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The Carpenter's Inheritance
Shared ISBN 10: 0373486359, ISBN 13: 9780373486359, Dream Builder by Naomi Horton
Lucinda Bell wants nothing more than to follow in her father's footsteps and practice law. But in 1893, the state of Virginia won't allow a woman lawyer. So she leaves her family and fiancé and buys a dying practice in Massachusetts, determined to prove herself capable of succeeding at the profession—if she can find acceptance and safety as Loveland's sole lady lawyer first.
Quiet, handsome Matthew Templin, a local carpenter with a questionable past and a potentially dangerous need for a lawyer, is captivated by Lucinda. But he also knows she's above his touch—and that a hidden truth may destroy her career and possibly his own life.
As ambitions collide, Lucinda faces a choice whether to give up her dream—or give up the love of her life.
Lucinda Bell wants nothing more than to follow in her father's footsteps and practice law. But in 1893, the state of Virginia won't allow a woman lawyer. So she leaves her family and fiancé and buys a dying practice in Massachusetts, determined to prove herself capable of succeeding at the profession—if she can find acceptance and safety as Loveland's sole lady lawyer first.
Quiet, handsome Matthew Templin, a local carpenter with a questionable past and a potentially dangerous need for a lawyer, is captivated by Lucinda. But he also knows she's above his touch—and that a hidden truth may destroy her career and possibly his own life.
As ambitions collide, Lucinda faces a choice whether to give up her dream—or give up the love of her life.
Paperback
First published November 1, 2012
21 people are currently reading
118 people want to read
About the author
Laurie Alice Eakes
57 books362 followersLaurie Alice Eakes used to lie in bed as a child telling herself stories so she didn’t wake anyone else up. Sometimes she shared her stories withothers; thus, when she decided to be a writer, she surprised no one. Family Guardian, her first book, won the National Readers Choice Award for Best Regency in 2007. In the past three years, she has sold six books to Baker/Revell, five of which are set during the Regency time period, four books to Barbour Publishing, as well as two novellas to Barbour Publishing and one to Baker/Revell. Seven of her books have been picked up by Thorndike Press for large print publication, and Lady in the Mist, her first book with Revell, was chosen for hardcover publication with Crossings Bookclub. She also teaches on-line writing courses and enjoys a speaking ministry that has taken her from the Gulf Coast to the East Coast.
Laurie Alice lives in Texas with her husband, two dogs and two cats, and is learning how to make tamales.
You can learn more about her and her work at http://www.lauriealiceeakes.com
Laurie Alice lives in Texas with her husband, two dogs and two cats, and is learning how to make tamales.
You can learn more about her and her work at http://www.lauriealiceeakes.com
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
January 12, 2022
(1/12/2021) Currently 99 cents on Amazon. One of my favorite authors.
The Carpenters Inheritance (2012, Heartsong Presents) by Laurie Alice Eakes, set in 1893 Loveland, Massachusetts
5 stars
Lucinda Bell, a "lady lawyer" fresh out of law school, is new in town. Women are not yet widely accepted as lawyers, and it's only legal in some states. Lucinda would rather be near her family, but she's very committed to being a lawyer, particularly to represent "ladies' plights," and so has settled in Loveland. However, as a newcomer and as a woman, Lucinda is finding it a challenge to fit in, and is concerned about her ability to get enough cases to make a living.
Lucinda's office space is shockingly in need of cleaning and a bit of carpentry. She finds a very talented carpenter, tall and confident Matthew Templin, by crashing into the man. Matt, 26, is lonely and is very drawn to Lucie, noting that she "was kind, appreciative, [and] beautiful." Lucie frequently notices Matt's kindness and likes him very much.
What I liked:
*Matt is one of the sweetest heroes ever, and both Lucie and Matt are extremely likable characters. Watching their relationship grow early in the story was so pleasing. There were no huge misunderstandings to deal with, and the romance felt natural. I was truly delighted.
*The secondary characters (as well as the main ones) were awesome!
What I didn't like:
After finishing the story, I realized that I had a lingering question about a minor detail in the conclusion and had to go back and re-read a section. That's as close to a dislike as I came.
