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Friday, May 18, 2018

From the H Shelf...

Author:  Jody Hedlund
Title:  With You Always


It's 1857. With both her parents dead, 19-year-old Elise Neumann is now the sole provider for herself and her younger siblings. But work for a woman in New York City is hard to find. She finds a position as a seamstress, but when New York's economy falters she loses that job and can't find another. Desperate, she heads West to the growing town of Quincy, Illinois, with only the promise of a job and the hope of building a new life for her family. And even though life in Quincy is not everything that was promised, Elise is not one to give up. 

Then there's Thornton Quincy. He and his twin brother have been issued a challenge by their dying (and very rich) father:  "First, each son must build a sustainable town along the Illinois Central Railroad. And second, each son must get married to a woman he loves. Whoever succeeds in doing both by the end of six months wins the challenge and becomes owner of Quincy Enterprises." Thornton is determined to win and prove to his father that he's as good as his brother. But then he meets Elise, and all his plans start to change.

This book has both humor and heart. Hedlund's prose is very readable and I loved the historical setting. And the two main characters have depth and personality that make them both easy to root for, and to like. Yes, this story is completely predictable. But it's also an entertaining and fun read with a satisfying happily ever after ending. I ended up liking it a lot.

Happy Reading!

18 comments:

  1. Sounds like a fun read. I love the historical aspect and of course, it's always a good thing to have some characters we like and to root for. :)

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    1. Yes! I'm so tired of books where the main characters are unlikeable. :)

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  2. Maybe it is the state of the world, but I feel the need of books with likable characters and happy endings!

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  3. This sounds excellent. I love the cover, too. I'll have to check this one out.

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    1. It was the cover that made me pick this one up! Happily, I enjoyed the story, too. :)

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  4. Predictable done right is always a treat.

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  5. I don't mind a predictable story as long as it's entertaining. Sometimes these feel-good stories are just what you need!

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    1. It was a nice change from some of the psychological thriller/horror stories I've been reading.

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  6. I love books set in the past where Illinois (or Ohio or Indiana) is "the West". This sounds like a sweet read.:)

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    1. It is. I want to try some of Hedlund's other stories now, too. :)

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  7. This sounds like a great book! I've read a couple of Hedlund's medieval YA books and loved them. I'll have to check this one out.

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    1. I didn't know she wrote YA, too. Looks like I stumbled on a good author. I love when that happens. :)

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  8. This sounds wonderful, Lark. "Humor and heart" - we need more books like this in the world. Of course, the historical aspect appeals to me as well. :-)

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    1. That's the main reason I checked this one out. I love that time period in U.S. history. :)

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  9. This book sounds good. I like the time period too. An added bonus is if Elsie and Thomas have chemistry together. I'm hoping they do.

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    1. I thought their interactions with each other were fun; their relationship worked for me. :)

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