A Hope Undaunted...Review

About the book:
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 Jake fits all of her criteria for a husband--good-looking, well-connected, wealthy, and head-over-heels in love with her. But when she is forced to spend the summer of 1929 with Luke McGee, the bane of her childhood existence, Katie comes face to face with a choice. Will she follow her well-laid plans to marry Jake? Or will she fall for the man she swore to despise forever?

I loved the Daughters of Boston series and was excited for Julie to continue the story of the O'Connor family.  When Katie defies her father for the last time, he forces her to volunteer for the summer at a Christian organization to help orphans.  When she discovers that her childhood nemesis is the lawyer she will be working for, Katie is understandably angry.  But, as the summer progresses, Katie discovers who she and what she wants out of life.  She becomes a less shallow and more compassionate young woman. 

Katie annoyed me at first, but she grew on me as the story progressed.  I loved her spunk and her desire to help others and further the rights of women. The story has more ups and downs and sorrow than the previous books, but everything comes together as Katie discovers her faith and the things that are truly important.  As in the first books, the men can be a little dominating and overbearing, but that is fairly true to the time period.

While this book continues the story of the O'Connor family from Julie's Daughters of Boston series, it is the first of a new series titled Winds of Change.  The story can stand alone, but I would advise you to read the other books first to get a better understanding of the O'Connor family and the past experiences that have shaped who they have become.  You can find reviews of those first three books here:  A Passion Most Pure, A Passion Redeemed, and A Passion Denied.   I hope that the subsequent books will also tell Sean's and Emma's stories. 

This is a compelling story and one I easily recommend.

Thanks to Amy at Winsome Media Communications for the opportunity to review this book.  You can learn more about Julie Lessman here.  You can purchase your own copy here.

Read 9/10

* * * *
4/5 Stars


Comments

  1. Sounds like an enjoyable romance. I'll have to check out the Daughters of Boston series first.

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  2. I think I need to get my hands on this series!

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  3. Everyone seems to love this book. It sounds like a great read!

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  4. Maybe I ought to give it a chance, but generally speaking, Julie L's portrayal of Catholicm irritates me so I've quit accepting review copies of her books.

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  5. I also enjoyed A Hope Undaunted and am a big fan of Julie Lessman.

    I found the characters to be fairly three dimensional and enjoyed the interaction between the two main characters, Katie and Luke - although at times I was surprised by Katie’s sudden abrupt turns. The O’Connor family is true to form in their larger-than-life sort of Irish personalities and entertaining as always.

    I posted a more in-depth review of my own at
    www.tracysbooknook.com.

    -Tracy

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  6. Oops!

    When I said a "more in-depth review" I meant more in-depth compared to the short comment I had made.

    Sorry if that was unclear.

    -Tracy

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