give in to their attraction to one another. 

Overall

We enjoyed this story and appreciated the differences that it brought from our usual reads. Be sure to pick this book up and you won't be disappointed. We can hardly wait to read the following two books in the series.

Find it on Amazon: The Hesitant Heiress