Review: A Time for Everything by Mysti Parker

Print Length: 335 pages

Publisher: EsKape Press (July 7, 2015)

From Goodreads.com:After losing her husband and only child to the ravages of the Civil War, twenty-five-year-old Portia McAllister is drowning in grief. When she sees an ad for a live-in tutor in another town, she leaves everything behind in hopes of making a fresh start. But as a Confederate widow in a Union household, she is met with resentment from her new charge and her employer, war veteran Beau Stanford.

Despite their differences, she and Beau find common ground and the stirrings of a second chance at love—until his late wife’s cousin, Lydia, arrives with her sights set on him. Burdened with a farm on the brink of bankruptcy, Beau is tempted by Lydia’s hefty dowry, though Portia has captured his heart.

In another time and another place, his choice would be easy. But love seems impossible amid the simmering chaos of Reconstruction that could boil over at any moment into an all-out battle for survival. Will Beau and Portia find their way into each other’s arms, or will they be swept away by raging forces beyond their control?

                              

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My Rating: 4 stars out of 5

This is one of those novels that is hard for me to review. To be frank, I enjoyed the story. The characters were well developed, and it was obvious that the author put a lot of time and thought not only into her characters, but into the overall design of her story as well. It was gripping, it was sad while still managing to be hopeful, and yet at the same time there seemed to be so many different plot twists and sub-plots running through the story that it began to feel over complicated. In fact, I found myself at one point asking what the point of a certain story arc was, and wondering if the author hadn't felt her characters had suffered enough. 

However, despite the fact that there seemed to be an over abundance of conflicts, the story moved at such a steady pace that you really didn't notice how long you spent reading it. It pulled you in as you tried to put yourself into the shoes of these characters and look for ways to overcome what life had thrown at them. 

Also, as a reviewer I feel obliged to mention that this story is real for the time period. Meaning a very derogatory word for negro is used, and that in itself may turn some people away. While I don't approve of the use of this word, I understand the time period this story was set in, and the use of that word also served to show the types of people that did exist and to help set the stage for later events. There was also more curse words that I would typically associate with a "historical" romance, and mention of God and biblical verses. Again, these things didn't disinterest me from reading the story, but I feel they should be mentioned as some people do not want to read about such things. 

All things considered, this is a story that I would recommend, and I would read stories from this author again! 


DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own. 

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 A Time for Everything is available from Amazon.com