The Cautious Maiden - My Review

Dawn Crandall's book The Cautious Maiden is the fourth novel in The Everstone Chronicles.  This particular book follows the life of the heir to the Everstone legacy and fortune, Vance Everstone.  If you have read the other stories, you will know and understand the events surrounding the scandalous nature of Vance's reputation.  He is truly the black sheep of the family; however, that does not imply he cannot be redeemed.  In fact, the transformation regarding his redemption story is what is truly remarkable in this novel.  With the Lord's help, Vance changes his life. 

Violet Hawthorne runs the front desk at Everston, which is a job Dexter Blakely gave to her specifically.  And she is especially grateful for this position, because her prior circumstances were not what she wished for in her life.  Her brother, Ezra, has become quite the scoundrel making Violet realize she could no longer live in his company.  So she decides to find work, yet what did not expect to find were adventures beyond her imagination, and a family she never thought she would have. 

Even though Violet was raised to be a lady, her social status does not match those who enter Everston.  Nevertheless, when a certain dashing gentleman enters the establishment one day, Violet cannot help but watch his every move--even to the point of daydreaming about him.  Of course, she knows her thoughts will never connect with reality--until one day she finds herself in a scandal of her own.  Will the kind owners of Everston come to her aid?  Or will she be forced to live her days alone in a future that holds no promise? 

Vance Everston has so many scars.  His past haunts him daily, and he wonders if he will ever be able to forgive himself.  How could God ever forgive him either?  Yet, in amazement, he has come to know the Lord's mercies--there will still be struggles and doubts--but now Vance has Someone he can call to for help. 

When Vance visits his sister at Everston, he could never have foreseen the various surprises in store for him at the hotel his father sold.  Vance's journey at this point is the start to the rest of his life--a life more wonderful than Vance could ever comprehend.  But will Vance embrace this opportunity?  Or will his past mistakes dictate his future possibilities? 

If you have not read The Everstone Chronicles collection yet, I highly recommend picking up these books.  They are simply fantastic and very difficult to stop reading.  In fact, I read this novel in two days, and I am so sad to see the stories behind the Everstone family end.  Yet, I am so delighted to have been introduced to so many wonderful characters throughout the pages of these four books. 

Crandall connects all four books brilliantly, and because of this, it is easy to recall the events of each individual's life--since it is important to remember how each plot intertwines with every member of the family.  Each person carries a very different story.  Every person has a past, and every person must decide how they will move forward despite the struggles they have faced.  Redemption is imperative during this process, and I love that Crandall is quick to point this factor out.  With this book, the reader will come to understand that no one is too far away from the grace and love of Christ.  Any person can be redeemed--no matter his or her past mistakes. 

If you get a chance to read this book, let me know your thoughts in the comments below.  Don't forget to check out my reviews for the first three books--The Hesitant Heiress, TheBound Heart, and The Captive Imposter--just click on the book review link above.  Happy reading!  

About The Book 

*Violet Hawthorne is beyond mortified when her brother Ezra turns their deceased parents' New England country inn into a brothel to accommodate the nearby lumberjacks; but when Violet's own reputation is compromised, the inn becomes the least of her worries. In an effort to salvage her good name, Violet is forced into an engagement with a taciturn acquaintance; Vance Everstone. 

As she prepares for a society wedding, Violet learns that her brother had staked her hand in marriage in a heated poker game with the unsavory Rowen Steele, and Ezra had lost. Now Rowen is determined to cash in on his IOU. With danger stalking her and a new fiancé who hides both his emotion and his past, Violet must decide who to trust and who to leave behind.

 *Synopsis is from the back cover of the novel. 

About the Author 

Dawn Crandall is an ACFW Carol Award-nominated author of the award winning series The Everstone Chronicles from Whitaker House. The series consists of three books: The Hesitant Heiress, The Bound Heart and The Captive Imposter.

 

Dawn is represented by Joyce Hart of Hartline Literary. Apart from writing books, Dawn is also a first-time mom to a precious little boy (born March 2014) and also serves with her husband in a pre-marriage mentor program at their local church in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

 

Visit her online at:  www.dawncrandall.blogspot.com