Book Review: Love’s Reckoning by Laura Frantz
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Love’s Reckoning by Laura Frantz
Book Review
Synopsis from Author’s Website:
On a bitter December day in 1784, Silas Ballantyne arrives at the door of blacksmith Liege Lee in York County, Pennsylvania. Silas is determined to finish his apprenticeship quickly and move west. But becausehe is a fast worker and a superb craftsman,Liege endeavors to keep him in Lancaster by appealing to an old tradition: the apprentice shall marry one of his master’sbeautiful daughters.
Eden is as gentle and fresh as Elspeth is high-spirited and cunning. But are they truly who they appear to be? In a house laced with secrets, each sister seeks to secure her future. Which one will claim Silas’s heart—and will he agree to Liege’s arrangement?
My review:
***Beware – Potential spoilers*** I loved the main characters in this book, Eden and Silas. Watching them fall in love in the midst of the deprivation of others was really enjoyable. I really got invested in their story and rooting for them to overcome. About 75% of the way through, something horrible happens and they reach a climax in their relationship. I am on the edge of my seat, waiting to see what will happen. I go to the next chapter which begins eight years later! At first, I didn’t realize it was so long, because I am not one of those readers who pays attention to dates listed at the beginning of chapters. The story jumps eight years ahead with Silas and Eden living separate lives and then there are five more chapters before they see each other again. At the end, they wind up together and it is a happy ending, but I have to say that the absence of years and then the long amount of time getting them together from there, really took the wind out of my sails for liking the story. I found myself reading the last quarter of the book because I couldn’t leave it unfinished, versus the original excitement that I had for them overcoming their obstacles.
What I enjoyed most about this book:
The innocent love that developed between Silas and Eden in the first part of the book. I also liked the uncertainty of Eden’s sister, Elspeth. Would she continue in her evil, greedy ways or would she find redemption somehow?
What I didn’t like about this book:
The last quarter of the book. The length of time that the characters spent apart and the five chapters getting them back together caused me to lose interest in their story. I also would have liked more closure with Eden’s family in the last quarter, although Elspeth does show up at the end and you are left to wonder what kind of trouble she will cause in the future.
My rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Would I recommend this book to others?
Yes, with a caveat. If the last quarter of this book had not been so disappointing to me, I would have rating it a 4 out of 5 stars; but the break in the storyline caused me have to drop a star on my rating. I really enjoyed the characters and I will be reading the next book in the series because this author writes well. That being said, Yes, I would recommend that others give it a try, but know about the storyline break so that they are prepared for it.
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