Friday, August 15, 2025

THE LAWYER AND THE LAUNDRESS by Christine Hill Suntz, Reviewed by Rebecca Maney

 

REBECCA'S REVIEW:

"Are you cooking the clothes?"

When laundress Sara O'Connor meets a teary eyed young girl behind the inn where she was working, she had no idea that her life was about to dramatically change course, yet again. Her brief interludes with Evie Kinney continue, putting Sara's job in jeopardy, yet how could she turn her back on a lonely child who needed a friend? Things take a decided turn after Sara disappears, Evie falls ill, and her father, James Kinney, a respected Toronto lawyer, goes on a desperate search to find the lovely, surprisingly cultured laundress whom his daughter has grown to love.

Inviting Sara to remain in his household as his daughter's governess, James Kinney is reprimanded by his colleagues for generating gossip, but James has deeper issues to navigate as the political temperature in the city ignites and his loyalty is questioned. Just who is Sara O'Connor?

What a beautifully written novel! The heightened sense of knowing things about the characters that they do not know themselves gives the reader an even stronger bond to the story itself, as James and Sara reach their tipping point, standing on the precipice of losing hope.

As a wise woman once said, "You figure God abandoned you, but you know deep down that's not true. He was there all along, holding you up until you was ready to stand again."
*I purchased a copy and was under no obligation to provide a positive review.

 
BackCover Blurb:
Lawyer James Kinney isn’t looking for love, and laundress Sara O’Connor doesn’t want to be found. When their paths cross in a British colony on the brink of rebellion, a marriage of convenience may be their best hope of survival.

Canada, 1837. Widower James Kinney knows his precocious daughter, Evie, needs more than his lessons on law and logic, but Toronto offers few options. Classes with the neighbor children seem ideal until James discovers Evie is secretly spending her time with Sara O’Connor, a kind and mysteriously educated servant. For propriety’s sake, James forbids their friendship. But then Evie falls victim to the illness ravaging the city, and James must call upon Sara’s medical knowledge and her special bond with Evie to save his daughter’s life.

When Sara’s presence in his household threatens scandal, however, James offers an unexpected solution: become his wife, in name only, and help him raise Evie to be a proper young lady.

If Sara can ignore the sparks she feels when they’re together, his logical proposal could keep her secret secure forever. But soon, the forces of rebellion unravel their tidy arrangement. When James is accused of treason, Sara must find the courage to face a past that could save her husband’s life.

-Clean and wholesome, marriage-of-convenience historical romance
-Filled with love, faith, and adventure
-Inspirational historical fiction that’s perfect for fans of Julie Klassen, Laura Frantz, and Tamera Alexander
-Includes discussion questions for book clubs 

Tyndale Fiction, June, 2025
Available in digital ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook

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