Scan barcode
ketutar's review against another edition
4.0
I thought Liam would swear he was mulatto, and thus go around the law.
bandherbooks's review against another edition
3.0
Avis is searching for her mother who abandoned her, agreeing to be a mail order bride to do so. Her intended is awful, so she starts working for abolitionist and shopkeeper Liam to pay off her debt, and falls in love.
Huguley brought her characters to life and I found the historical details fascinating and compelling. Liam is white and does the work to deserve Avis's love.
I wanted more time with the couple together on page, but this was a sweet holiday story nonetheless.
Huguley brought her characters to life and I found the historical details fascinating and compelling. Liam is white and does the work to deserve Avis's love.
I wanted more time with the couple together on page, but this was a sweet holiday story nonetheless.
shannanh's review
4.0
Although this book is part of a series, it can be read as a stand alone. I enjoyed this mail order bride story from Piper. It's an enjoyable, clean read and in true Piper fashion, gives plenty of history woven throughout the story.
rosemaryandrue's review
4.0
When Avis Smith is rejected by her intended husband for being biracial, she is taken in as a shopkeeper's assistant by Liam, the town lawyer and storekeeper.
The love story between Avis and Liam was sweet, and I also enjoyed the themes of acceptance and belonging that are explored through the story. Avis is embraced for who she is, which was something that I really liked. However, I did wish Liam's character was developed more - at times he feels too good to be true.
The religious overtones of this book also surprised me, as they had not been present in the previous installments of this series, but I thought the question of faith was handled well and despite not being religious myself I did not mind it.
The love story between Avis and Liam was sweet, and I also enjoyed the themes of acceptance and belonging that are explored through the story. Avis is embraced for who she is, which was something that I really liked. However, I did wish Liam's character was developed more - at times he feels too good to be true.
The religious overtones of this book also surprised me, as they had not been present in the previous installments of this series, but I thought the question of faith was handled well and despite not being religious myself I did not mind it.
cakt1991's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bandherbooks's review
3.0
Avis is searching for her mother who abandoned her, agreeing to be a mail order bride to do so. Her intended is awful, so she starts working for abolitionist and shopkeeper Liam to pay off her debt, and falls in love.
Huguley brought her characters to life and I found the historical details fascinating and compelling. Liam is white and does the work to deserve Avis's love.
I wanted more time with the couple together on page, but this was a sweet holiday story nonetheless.
Huguley brought her characters to life and I found the historical details fascinating and compelling. Liam is white and does the work to deserve Avis's love.
I wanted more time with the couple together on page, but this was a sweet holiday story nonetheless.
kjcharles's review
This is part of a linked multi-author continuity, which takes me back to my days editing at Mills & Boon. The stories are standalone and I didn’t have any trouble coming in mid series on this book, which I wanted because I love the author’s work rather than out of any Christmas spirit. /is a scrooge/
This is an interesting novella, with mixed race Avis falling in love with a white man in 19th century Colorado, where there were laws against mixed marriage. As ever Huguley doesn’t shy away from the malevolent cruelty of racist America’s past, and we see how much Avis has been abused and excluded, and how much psychological damage a less likeable mixed race character is also carrying. It’s a lot for a novella to deal with, but Liam is a charming and steady hero who puts the work in and we believe in wounded, belittled Avis finally seeing her own value in his eyes.
The ending is one I’m still chewing over. Massive spoiler, do not read. Liam gets Avis’s estranged white mother (who was deeply in love with Avis’ father and is now a madam) to claim she doesn’t know who Avis’s father was. Without testimony Avis can’t be proven not to be white. So they can marry. Which hurray, but the denial of Avis’s father, who is remembered as a good and decent man, and the whitewashing of that part of her heritage, feel like massive issues. I can see this was the only way for Liam and Avis to be together, but it puts a bitter note into the sweetness of the ending that this is something Avis has to swallow, rather than being able to be married in a place that isn’t a rancid bigotry-fest. Which, I guess, was one more indignity for ‘passing’ mixed-race people under these laws, but it undeniably puts a weight on the HEA. As perhaps it should. This is the kind of thing I read histrom *for*: love that has to overcome actual, real, not-sure-I-can-do-this obstacles, just like people had to.
One note: the proofreading on this is not up to scratch. Author deserves a great deal better.
ARC generously provided by the author.
This is an interesting novella, with mixed race Avis falling in love with a white man in 19th century Colorado, where there were laws against mixed marriage. As ever Huguley doesn’t shy away from the malevolent cruelty of racist America’s past, and we see how much Avis has been abused and excluded, and how much psychological damage a less likeable mixed race character is also carrying. It’s a lot for a novella to deal with, but Liam is a charming and steady hero who puts the work in and we believe in wounded, belittled Avis finally seeing her own value in his eyes.
The ending is one I’m still chewing over. Massive spoiler, do not read.
One note: the proofreading on this is not up to scratch. Author deserves a great deal better.
ARC generously provided by the author.
More...