"The Cautious Maiden"

(The Everstone Chronicles #4)

by Dawn Crandall

Description

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 fiance who hides both his emotion and his past, Violet must decide who to trust and who to leave behind. 

Biography

Dawn Crandall is an ACFW Carol Award-nominated author of the award winning series The Everstone Chronicles, which consists of four books: The Hesitant Heiress, The Bound Heart, The Captive Imposter and The Cautious Maiden which released October 4th, 2016.
Apart from writing, Dawn is also a mom of two little ones and serves with her husband in a premarital mentorship program at their local church in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
A graduate of Taylor University with a degree in Christian Education and a former bookseller at Barnes & Noble, Dawn Crandall didn't begin writing until 2010 when her husband found out about her long-buried dream. It didn't take her long to realize that writing books was what she was made to do.
Dawn is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, the secretary for the Indiana ACFW Chapter (Hoosier Ink), and an associate member of the Great Lakes ACFW Chapter. She is represented by Joyce Hart of Hartline Literary Agency.

My thoughts ~

Dawn Crandall is a new author to me, and I have not read the prequels to this novel, the 4th in The Everstone Chronicles. That being said, this book could easily be a stand alone novel. I do think it might be advantageous to read the previous books in the series for more vivid background information.  

Character development is competent, and locale is well represented. Detailing is commendable! The book starts off with instant drama, and the suspense continues throughout the book. It's difficult to know who is trustworthy and what their motives may be.  Lack of trust is woven throughout this story of Vance and Violet as they discover a deep attraction for one another. 

 I found it a bit difficult to determine characters at first, but I think that is because I lack the background for this story. That made the first portion read slowly for me because I had to backtrack occasionally to clarify background information and characters. As I became more familiar with characters and locale the book picked up and moved along at a rapid pace. I enjoyed being taken back in time to the late 1800s, and the premise behind the events portrayed in this book.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are my own No monetary compensation was received for this review.