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I'd recommend this book to fans of sweet historical Christian romance. I remain a fan of Eakes, and consider myself rich to have several of her paperbacks in a TBR pile.
The Carpenters Inheritance (2012, Heartsong Presents) by Laurie Alice Eakes, set in 1893 Loveland, Massachusetts
5 stars
Lucinda Bell, a "lady lawyer" fresh out of law school, is new in town. Women are not yet widely accepted as lawyers, and it's only legal in some states. Lucinda would rather be near her family, but she's very committed to being a lawyer, particularly to represent "ladies' plights," and so has settled in Loveland. However, as a newcomer and as a woman, Lucinda is finding it a challenge to fit in, and is concerned about her ability to get enough cases to make a living.
Lucinda's office space is shockingly in need of cleaning and a bit of carpentry. She finds a very talented carpenter, tall and confident Matthew Templin, by crashing into the man. Matt, 26, is lonely and is very drawn to Lucie, noting that she "was kind, appreciative, [and] beautiful." Lucie frequently notices Matt's kindness and likes him very much.
What I liked:
*Matt is one of the sweetest heroes ever, and both Lucie and Matt are extremely likable characters. Watching their relationship grow early in the story was so pleasing. There were no huge misunderstandings to deal with, and the romance felt natural. I was truly delighted.
*The secondary characters (as well as the main ones) were awesome!
What I didn't like:
After finishing the story, I realized that I had a lingering question about a minor detail in the conclusion and had to go back and re-read a section. That's as close to a dislike as I came.
------------------------------
I'd recommend this book to fans of sweet historical Christian romance. I remain a fan of Eakes, and consider myself rich to have several of her paperbacks in a TBR pile.
March 3, 2014
This was a very quick (and easy) read. Set in the late 19th century, some of the ideas in the book seems foreign to me as a modern reader: women didn't have the right to vote or go to school or be alone in a room with a man without having her reputation tarnished beyond repair. And yet, Lucinda Bell wants nothing more than to be a lawyer. Following in the footsteps of her widowed father, who supports her rash decision, she has to leave her home in Virginia (where she is not allowed to practice) and move to Massachusetts, where she can practice, but that doesn't mean everyone wants, or accepts, a "lady lawyer". And did she really go to law school so that she could get paid in roosters and eggs?
Our hero, Matthew Templin, is a quiet, unassuming, carpenter who would love to court the new lady lawyer, but there's this pesky little thing about his birth and the fact that he doesn't know who his father is, and his mother was a woman of ill repute. And while the town of Loveland, MA agrees that he is the best carpenter in three counties, the townspeople never let him forget where he comes (or doesn't come) from. And can he really ask Lucinda to give up her dreams and possibly alienate her client base by "stepping out" with him?
And who keeps threatening Lucinda in an effort to drive her out of town? Is it the mayor and his wife? Or is it the only other attorney in town, who doesn't appreciate the competition?
I enjoyed the stories that make up this book. And it made me appreciate, once again, that I was born in the century where I was born, 'cause I don't think I woulda made it back then.
Our hero, Matthew Templin, is a quiet, unassuming, carpenter who would love to court the new lady lawyer, but there's this pesky little thing about his birth and the fact that he doesn't know who his father is, and his mother was a woman of ill repute. And while the town of Loveland, MA agrees that he is the best carpenter in three counties, the townspeople never let him forget where he comes (or doesn't come) from. And can he really ask Lucinda to give up her dreams and possibly alienate her client base by "stepping out" with him?
And who keeps threatening Lucinda in an effort to drive her out of town? Is it the mayor and his wife? Or is it the only other attorney in town, who doesn't appreciate the competition?
I enjoyed the stories that make up this book. And it made me appreciate, once again, that I was born in the century where I was born, 'cause I don't think I woulda made it back then.
October 16, 2018
When I looked at the book length on Amazon, it was 322 pages, so I thought it was a full book. What I didn't realize was that it's two different stories in one book, meaning The Carpenter's Inheritance is a novella. I'm so not fond of novellas. They are rushed, and little time is taken for detail, back story, and usually the ending is hurried. All that happened in this book. It was a great story, and could've been a really good book if it were, in fact, a book.
