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Nantucket Island #1
Seaside Cinderella
The tranquility of Nantucket Island offered poor but proud Lucie McNeil refuge, a place to dream about a better life. Her quiet existence as companion to an elderly couple was a blessing for the tragedy-haunted Irish immigrant. But all that changed when her employers' handsome, elegantly attired son stepped ashore. For she recognized him instantly as the owner of the Boston factory where a terrible fire had scarred her forever.
She knew she should hate Gabriel Hunter, yet she could not. She found herself drawn to the caring soul she sensed behind the ruthless facade he showed the world. And she could not help dreaming that such different people--a poor servant girl and a wealthy merchant prince--might somehow make a life together.
She knew she should hate Gabriel Hunter, yet she could not. She found herself drawn to the caring soul she sensed behind the ruthless facade he showed the world. And she could not help dreaming that such different people--a poor servant girl and a wealthy merchant prince--might somehow make a life together.
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 1, 2008
4 people are currently reading
350 people want to read
About the author
Anna Schmidt
64 books221 followersAnna Schmidt's historical novel, THE WINTERKEEPER, received a Five Star rating from Reader's Favorites. Reviews for the story have been strong including one from the Historical Novel Society that raved: "The storytelling and scene building are masterful and create an immediacy that keeps the reader turning pages. This is a writer who feels words as well as thinking them." Anna is a three-time finalist for the coveted RITA award presented annually by Romance Writers of America. In addition she has been a four-time finalist for the Reviewer’s Choice Award from Romantic Times magazine—an award she has won twice. Her latest novel RENEGADE is the second in her new series: Cowboys and Harvey Girls and is available now. Publisher's Weekly hails the series as: "Easygoing western romance readers will cheer for this good-hearted heroine to achieve all her dreams." Anna splits her time between Wisconsin and Florida, noting that, “I am blessed to have a career that travels well!”
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
July 20, 2020
Reviewed for THC Reviews
"3.5 stars" Seaside Cinderella has been sitting on my TBR pile for quite a while. I’m a sucker for the Cinderella theme in romance, so I was looking forward to finally getting around to reading it. It’s the story of a young woman who cares for an aging couple on Nantucket, but before that, she worked in a garment factory co-owned by the hero that burned to the ground. When he comes to visit his parents, he doesn’t recognize her (not that they’d ever actually met), but she’d seen him in the factory. Worried over his mother’s failing health, he’s determined to get his parents to move into his mansion in Boston, but they resist the notion, wanting to live out their remaining years in their own home. Lots of butting of heads ensues with the heroine mostly taking his parents’ side in the argument, but somewhere in the midst of the turmoil, they fall in love and eventually get their HEA ending. Unfortunately after finishing it, Seaside Cinderella only gets an OK rating from me. It wasn’t a bad story per se, and the characters were likable enough, but I felt that it was somewhat lacking in character development and the relationship development is virtually non-existent. Even the Cinderella theme is mostly glossed over with the hero basically losing or giving up almost everything by the end, so he’s no longer the wealthy Prince Charming. Not that he wasn’t a good man anyway and not that money is everything, but I did feel that because of those things, the title was rather disingenuous.
Lucie is from a large Irish family and immigrated to the U.S. where she found work in a garment factory that later caught fire. She lost good friends who died as a result of having to jump from high windows because the fire escape was blocked, and in the process of trying to open a door for them to get out another way, she badly burned the palms of her hands, which are now permanently scarred. Of course, with the factory burning to the ground, she also no longer had a job, and when living with a distant cousin didn’t work out, she headed to Nantucket, where she found employment with Gabriel’s parents. She likes the peaceful setting and has come to love the Hunters like her own parents, so when Gabe arrives, trying to displace them from their home, she stands up for them. When his mother’s condition worsens, though, Lucie travels with her to Boston, staying at Gabe’s house while Gabe’s doctor friend treats the older woman. Although she and Gabe got off on the wrong foot, she starts to see glimpses of a kinder, gentler man underneath the shrewd businessman exterior, which makes her fall in love with him, but many obstacles stand in their way. Lucie is a nice young woman, but a somewhat bland heroine who never really stood out to me very much. Her rather tortured past should have lent itself to deeper emotions that simply weren’t present, and late in the story, she started to frustrate me with her resistance to being involved with Gabe even when he was making it clear that he wanted to be with her. I felt like her reasons were somewhat forced and overblown and seemed to mostly have been created as an excuse to stir up some conflict. Also as an aside, Lucie is described as having dark hair, while the model on the cover is blonde, which is a bit annoying.
