Revell Blog Tour: My Review of A Hope Undaunted

Here's a description of the book from Revell:

"What happens when the boy she loved to hate becomes the man she hates to love?

The 1920s are drawing to a close, and feisty Katie O'Connor is the epitome of the new woman--smart and sassy with goals for her future that include the perfect husband and a challenging career in law. Her boyfriend Jack fits all of her criteria for a husband--good-looking, well-connected, wealthy, and eating out of her hand. But when she is forced to spend the summer of 1929 with Luke McGee, the bane of her childhood existence, Katie comes face-to-face with a choice. Will she follow her well-laid plans to marry Jack? Or will she fall for the man she swore to despise forever?"

My Rating: Spring/Summer

My Review:

After reading the "Daughters of Boston" series, A Hope Undaunted felt like attending a wonderful, crazy, and heart-warming family reunion! One of the best parts of the book was getting to know the O'Connor family again--catching up with all the older sisters and their families, as well as Patrick and Marcy, the exemplary parents. In every Julie Lessman book, there are a lot of powerful lessons about relationships, whether they be between a man and a woman, a daughter and a father, or a person and God.

This book doesn't disappoint when it comes to drama! There were times when it seemed a bit much to bear, but Lessman's characters always run deep. In any case, the book was filled with pain and passion, and it's hard not to sympathize with these characters. Their feelings are real and serve as a connection between the reader and the story.

I will say that there were some events in this book that felt rather abrupt, regarding romantic relationships. For example, one character seems to sort of disappear from the pages after a revelation in Katie's life, and I found it a little odd that the character simply left without a scene.

However, I really did enjoy this book, and I loved some of the subplots with other characters in Katie's family. It was a joy to get to see how characters from the previous series had grown, and also to see how love in a marriage can be both exciting and enduring! It was hard to read about some of the struggles within marriage, as well, but I appreciated learning more about understanding and forgiving one another.

This book is long, no doubt about it, but Lessman uses those numerous pages well to tell a beautiful story of hope and family. There is a sweet satisfaction after finishing the last page, and lovers of romance and history will be well-advised to pick up a copy of this great book!

*With thanks to Revell publishing for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.*

“Available September 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”