Love's Sweet Beginning by Ann Shorey

It wasn't Cassie Haddon's fault that she had managed to reach the age of twenty-five without possessing any useful skills. Until the war, she had always had servants to wait on her. Since then, she and her widowed mother had moved from place to place, relying on family to care for them. Now she's forced to find work to support them both. What isn't in her plans is falling for Jacob West, a local restaurateur and grocer. She needs a job and he needs help. But what they both need is love.

This is the second book in a grouping that, while they aren’t my normal genre to read, I thought I would read in an attempt to broaden my reading lists.  So if you like to visit my page to get some insight into what men enjoy reading, hang onto your thoughts as some of these books may surprise even me.  This book is book 3 in the “Sisters of Heart” series by Ann Shorey.  While it may be the 3^rd in the series, this book can be read as a stand-alone.  You do see some of the characters from the first 2 books, but you are provided enough back story to not be lost.

Now that the war is over, Cassie and her mother have traveled from family to family as they try to make ends meet.  As they are nearing the end of any support, Cassie finds a job working for a local grocery store when the owner, Jacob, gives her a chance even though she has no work experience at all.  Cassie tries to honor her mother’s wishes of not working at the store, but she knows this job is her only chance to provide for them.  As she continues to balance work and obeying her mother, Cassie grows into a strong independent woman.  Jacob knows that offering Cassie the job is a stretch, but she does need the work and he does need the help.  Patient and kind-hearted, Jacob is there to help Cassie and her mother through their tough times.  Will this job be enough to help Cassie provide support for her mother?  Will Jacob regret giving Cassie the chance at the job?  Will there be more to their relationship than just boss/employee?  Stand in line if you want to know the answers to these and other questions and BUY THE BOOK!

This is a typical “Girl meets Guy”, “Girl and Guy like each other” and “It all ends Happily Ever After”.  There’s not much intrigue, it’s a pretty straight forward romance novel.  The characters and the dilemmas they face are realistic.  You get to see a lot of growth in the character of Cassie as the author progresses her from a young lady that gets everything served to her to one that is independent and strong-willed.  There were times that I thought Cassie could have been more outspoken, at least early in the book, but then I realized that during the era that the book was written, women didn’t really speak out on things.  All in all, it is a very solid plot, with some interesting characters.  The kind of story that allows you to feel complete once you finish.

Is this a "guy's book"?  Quite honestly, no.  The setting of the book is post-civil war, which might bring images of dead bodies, attacks and gore.  But with this book, you won’t find any of those sights.  Although I know that this book will be well received by the women in my church library, this is one book that the men will steer clear of.

About The Author

One of the best things Ann learned about fiction is that it’s okay to make stuff up! Thus, although these novels are inspired by her courageous female ancestors, the largest percentage of their adventures are fictional. Ann leaves it to her readers to separate truth from “it could have happened like this.”  
Ann is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of The Steve Laube Agency, and is an active member of several writer’s organizations, among them  American Christian Fiction Writers,Oregon Christian Writers, and Willamette Writers. As such, she is enthusiastic about the benefits of attending workshops and conferences. Ann is available to teach workshops on research, story arc, and other fiction fundamentals to writer’s groups.
In addition to writing, Ann has won many prizes for her culinary skills. Her recipes have appeared in Country Woman magazine, and in several national cookbooks, including Taste of Country and Taste of Home. Recently author Patti Hill included one of Ann’s recipes in her Garden Gates Cookbook, available on Patti’s web site. Ann has been privileged to present cooking demonstrations to young women from her church as part of the Apples of Gold mentoring program.

You can connect with Ms. Shorey at the following locations:

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I received this book from the Book Fun Network in exchange for my honest opinion.