Gabriel begins the story behaving in a rather autocratic way toward his parents. It’s an age-old argument that parents and kids often have when the parents are aging and/or in poor health, but he does come off as a bit boorish. He also treats Lucie with some disdain, acting like she’s nothing more than a servant, and a possibly untrustworthy one at that, even though his parents are clear that she’s become a member of the family to them. Once they go to Boston and he sees how she takes great care of his mother, he starts to soften toward her more and an attraction begins to develop. However, Gabe feels beholden to his business partner who expects Gabe to marry his daughter, a woman he doesn’t love and who kind of irritates him when she tries to take over the running of his household while her family is temporarily living with him. Gabe was a decent hero and I liked him more as the story progressed, but like with Lucie, he wasn’t really a stand-out character to me. We don’t really learn that a fear of failure is driving him until near the end of the story, and even then, I didn’t really feel like it carried the weight it should have. However, I did like the way he made amends for the fire even though it was more his business partner’s fault than his. It’s also abundantly clear how much he loves his parents even if he is a little bossy with them in the beginning.
IMHO, Seaside Cinderella would have been better served if billed as historical fiction, because as I mentioned, it was pretty lacking in relationship development for a romance. Gabriel and Lucie just magically fall in love without ever spending any time really getting to know one another. They’re almost never alone together, and the one or two times that they are, not much of note happens. There are also no actual romantic scenes. In fact, Lucie has more romantic type interactions with Gabe’s doctor friend, who cares for her as well, than she has with Gabe. I just never felt much of an emotional connection between Gabe and Lucie, nor could I say why or how they fell in love, because it’s told rather than shown. There was little enough of a romantic connection and then the author introduced a love quadrangle, which only muddied the waters further. I’d have to say that Gabe’s parents kind of stole the show in more ways than one. Not only are they what fuels a large part of the plot, but their long-standing romance was more romantic than Gabe and Lucie’s. At least I could feel the love between them, but not so much for our main characters. Some of this is due to the aforementioned issues with character development, most of which is crammed in near the end along with a myriad of unnecessary conflicts when simply letting the characters get to know each other and showing their budding love organically would have been much better. At least the mechanics of the writing were pretty sound although I do have a small quibble with the author repeatedly having a character use someone’s given name in dialogue and then correcting themselves to a more formal address. (eg. “Charles – Dr. Booker – has suggested…”) I guess the bottom line is that if you’re looking for a rainy-day, inspirational romance read, Seaside Cinderella might fit the bill. Just don’t expect to be blown away by any deep emotions or swoon-worthy romance. This was my first read by Anna Schmidt and the first book in her Nantucket Island duet, with the second book apparently featuring Gabe and Anna’s daughter as the heroine. I might be open to giving it a try at some point, but since this book didn't leave a strong impression on me, I probably won’t be in a hurry to do so.
"3.5 stars" Seaside Cinderella has been sitting on my TBR pile for quite a while. I’m a sucker for the Cinderella theme in romance, so I was looking forward to finally getting around to reading it. It’s the story of a young woman who cares for an aging couple on Nantucket, but before that, she worked in a garment factory co-owned by the hero that burned to the ground. When he comes to visit his parents, he doesn’t recognize her (not that they’d ever actually met), but she’d seen him in the factory. Worried over his mother’s failing health, he’s determined to get his parents to move into his mansion in Boston, but they resist the notion, wanting to live out their remaining years in their own home. Lots of butting of heads ensues with the heroine mostly taking his parents’ side in the argument, but somewhere in the midst of the turmoil, they fall in love and eventually get their HEA ending. Unfortunately after finishing it, Seaside Cinderella only gets an OK rating from me. It wasn’t a bad story per se, and the characters were likable enough, but I felt that it was somewhat lacking in character development and the relationship development is virtually non-existent. Even the Cinderella theme is mostly glossed over with the hero basically losing or giving up almost everything by the end, so he’s no longer the wealthy Prince Charming. Not that he wasn’t a good man anyway and not that money is everything, but I did feel that because of those things, the title was rather disingenuous.