Ah well…
1890's, Lucinda, against common social morays, went to law school and became a lawyer as did her father and grandfather before her. But her original state, Virginia, did not allow women to practice law. So relocating further north to Massachusetts, she became the second lawyer in this small town, and only female lawyer, which women and men alike frowned upon.
She is attempting to create a clientele list, and help as many people as would allow her. Meanwhile she's developing a growing attraction for the carpenter who built her book cases and who did general fixits in her "new" disheveled office.
Within the story are two secrets that certain people don't want to get out. Break-ins, threatened lives, abduction, violence...all part of this need to keep the secrets from surfacing.
Like I said, it was a good story, if you don't mind it's brevity, I'm just not a novella person.
Ah well…
1890's, Lucinda, against common social morays, went to law school and became a lawyer as did her father and grandfather before her. But her original state, Virginia, did not allow women to practice law. So relocating further north to Massachusetts, she became the second lawyer in this small town, and only female lawyer, which women and men alike frowned upon.
She is attempting to create a clientele list, and help as many people as would allow her. Meanwhile she's developing a growing attraction for the carpenter who built her book cases and who did general fixits in her "new" disheveled office.
Within the story are two secrets that certain people don't want to get out. Break-ins, threatened lives, abduction, violence...all part of this need to keep the secrets from surfacing.
Like I said, it was a good story, if you don't mind it's brevity, I'm just not a novella person.
May 28, 2017
An Inheritance of Love
Matt needs answers and so does Lucinda. Both need to succeed in their chosen field, but there are forces seeking to stop them. Who will win? You'll have to read this book to find out. Laurie Alice Eakes has done it again with this nifty novel. Totally enjoyed this book.
Matt needs answers and so does Lucinda. Both need to succeed in their chosen field, but there are forces seeking to stop them. Who will win? You'll have to read this book to find out. Laurie Alice Eakes has done it again with this nifty novel. Totally enjoyed this book.
March 14, 2018
I really like this genre and I found the premise intriguing. Unfortunately, there was too much going on and some of the circumstances were just too unbelievable.
October 16, 2023
The Carpenter’s Inheritance
I loved this story about Lucinda and Matt. There was romance and mystery. I loved the surprises in the last chapter and how everything turned out.
I loved this story about Lucinda and Matt. There was romance and mystery. I loved the surprises in the last chapter and how everything turned out.
September 3, 2016
Sweet Christian historical romance set in 1893. Lucinda follows in her father's footsteps and those of her ancestors before her by becoming a lawyer. She didn't have a brother, so she knew it was up to her. She had grown up reading her father's lawbooks, so it was a natural for her. Complete with a college education, she is ready to set up shop, but her home state (Virginia) would not accept women lawyers. So her father set her up in Massachusetts in a practice recently vacated by a friend of his. Only neither of them realized the danger that might put her in.
There a different kind of danger in town, a handsome carpenter, the best artisan for miles around. But his mother's background kept him from being truly accepted by the society in town. It doesn't keep him from falling for Lucinda, or her from falling for him, but it does place some obstacles for them to overcome.
The story unfolds in ways that you probably won't completely expect - at least I didn't. Each comes to realize the importance of God's love and guidance in their lives, and accept who and what they are, and their love for one another - regardless of what they thought of others' opinions or even their own.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the Barbour Publishing - Netgalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/wa...
There a different kind of danger in town, a handsome carpenter, the best artisan for miles around. But his mother's background kept him from being truly accepted by the society in town. It doesn't keep him from falling for Lucinda, or her from falling for him, but it does place some obstacles for them to overcome.
The story unfolds in ways that you probably won't completely expect - at least I didn't. Each comes to realize the importance of God's love and guidance in their lives, and accept who and what they are, and their love for one another - regardless of what they thought of others' opinions or even their own.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the Barbour Publishing - Netgalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/wa...
