Carrie Daly feels alone. Widowed in the Civil War and with her brother newly married, she finds herself living in a boarding house in town, missing her room on the farm and a place to belong. Though nearly engaged to Nate Chastain, something is holding her back from setting the date, and when town newcomer Griff Rutledge saves her from a runaway horse, Carrie thinks she’s found the spark she’s been wanting. Rutledge, though a society man from back east, has been on his own for a long time, and the townspeople aren’t ready to trust him. Can Carrie find the love she’s been longing for, or has happy already passed her by?
Author Dorothy Love is an expert in the art of dramatic suspense. While by no means a thriller, she keeps the reader on the edge of her seat through the longings of Carrie’s heart and the twisting, turning plot that plagues Carrie throughout the story. The perfect pacing and the cries of Carrie’s heart draw the reader completely into the story.
I want to be Carrie Daly’s best friend. Talented and generous, kind yet headstrong, she’s the kind of person I want to have on my side. That she’s capable of seeking the truth in any situation and is patient enough to do so means that she has much to teach me. Daly became so real during the reading of this book that I could see myself inviting her over for a baking marathon, and how often can you say that you’re friends with the characters?
Dorothy Love’s work is new to me, but it won’t be for much longer, for I’m heading off to find more. If you want more out of your next read than an escape from your own kitchen, pick up a copy of Beauty for Ashes – it won’t disappoint.
Don’t take my word for it, though – if you’d like to read some other opinions of Beauty for Ashes, hop around the blog hop here.
I received a free copy of Beauty for Ashes from LitFuse Publicity in exchange for an honest review.