Lucie is from a large Irish family and immigrated to the U.S. where she found work in a garment factory that later caught fire. She lost good friends who died as a result of having to jump from high windows because the fire escape was blocked, and in the process of trying to open a door for them to get out another way, she badly burned the palms of her hands, which are now permanently scarred. Of course, with the factory burning to the ground, she also no longer had a job, and when living with a distant cousin didn’t work out, she headed to Nantucket, where she found employment with Gabriel’s parents. She likes the peaceful setting and has come to love the Hunters like her own parents, so when Gabe arrives, trying to displace them from their home, she stands up for them. When his mother’s condition worsens, though, Lucie travels with her to Boston, staying at Gabe’s house while Gabe’s doctor friend treats the older woman. Although she and Gabe got off on the wrong foot, she starts to see glimpses of a kinder, gentler man underneath the shrewd businessman exterior, which makes her fall in love with him, but many obstacles stand in their way. Lucie is a nice young woman, but a somewhat bland heroine who never really stood out to me very much. Her rather tortured past should have lent itself to deeper emotions that simply weren’t present, and late in the story, she started to frustrate me with her resistance to being involved with Gabe even when he was making it clear that he wanted to be with her. I felt like her reasons were somewhat forced and overblown and seemed to mostly have been created as an excuse to stir up some conflict. Also as an aside, Lucie is described as having dark hair, while the model on the cover is blonde, which is a bit annoying.
Gabriel begins the story behaving in a rather autocratic way toward his parents. It’s an age-old argument that parents and kids often have when the parents are aging and/or in poor health, but he does come off as a bit boorish. He also treats Lucie with some disdain, acting like she’s nothing more than a servant, and a possibly untrustworthy one at that, even though his parents are clear that she’s become a member of the family to them. Once they go to Boston and he sees how she takes great care of his mother, he starts to soften toward her more and an attraction begins to develop. However, Gabe feels beholden to his business partner who expects Gabe to marry his daughter, a woman he doesn’t love and who kind of irritates him when she tries to take over the running of his household while her family is temporarily living with him. Gabe was a decent hero and I liked him more as the story progressed, but like with Lucie, he wasn’t really a stand-out character to me. We don’t really learn that a fear of failure is driving him until near the end of the story, and even then, I didn’t really feel like it carried the weight it should have. However, I did like the way he made amends for the fire even though it was more his business partner’s fault than his. It’s also abundantly clear how much he loves his parents even if he is a little bossy with them in the beginning.
IMHO, Seaside Cinderella would have been better served if billed as historical fiction, because as I mentioned, it was pretty lacking in relationship development for a romance. Gabriel and Lucie just magically fall in love without ever spending any time really getting to know one another. They’re almost never alone together, and the one or two times that they are, not much of note happens. There are also no actual romantic scenes. In fact, Lucie has more romantic type interactions with Gabe’s doctor friend, who cares for her as well, than she has with Gabe. I just never felt much of an emotional connection between Gabe and Lucie, nor could I say why or how they fell in love, because it’s told rather than shown. There was little enough of a romantic connection and then the author introduced a love quadrangle, which only muddied the waters further. I’d have to say that Gabe’s parents kind of stole the show in more ways than one. Not only are they what fuels a large part of the plot, but their long-standing romance was more romantic than Gabe and Lucie’s. At least I could feel the love between them, but not so much for our main characters. Some of this is due to the aforementioned issues with character development, most of which is crammed in near the end along with a myriad of unnecessary conflicts when simply letting the characters get to know each other and showing their budding love organically would have been much better. At least the mechanics of the writing were pretty sound although I do have a small quibble with the author repeatedly having a character use someone’s given name in dialogue and then correcting themselves to a more formal address. (eg. “Charles – Dr. Booker – has suggested…”) I guess the bottom line is that if you’re looking for a rainy-day, inspirational romance read, Seaside Cinderella might fit the bill. Just don’t expect to be blown away by any deep emotions or swoon-worthy romance. This was my first read by Anna Schmidt and the first book in her Nantucket Island duet, with the second book apparently featuring Gabe and Anna’s daughter as the heroine. I might be open to giving it a try at some point, but since this book didn't leave a strong impression on me, I probably won’t be in a hurry to do so.