October 21, 2013
I really enjoyed this book - to see how he had to get over his feelings of low self esteem and low worth because of the way people treated him (because of his supposed parentage) and start accepting himself and the love that God offered was what he needed to take care of first before he could follow his heart's leading toward Lucinda and allow himself to fall in love with her. She had to stop being more concerned with her business and worried about what others would think and decide to live her life for HER, to be more concerned with God's will and what He would have her to do, to leave her business and all of her life and decisions in His hands before she could allow herself to fall in love with Matt. It was beautiful seeing their individual growth and then watching them falll in love and THEIR story unfold.
April 4, 2013
This book takes place in 1893. Lucinda Bell has graduated from law school in Virginia,only trying to follow in her father's footsteps, she cannot practice law in the state of Virginia.
She moves to the state of Mass. so she can practice law away from family and buys a dying practice. The problem is she is the first woman to practice law in this town, and most people are NOT happy at all to have her there.
This heartwarming book tells about her goals and what a strong woman she is to legally help others. But,there is a very handsome local carpenter she gets involved with and he has a very interesting history that he is only learning about. It is very refreshing to see people in this book put love and loyalty above the power of money. A great little book!
She moves to the state of Mass. so she can practice law away from family and buys a dying practice. The problem is she is the first woman to practice law in this town, and most people are NOT happy at all to have her there.
This heartwarming book tells about her goals and what a strong woman she is to legally help others. But,there is a very handsome local carpenter she gets involved with and he has a very interesting history that he is only learning about. It is very refreshing to see people in this book put love and loyalty above the power of money. A great little book!
May 9, 2013
How Laurie Alice Eakes packs so much into a Heartsong word count is amazing! True to all of Ms. Eakes books, The Carpenter's Inheritance is full of rich history. I thoroughly enjoyed this story. If you like books that take you back and make you feel like you are living in the time period, if you like mystery, a little suspense, and lots of romance don't miss this wonderful Heartsong book by Laurie Alice Eakes!
September 2, 2014
This is a tale about career vs. love and following one's God-given calling. While I don't like the conclusion's message and how it felt a bit rushed, and despite a few moments of cliche and melodrama, this novel had a good story, didn't make everything easy, had a tough but believable heroine, and it had a good sense of history to it (well, as best as I, an amateur, could tell). Enjoyable tale.
June 6, 2016
The Carpenter's Inheritance is billed as "inspirational fiction" and it has just enough of the inspirational stuff to give you a dose of the feel-goods, exactly how I like it. But it is also an intriguing mystery and a lovely romance. Ha! Three well-written genres for the price of one! Read our full review at http://wp.me/p5s62b-KH
April 21, 2013
It was okay, too detailed, not enough drama until the last 2 chapters. The ending was cute, but the book drug on too long with nothing really happening.
June 5, 2015
Great Read
Good book about a lady lawyer who fights to practice law even during the days of women without rights. Also good on societal norms and strata.
Good book about a lady lawyer who fights to practice law even during the days of women without rights. Also good on societal norms and strata.
January 3, 2016
Great read!
Really great read. Very descriptive and made you feel a part of each character. Recommend anyone to read it now.
Really great read. Very descriptive and made you feel a part of each character. Recommend anyone to read it now.
April 17, 2017
Lucinda Bell was attempting to follow in her father's footsteps completing Law School and envisioning practicing law. However, in her state it was still forbidden by law. Securing another woman partner she set out for a small town in Massachusetts where she could practice in a closed office that was unoccupied. Upon arrival and finding an unusable office, she also received a telegram telling her that her partner would not be coming after all. She was on her way to California to practice where her brother would living. For some reason, the town wasn't receptive to her being there. Some of the women thought she should be married and at home. But the real reason was much more deceptive. She finds a willing friend in the community that bends over backwards to help her get established. Matt is a topnotch carpenter who is deeply respected in the town...except for the fact that he doesn't know who his real father is. Heritage seems to mean a lot in this place and keeps him out of society and from finding the mate he is hoping to find. A mystery begins to unfold as evil pranks happen to Lucinda and threaten Matt. A sweet story filled with courage and love for Christ. I enjoyed reading this novel.
April 18, 2017
It's just a matter of time. Mary has been slaving away for the past eight years trying to make partner in her cutthroat Philadelphia law firm. She's too busy to worry about the crank phone calls that she's been getting-until they fall into a sinister pattern.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews