The description of this book alone was so intriguing to me that I knew I had no choice but to read it, and this era in history has always been one of my favorites. Unfortunately, it did not live up to my hopes. I cannot quite put my finger on what didn’t work right for me, but it’s something of a combination between the never-ending mystery, the romance that went from non-existent to extreme, and the plethora of characters. There also seemed to be moments of too little description as I would find myself wondering how certain scenes changed as rapidly as they did without adequate explanation.

I kept waiting and hoping for the story to be fleshed out more – anything that would help describe the period, the attire, the culture. Instead it was a story set in a historical time period that could have happened at any point in time with some minor tweaks. And correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think the dress shown on the front cover was indicative of 1890s fashion. It’s a small pet peeve of mine, but I do like the front cover to give me a general idea of what to expect between the pages, and how they’re dressed is very important. It tells me that the author and/or publisher has done their research to match the cover with the story down to every single detail.

So many of my reader friends loved this book which makes me second guess my opinion of it. The plot had so much potential, but it just didn’t work for me. ( )

Perhaps because I have a love of music, this book grabbed my attention. Amaryllis believes she knows what she wants and who she should be cautious around, but in the end, she finds out sometimes looks can be deceiving.

Rejecting someone because you believe the father is someone you could never trust, results in misunderstandings and more. Reading that Amaryllis has to marry within a year or lose a fortune provides the perfect incentive to find someone to marry or come to terms with losing the fortune.

I found the characters to be engaging. I wanted to keep reading, to learn more about them. The ending satisfied my desire for a sense of completion. So check out this work of historical fiction for yourself.

I received a complimentary copy of this book, but this in no way influenced my review. All opinions are my own. ( )

I have been wanting to read this book for awhile. I can’t figure out why it has taken me so long to do so. This was a very enchanting story that swept me away to a time where balls take place and the most available of bachelors can be found. I loved that Amaryllis is an accomplished pianist and has dreams of opening her own school someday. I was flabbergasted by the letter that was sent to the school she attended. That letter finds Amaryllis removed from the school and her dreams shattered. Her self esteem is at its lowest when her grandmother’s will is read. Why do people insist on making silly declarations in their wills? Amaryllis has no desire to get married by a certain date in order to inherit what her grandmother has left her.

Oh but standing in the wing is the dashing Nathan. I do believe this is the man for Amaryllis. Now if only she can be convinced this is her mate everything will work out fine. There is friction between the two which entertains readers throughout the story. I so wanted to tell them to knock it off and get married already. However Amaryllis has a guilty conscience that prevents her from finding happiness. She doesn’t feel like her father loved her and the death of her mother haunts her everyday.

The story is filled with unsavory characters as well. They are villains who want nothing more than to seek revenge. It plays out very well as the author takes us on a journey filled with action. I loved the story and appreciated the faith element as well. When a shocking secret is revealed it shakes the story up. What a tangled web it is and it will have more than a few characters in an emotional turmoil. Get ready for an adventure that is sure to please those who love historical fiction with a bit of intrigue and romance.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion. ( )

The Hesitant Heiress by Dawn Crandall brims with interesting characters and swoony romance. Amaryllis captured my attention immediately as she contended with her expulsion and her inheritance stipulations. This interesting character developed through the novel, though I admit character development played second fiddle to the unfolding romance (for me).

The novel’s amazing romance thread featured strong tension between Amaryllis and Nathan. I reveled in their attraction and rooted for them to get together. The romance made me reluctant to put the book down. Then came the steamy kissing and I stayed up too late reading this novel.

Reading The Hesitant Heiress by Dawn Crandall was pure enjoyment for me! It stands as the first novel in The Everstone Chronicles series. Shortly after finishing this book, I purchased physical copies of the rest of the series and cannot wait to read them! Five stars!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are my own. ( )

Oh this story!! I absolutely loved it! This book definitely gave me Pride and Prejudice vibes and I was all for it! It was so descriptive and draws you in from the very beginning! The characters are all likeable and you can't help but fall in love with them. It definitely had a little mystery intertwined in it but what drew me the most was the romance!! (seriously it was amazing!!)

This book has many stories going on as we do get introduced to lots of characters that I am sure we will meet in the following books but this one is all about Amyrillis, a young woman who has lost her mother, is estranged from her father and her only desire is to open up a music school in her beloved Whidbey Island. She gets kicked out of the Boston Conservatory of Music for reasons that she doesn't quite understand but you do find out in the story!! Her Aunt Claudine takes her in and announces to her that she has a large inheritance coming to her but the only caveat is that she must get married in order to obtain it. As you can imagine it all goes topsy-turvy from there.

Let's talk about Aunt Claudine for a second, she was comical in the way she did things. She definitely is pushy but not in a mean way. She truly made things complicated in trying to set Amyrillys up and I was all for it especially when she has Nathan Everstone come and stay with them! (Needless to say I was rejoicing about this!) Let's just say that Nathan sounds heart-throbbingly (I may have made that word up) dreamy!!

The relationship between Amyrillis and Nathan is comical. She is definitely playing hard to get without even realizing it. I mean he is bold in his advances and she is taken with him but will not budge on releasing her heart all because she believes her aunt has put him to it and because of his last name! (I won't give too much because you need to read the story!)

I will not spoil it for you but this book was quite lovely and the theme of forgiveness and redemption are very clear as you are reading it. I honestly did not know what to expect when I first received this book but to say I was pleasantly surprised is an understatement. I loved this story. The author truly captivated me with her writing and had me wanting more. I cannot wait to read more of the series as I have added all of these to my TBR list. I need to know what happens to Lawry, Meredyth and the rest of the Everstone's!

I received a copy of this book from the author. I was not required to post a positive review. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. ( )