May 22, 2011
It took a while for me to truly get immersed in this story, but by the end I was glad that I'd read it. I think this is partly because the romance between the main characters didn't really start until halfway into the book, but once this happened the pace picked up and I began to enjoy it a lot more. This was a simple story, and I'll admit that while the characters didn't have a lot of depth I did come to relate to them on some level. I loved the setting of Nantucket, which sounds like a lovely place, and the secondary characters of Emma and Jonathan. In places Emma's romantic tales seemed a bit over-the-top, but they provided a nice background to the events in the story. I would have to say that the last two or three chapters of this book are what push it from a 6/10 to a 7/10, as at this stage the emotions between Lucie and Gabe finally seemed real and I could understand their difficulties. In some ways Gabe's actions at the end of the book were a bit predictable and slightly unrealistic, but I was pleased that the solution to their problems wasn't something that I'd expected. All in all, this was a sweet, uncomplicated little romance which provided me with much needed entertainment while relaxing after my exams. The characters weren't quite as fleshed out as I'd like, but I enjoyed the refreshing change of setting and plot from many romances I've read lately. I'll be looking out for more books from Anna Schmidt and more from the Love Inspired Historical line. 7/10
June 3, 2019
Great story
May 20, 2011
Seaside Cinderella by Anna Schmidt
Seaside Cinderella is the Christian Fiction group read for May in the Fans of Amish Fiction group on GoodReads.
I actually nominated this book back in April and it was chosen! :)
Seaside Cinderella is the first book in the Nantucket Island series by Anna Schmidt. We meet Lucy McNeil who is working for a wonderful elderly couple, Jonathan & Emma Hunter, who are still madly in love after years of marriage. Emma's health is declining, and she is increasingly less able to walk and bound to her wheel chair, but she and Jonathan are crazy about one another nonetheless. Lucy is not only their helper, but she is their companion, and the Hunters feel as if she is part of their family, rather than just a servant.
The Hunters' son, Gabriel, does not live on Nantucket Island with his parents, but nearby onshore, and has been working to convince them to move to the shore with him, and leave the island. However, they love the island and are resisting the idea of moving at all costs.
When Lucy first meets Gabriel, she recognizes him as one of the owners of a factory she used to work in, which had such horrible conditions that the factory caught on fire, and women were forced to leap to their death from the building. The tragedy haunts Lucy, and her feelings towards Gabriel for condemning the women in the factory to such conditions are less than amiable. But of course, Gabriel does not recognize her...
Yet, as she gets to know Gabriel, her feelings for him begin to emerge, but how can she possibly like a man like that? One who would be so uncaring towards other human life? One who put profits over the lives of the workers?
Will Lucy's feelings for Gabriel grow, or will she force herself to forget about him? Will Gabriel realize who she is and what she has been through? And if he does, will he care enough to make amends? Will he be successful in forcing his parents to leave Nantucket Island, the one place they truly call home and wish to spend the rest of their lives?
Read Seaside Cinderella to find out!
While definitely not one of my favorite books, it was a simple read, that was fairly enjoyable. There were a few points that were tough to keep pushing through, and I have a hard time putting my finger on exactly why that was.
I may get around to reading the second book in the series, which revolves around the children of some of the characters in this book (but to avoid spoilers, I won't give away which ones).
Emma and Jonathan were definitely loveable. But I think I wanted to see more of the development of feelings between Lucy and Gabriel. It was very clear what she had been through was torturous. Yet she suddenly seemed to ignore it so quickly when it came to Gabriel. I think I felt like if she had truly been so harmed by her past it would have been much more difficult for her to essentially forgive Gabriel, much less develop feelings for him.
The other thing that bugged me is that she is constantly described as having long dark hair, yet the cover image features a blonde. I wish that they would have taken the time to make the cover match the character description, it is minor, but I found it a little annoying nonetheless.
2.5 out of 5 stars.
Seaside Cinderella is the Christian Fiction group read for May in the Fans of Amish Fiction group on GoodReads.
I actually nominated this book back in April and it was chosen! :)
Seaside Cinderella is the first book in the Nantucket Island series by Anna Schmidt. We meet Lucy McNeil who is working for a wonderful elderly couple, Jonathan & Emma Hunter, who are still madly in love after years of marriage. Emma's health is declining, and she is increasingly less able to walk and bound to her wheel chair, but she and Jonathan are crazy about one another nonetheless. Lucy is not only their helper, but she is their companion, and the Hunters feel as if she is part of their family, rather than just a servant.
The Hunters' son, Gabriel, does not live on Nantucket Island with his parents, but nearby onshore, and has been working to convince them to move to the shore with him, and leave the island. However, they love the island and are resisting the idea of moving at all costs.
