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A review by lizabethstucker
The Elusive Miss Ellison by Carolyn Miller
3.0
Lavinia Ellison wasn't pleased to hear that Nicholas Stamford, the new Earl of Hawkesbury, was returning to his estate. She still blamed him and his late brother for the death of her mother.
Nicholas had avoided his home for years, unable to bear the guilt weighing him down, even if he hadn't been the one who struck Grace Ellison down that day. He had become a soldier, serving with distinction, but also losing his faith in a caring God after watching so many friends and fellow soldiers die.
This is a Christian Regency Romance dealing with faith, guilt and forgiveness. Not preachy. We see how Lavinia must learn to forgive Nicholas, while Nicholas must forgive himself.
For every tentative step forward in their relationship, something happens to force them two steps back. Then Lavinia, already feeling ill, gets a case of smallpox and is quarantined at Nicholas' house. The enforced close quarters gives Lavinia a chance to see past Nicholas' prickly mask.
There are two types of mistakes that many Christian writers make. Either they are too preachy or their main characters go through too much angst. In this case, Miller overdoes it on the angst. [SPOILERS] Mother dies, dog dies, newborn baby and mother dies, scads of people become seriously ill, and on and on and on.
As the various events unfolded in the book, it frankly became a chore to keep reading. Conflict can be a great thing, but only if it isn't a constant refrain. You want more of a rollercoaster, the highs coming after the lows. Don't get me wrong, this isn't a bad book. It will have an audience, but it just didn't work for me. I like my romance, Christian or otherwise, to have joy. 3 out of 5.
Nicholas had avoided his home for years, unable to bear the guilt weighing him down, even if he hadn't been the one who struck Grace Ellison down that day. He had become a soldier, serving with distinction, but also losing his faith in a caring God after watching so many friends and fellow soldiers die.
This is a Christian Regency Romance dealing with faith, guilt and forgiveness. Not preachy. We see how Lavinia must learn to forgive Nicholas, while Nicholas must forgive himself.
For every tentative step forward in their relationship, something happens to force them two steps back. Then Lavinia, already feeling ill, gets a case of smallpox and is quarantined at Nicholas' house. The enforced close quarters gives Lavinia a chance to see past Nicholas' prickly mask.
There are two types of mistakes that many Christian writers make. Either they are too preachy or their main characters go through too much angst. In this case, Miller overdoes it on the angst. [SPOILERS] Mother dies, dog dies, newborn baby and mother dies, scads of people become seriously ill, and on and on and on.
As the various events unfolded in the book, it frankly became a chore to keep reading. Conflict can be a great thing, but only if it isn't a constant refrain. You want more of a rollercoaster, the highs coming after the lows. Don't get me wrong, this isn't a bad book. It will have an audience, but it just didn't work for me. I like my romance, Christian or otherwise, to have joy. 3 out of 5.