The Invention of Sarah Cummings

Invention of Sarah Cummings

Olivia Newport 

Revell Publishing

Fiction, Romance, Historical 

Sarah Cummings has one goal in life--to break into Chicago's high society. Desperate to stop serving dinner to members of the wealthy Banning family and to start eating at society tables, Sarah spends her meager free time altering cast-off gowns to create the perfect wardrobe for her future life.

When opportunity knocks at a chance meeting, she presents herself as Serena Cuthbert, weaving a fictitious past to go with her fictitious name. But as she gets closer to her goal--and closer to Simon Tewell, director of St. Andrew's Orphanage--Sarah finds that she must choose between the life she has and the life she dreams of.

Can she piece together the perfect life from scraps? Or will it all come unraveled in the face of true love?

"Newport's touching historical romance sweeps readers into another time and place, where elegance and wealth are abundant and where dreams really can come true. Highly recommended for fans of Tamera Alexander."--Library Journal

You know a book is good when you find the main character completely deplorable. That's where I was. I did not like Sarah in the least, in fact I almost quit reading because I disliked her so thoroughly. I am, however, glad I stuck with the book until the end. And don't get me wrong, it was no hardship to stick with the book. Newport weaves a completely enticing and enthralling tale. I was hooked immediately. The attention to detail both in period clothing and in Chicago history was excellent. Sarah's unstable behavior is hard to believe but it's fun to read. 

My only complaints with the book are that I felt that character development was lacking. Sarah was nasty and ridiculous and we're not entirely sure why. Simon was sweet and lovable but not at all endearing and we never actually got to know him. I would have liked to have seen more into their backgrounds and their stories. The challenge with any series is to have so many character story lines it's hard to follow any one of them. This book teetered on the edge of that. It can be read alone but you'll be a lot less confused if you read the first two books. The book ended rushed. Sarah never really had that "come to Jesus" moment that she needed. It seems she got there but I'm not sure how. Between a fire at the orphanage and being propositioned to be a mistress I don't quite know how she managed to fall in love with Simon. But she did. 

In short, a great read. There are definitely some holes and some rough patches but Newport writes with ease. If she can grow to the point of being able to weave things together seamlessly and in a way that makes sense to the reader she might just catapult herself into position as one of my favorite authors. 

My thanks to Revell Publishing for providing me with a review copy of this book in exchange for my real and honest review. 

The Dilemma of Charlotte Farrow

The Dilemma of Charlotte Farrow
Olivia Newport
Revell Publishing
Romance, Fiction, Historical
Available January 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Charlotte Farrow, maid in the wealthy Banning household on Chicago's opulent Prairie Avenue, has kept her baby boy a secret from her employers for nearly a year. But when the woman who has been caring for her son abruptly returns him, Charlotte must decide whether to come clean and face dismissal or keep her secret while the Bannings decide the child's fate. Can she face the truth of her own past and open her heart to a future of her own? Or will life's tragedies determine the future for her? 

This compelling story set against the glittering backdrop of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition captures the tension between the wealthy class and the hardworking servants who made their lives comfortable. Author Olivia Newport expertly portays social classes while creating a story of courage, strength, and tender romance.

If you are a fan of Downton Abbey you will enjoy this book. There is most definitely an upstairs and a downstairs situation going on. I so wanted this book to be gripping and amazing and yet...it left me disappointed, it could have been so much more. Charlotte's dilemma was, frankly, absolutely ridiculous. Hiding her baby is astounding to me. I could think of 100 different scenarios that would have worked better. Perhaps this scenario could have been more believable if the underlying story had been better developed. I never quite understood why Charlotte felt the need to hide her baby. The fear that she lived with throughout the book became simply annoying after too long. With all of that said I somehow still finished the book and didn't hate it. Newport weaves a clever tale but clever without framework can leave the reader frustrated. I dare say I may even read another Newport book in hopes that the two may come together and create something truly special. 

My thanks to Revell Publishing for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.