When Lucy first meets Gabriel, she recognizes him as one of the owners of a factory she used to work in, which had such horrible conditions that the factory caught on fire, and women were forced to leap to their death from the building. The tragedy haunts Lucy, and her feelings towards Gabriel for condemning the women in the factory to such conditions are less than amiable. But of course, Gabriel does not recognize her...
Yet, as she gets to know Gabriel, her feelings for him begin to emerge, but how can she possibly like a man like that? One who would be so uncaring towards other human life? One who put profits over the lives of the workers?
Will Lucy's feelings for Gabriel grow, or will she force herself to forget about him? Will Gabriel realize who she is and what she has been through? And if he does, will he care enough to make amends? Will he be successful in forcing his parents to leave Nantucket Island, the one place they truly call home and wish to spend the rest of their lives?
Read Seaside Cinderella to find out!
While definitely not one of my favorite books, it was a simple read, that was fairly enjoyable. There were a few points that were tough to keep pushing through, and I have a hard time putting my finger on exactly why that was.
I may get around to reading the second book in the series, which revolves around the children of some of the characters in this book (but to avoid spoilers, I won't give away which ones).
Emma and Jonathan were definitely loveable. But I think I wanted to see more of the development of feelings between Lucy and Gabriel. It was very clear what she had been through was torturous. Yet she suddenly seemed to ignore it so quickly when it came to Gabriel. I think I felt like if she had truly been so harmed by her past it would have been much more difficult for her to essentially forgive Gabriel, much less develop feelings for him.
The other thing that bugged me is that she is constantly described as having long dark hair, yet the cover image features a blonde. I wish that they would have taken the time to make the cover match the character description, it is minor, but I found it a little annoying nonetheless.
2.5 out of 5 stars.
May 25, 2011
I have to admit by the synopsis alone, this book really seemed like a load of cheese. And sometimes nothing but cheese can be a great and relaxing read. But this was not all cheese. It was a very pleasant, easily enjoyable story. Filled with heartwarming faithful characters that really made me care about what happened to them, and what was going to happen to them - while I was reading it.
However, this book only got a three star rating because of the cover - Lucie is described as having dark hair, not as a blonde. And two: the type of book this was. Even though I enjoyed this story while I was reading it, it was average. In the sense that I didn't think about it. I didn't spend my time while I was doing something else I had to do, thinking about this book. I wasn't excited by it. But then again, I wasn't truly expecting an exciting read with this one. The last "Love Inspired Historical" I read, was horrifyingly bad. I was a little reluctant to start this one. But it was on my TBR list for a reason and it passed the 25-page test. So I went on with it, and I'm glad I did.
But enough of all that rambling, the most lovable characters, were of course the hero and heroine: Gabe and Lucie. I really loved them. I loved how Lucie kept her faith, and even though Gabe seemed very guarded at times; he found a way to let Lucie into his heart. But, best of all, he admitted his mistakes in the past and did everything he could to make things as right as they possibly could go. Once I realized what he was trying to do, for Lucie and most importantly; himself, I found it to be truly redeeming and well...just plain heartwarming. I think it really showed how much he cared to make things right, not only for Lucie, but for others he had unwittingly harmed as well.
But, there were several points in the story where I became worried over what might happen between the two of them. I couldn't understand it at first, but Lucie's resistance to him became a little tiresome. I began wishing she would just give in to her feelings for him and him to do the same as well. They actually seemed a little stand-offish, and not just in the beginning where it made sense, but throughout the entire story, even when it seemed they were warming to one another, someone would put a little wall up. I found this just plain annoying/exasperating at times; because I wanted them to get together so bad! They were so perfectly suited for each other in my opinion.
Overall, this was a great story while reading it, wonderful characters, touching story, but in a way, on the average side.
However, this book only got a three star rating because of the cover - Lucie is described as having dark hair, not as a blonde. And two: the type of book this was. Even though I enjoyed this story while I was reading it, it was average. In the sense that I didn't think about it. I didn't spend my time while I was doing something else I had to do, thinking about this book. I wasn't excited by it. But then again, I wasn't truly expecting an exciting read with this one. The last "Love Inspired Historical" I read, was horrifyingly bad. I was a little reluctant to start this one. But it was on my TBR list for a reason and it passed the 25-page test. So I went on with it, and I'm glad I did.
But enough of all that rambling, the most lovable characters, were of course the hero and heroine: Gabe and Lucie. I really loved them. I loved how Lucie kept her faith, and even though Gabe seemed very guarded at times; he found a way to let Lucie into his heart. But, best of all, he admitted his mistakes in the past and did everything he could to make things as right as they possibly could go. Once I realized what he was trying to do, for Lucie and most importantly; himself, I found it to be truly redeeming and well...just plain heartwarming. I think it really showed how much he cared to make things right, not only for Lucie, but for others he had unwittingly harmed as well.
But, there were several points in the story where I became worried over what might happen between the two of them. I couldn't understand it at first, but Lucie's resistance to him became a little tiresome. I began wishing she would just give in to her feelings for him and him to do the same as well. They actually seemed a little stand-offish, and not just in the beginning where it made sense, but throughout the entire story, even when it seemed they were warming to one another, someone would put a little wall up. I found this just plain annoying/exasperating at times; because I wanted them to get together so bad! They were so perfectly suited for each other in my opinion.
Overall, this was a great story while reading it, wonderful characters, touching story, but in a way, on the average side.
May 4, 2012
Lucie immigrated from Ireland with her parents but soon after they died and she ended up working in Boston at a factory. A fire left her jobless and scarred till she found her way to Nantucket Island where she finds a job looking after an older couple. Before long the couples son Gabriel comes for a visit and she realized he was one of the owners of the factory where she worked.
Gabriel has come to Nantucket Island to convince his ailing parents to move to Boston where he can better take care of them. They refuse and he soon finds himself butting heads with Lucie. Will these two social opposites find love or will their differences keep them apart?
This was a simple story about two social opposites falling in love. Maybe it was to simple for me. I did enjoy it once I got into it but there where parts that seemed a little to simple. The relationship Gabriel had with another young lady in the city ended way to easily. The Doctor having feelings for Lucie but takes her letting him down so smoothly. Not saying it made the book any less enjoyable to read just did not seem as believable to me I guess. Also the character in this book has dark hair but the woman on the cover is blond. Not a huge deal but still something I noticed.
If you enjoy a quick simple Christian romance you will probably enjoy this book.
http://abbiesreadingcorner.com/2011/0...
Gabriel has come to Nantucket Island to convince his ailing parents to move to Boston where he can better take care of them. They refuse and he soon finds himself butting heads with Lucie. Will these two social opposites find love or will their differences keep them apart?
This was a simple story about two social opposites falling in love. Maybe it was to simple for me. I did enjoy it once I got into it but there where parts that seemed a little to simple. The relationship Gabriel had with another young lady in the city ended way to easily. The Doctor having feelings for Lucie but takes her letting him down so smoothly. Not saying it made the book any less enjoyable to read just did not seem as believable to me I guess. Also the character in this book has dark hair but the woman on the cover is blond. Not a huge deal but still something I noticed.
If you enjoy a quick simple Christian romance you will probably enjoy this book.
http://abbiesreadingcorner.com/2011/0...
May 13, 2011
This is a Love Inspired book and therefore it is fluff. Sometimes we just need to read fluff.
The tranquility of Nantucket Island offered poor but proud Lucie McNeil refuge, a place to dream about a better life. Her quiet existence as companion to an elderly couple was a blessing for the tragedy-haunted Irish immigrant. But all that changed when her employers' handsome, elegantly attired son stepped ashore. For she recognized him instantly as the owner of the Boston factory where a terrible fire had scarred her forever.
She knew she should hate Gabriel Hunter, yet she could not. She found herself drawn to the caring soul she sensed behind the ruthless facade he showed the world. And she could not help dreaming that such different people a poor servant girl and a wealthy merchant prince might somehow make a life together.
Thank you Amazon for the review!
I liked how Gabriel Hunter tried to right his wrongs as business man. I wish more business would look and say "Ok, this was a mistake. We made a mess. How can we fix this and give people back jobs." Gabe didn't try to redo a business gone bad. He came up with a whole better idea. To me this was the highlight of a fluff book.
The tranquility of Nantucket Island offered poor but proud Lucie McNeil refuge, a place to dream about a better life. Her quiet existence as companion to an elderly couple was a blessing for the tragedy-haunted Irish immigrant. But all that changed when her employers' handsome, elegantly attired son stepped ashore. For she recognized him instantly as the owner of the Boston factory where a terrible fire had scarred her forever.
She knew she should hate Gabriel Hunter, yet she could not. She found herself drawn to the caring soul she sensed behind the ruthless facade he showed the world. And she could not help dreaming that such different people a poor servant girl and a wealthy merchant prince might somehow make a life together.
