By Josi S. Kilpack
When Harriet Beecher and Calvin Stowe wed, they find that their different personalities and styles make adjusting to married life more difficult than they anticipated. Although they love each other deeply, they have different expectations and styles; Calvin thrives on order and thriftiness and wants his wife to develop her homemaking skills, while Hattie wants time to work on projects, especially her writing, and doesn't particularly care for cooking, cleaning, or other household tasks. Is there a way for Hattie to be true to herself and still care for her family?
I enjoyed the romantic aspect of this book and thought it was realistic in portraying the struggle to make a marriage work. While a lot of romances focus on the relationship before marriage, it was interesting to see how to develop and nurture love after the wedding. While there was a more serious, darker tone, to this book than a lot of romances (due to the worry and heavy feelings of Hattie and Calvin as they struggle to make their marriage work), I found that to be refreshing and realistic--and ultimately, hopeful, because relationships aren't all sunshine and roses, and they do take work and effort and sometime they're just hard. I think Kilpack did a great job conveying the struggles and emotions, particularly Hattie's struggles with feeling like she's losing herself as she tries to care for her family. Very well done.
4.5 stars.
I read an ARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
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