Review: A Hope Undaunted

Title: A Hope Undaunted: A Novel
Author: Julie Lessman
Publisher: Revell (2010)
Genre: Historical Fiction, Christian Romance
Pages: 505
Book Source: Free copy from Publicist for review

Publisher Summary (from back cover):
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 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 Luck 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 Thoughts:
When offered this book for review I accepted because it was set in the 20s and I love that time period (and the cover stood out). I probably should have known that it would not really be my kind of thing. Right from the beginning I knew who Katie would end up with and the author really dragged the process out by including a fair few twists and what-have you that kept the two apart when it was obvious that it would happen eventually. So the suspense was lacking, but to be fair, that is often the case with romance novels. I was hoping that the era would really come through in the setting, but it did not. The focus was on the characters and the 1920s setting seemed incidental. The plot was quite detailed and if you like romance books you may enjoy this one. I would put it at mildly entertaining.

Additional Information: A Hope Undaunted is the first in a series called "Winds of Change". The authors website is at www.julielessman.com