Thank you Amazon for the review!
I liked how Gabriel Hunter tried to right his wrongs as business man. I wish more business would look and say "Ok, this was a mistake. We made a mess. How can we fix this and give people back jobs." Gabe didn't try to redo a business gone bad. He came up with a whole better idea. To me this was the highlight of a fluff book.
April 18, 2015
Nantucket Island
Book 1
Lucie MacNeal now lives on the beautiful Nantucket island and cared for an older woman who suffers with heath problems. Her husband is a retired businessman who stays busy tending to the couple's farm. They have a son - Gabe - who rarely visits them. But now he's come to the island to insist they sell their beautiful home and move back to Boston with him.
The story is told with a set of stories woven in about the courtship and marriage of Gabe's parents. Jonathan and Emma fondly remember their time before they were married and want nothing more than to live the rest of their days in their sweet little cottage on the island. The author takes us to visit the mainland - and the Boston city - as Emma recovers from a set of heart episodes. Lucie stays with her for the most part, but she and Gabe grow fond of each other.
The conflict rests in a decision Gabe made several months ago - a decision that resulted in several deaths and many people being displaced. Lucie cannot forgive his part in this and doesn't feel there's a future with them.
This story is a romantic one and left me feeling really happy at the end!
Book 1
Lucie MacNeal now lives on the beautiful Nantucket island and cared for an older woman who suffers with heath problems. Her husband is a retired businessman who stays busy tending to the couple's farm. They have a son - Gabe - who rarely visits them. But now he's come to the island to insist they sell their beautiful home and move back to Boston with him.
The story is told with a set of stories woven in about the courtship and marriage of Gabe's parents. Jonathan and Emma fondly remember their time before they were married and want nothing more than to live the rest of their days in their sweet little cottage on the island. The author takes us to visit the mainland - and the Boston city - as Emma recovers from a set of heart episodes. Lucie stays with her for the most part, but she and Gabe grow fond of each other.
The conflict rests in a decision Gabe made several months ago - a decision that resulted in several deaths and many people being displaced. Lucie cannot forgive his part in this and doesn't feel there's a future with them.
This story is a romantic one and left me feeling really happy at the end!
May 12, 2010
I read this book in one day. The characters were rich and who couldn't fall in love with Jonathan and Emma? Set in Nantucket and Boston, I just couldn't stop reading until I found out how it would work out. Now I want Anna to write Jonathan and Emma's story and I'd love to hear how things work out for Jeanne in Paris!
My complaint with this book? The woman on the cover. She's blonde and I pictured Lucie being a young Elizabeth Taylor with her long black hair and violet eyes. That is not Anna's fault, so I ignored the cover and was swept away by Anna's superb plotting, characters, dialogue and setting. Loved it.
My complaint with this book? The woman on the cover. She's blonde and I pictured Lucie being a young Elizabeth Taylor with her long black hair and violet eyes. That is not Anna's fault, so I ignored the cover and was swept away by Anna's superb plotting, characters, dialogue and setting. Loved it.
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August 22, 2011This is a book about a maid who works on Nantucket Island in the late 1800's or early 1900's. She works for an elderly couple whose son comes to visit them 3 months after the maid comes to work for them. This son is a wealthy man who can't understand why his parents insist on staying on the Island instead of living in his mansion with him. The love story isn't much like Cinderella. It's a fairly well-told story though, and it was interesting to hear the history of Nantucket, which I had never known.
August 8, 2012
good beach read, if I were to go to the beach to read. I am enjoying this light fiction on my deck at home but can pretend to be on Nantucket or in high society Boston. It is a simple story and a fast read for a summer day.
May 18, 2015
It took me a while to truly get into this historical Christian romance novel, but when I did, I really developed a liking for the characters. The plot was also interesting and not too cliche. It was a fun, fast read.
August 11, 2009
Cute story...and the heroine didn't annoy me.
August 13, 2009
It was pretty good, but by the end i just wanted to finish it. The whol ething was killling me,. I wanted to scream when he propsed to the other girl, i mean come on!
August 29, 2011
Amazing.. will read over and over!!
December 10, 2011
I enjoyed it, but expected so much more.
September 17, 2013
This is my first foray into Harlequin Love Inspired line and I must say that I'm really impressed.
April 9, 2014
It was just ok, probably not even good enough to remember later.
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November 16, 2011Beautifully written.
May 18, 2013
Great historical with an heartwarming romance.
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