Friday, June 11, 2021

"A Lady in Attendance" by Rachel Fordham

About this book:

  “Five years in a New York state reformatory have left a blemish on Hazel's real name. So when she takes a job as Doctor Gilbert Watts's lady in attendance in 1898, she does so under an alias. In the presence of her quiet and pious employer, Hazel finds more than an income. She finds a friend and a hope that if she can set her tarnished past in order, she might have a future after all.
   As Gilbert becomes accustomed to the pleasant chatter of his new dental assistant, he can't help but sense something secretive about her. Perhaps there is more to this woman than meets the eye. Can the questions that loom between them ever be answered? Or will the deeds of days gone by forever rob the future of its possibilities?
   Rachel Fordham pens a tender tale of a soft-spoken man, a hardened woman, and the friends that stand by them as they work toward a common purpose--to expunge the record of someone society deemed beyond saving--and perhaps find love along the way.”
 
 
Series: No.


Spiritual Content- Talks about God; ‘H’s are not capitalized when referring to God; Mentions of God, forgiveness, & justice; Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of churches, church going, pastors, preaching, & sermons; A few mentions of Christians & their duty; A few mentions of blessings & being blessed; A few mentions of sins; A couple mentions of Scriptures.
 
 
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a form of ‘shut up’, a ‘what in tarnation’, and two ‘drat’s; A mention of a curse (said, not written); A bit of eye rolling & sarcasm; Pain & Blood/Bleeding, & Being held at knifepoint (up to semi-detailed); Hazel lies about her name & keeps her past a secret because of social prejudices; Nightmares (including one seeing someone die, up to semi-detailed); Many mentions of blood/bleeding, things that could be deemed gross (puss, infection, etc.), & pain (up to semi-detailed); Many mentions of lies, lying, & deception; Mentions of a murder & the body (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of a man hitting & abusing a young woman (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of violence, brawls, fighting, punches, shooting, blood, injuries, & a death (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of a prison/reformatory, convicts/inmates, & prejudice; Mentions of burglary, stealing, stolen items, thieves/criminals, & being accused; Mentions of opium & smuggling; Mentions of alcohol, drinking, & drunks; Mentions of cigars & smoking; Mentions of nightmares; Mentions of hatred; Mentions of gossip & rumors; A few mentions of threats; A mention of a fire;
             *Note: A couple mentions of Jane Eyre; A mention of a damning confession.
 
 
Sexual Content- Two fingers/hand kisses, two head/hair kisses, six cheek kisses (two being semi-detailed), an almost kiss, and three semi-detailed kisses; Remembering a kiss (up to semi-detailed); Dreaming of an almost kiss (up to semi-detailed); Touches, Embraces, & Warmth (up to semi-detailed); Wanting to touch & embrace (barely-above-not-detailed); Blushes & Winks; Noticing (including muscles, barely-above-not-detailed) & Smelling; Being alone with a man in a bedroom (nothing happens); Many mentions of kisses, kissing, seeing others kissing, & winners’ kisses; Many mentions of heartbreakers, flirts, flirting, & sneaking off with a man; Mentions of brothels & prostitutes (the title is never said, but there are a few mentions of women who sell their bodies to be able to eat, fallen women, & women of the night); Mentions of jealousy; Mentions of giggly girls staring at a handsome man; A few mentions of (somewhat awkward) moments of Gilbert saying that Hazel will not be giving extra affection to patients and they will be professional in their relationship; A few mentions of chaperones & being ruined; A couple mentions of a warning from a woman to another that men want to take women to dark places; A couple mentions of women in the reformatory being there after running around with a married man; A couple mentions of couples holding hands; A mention of police being called on a couple in the park (it’s implied it was indecent, though it never happened); A mention of wondering if an affair is happening; Love, falling in love, & the emotions;
             *Note: A couple mentions of Hazel noticing her curves in a dress; A mention of a wife dying in childbirth.
 
-Hazel McDowell, age 25
-Gilbert Watts, age 30
                                P.O.V. switches between them
                                                1898 (Prologue in 1893)
                                                   326 pages

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Pre Teens-
New Teens-
Early High School Teens-
Older High School Teens-
My personal Rating-
I liked this book, but unfortunately, not as much as I was expecting.

Hazel and Gilbert were both fine characters. I think my main struggle with this novel was that so many happens and so much information is given in large doses. When Hazel told her past to Gilbert, I had to re-read that section three times to take everything in. They quickly liked each other and while I don’t typically like anything near insta-love, they were cute together, so it was easy to overlook that. (I don’t consider this to be insta-love (when the main couple falls in love with each other instantly or very quickly), but it was sooner than I was expecting because of the author’s previous books having slower feelings and reactions when it comes to love.) I’m pretty sure their feelings happened in the first third of the book, though, so the main couple can band together to prove Hazel’s innocence and weather the storm. 😉 Because of this, “A Lady in Attendance” did have more kisses (or thinking about kisses) than her prior books—and lots more flirting—but I wouldn’t consider it over the top for older girls.

I give this book 3 stars for my personal rating, because of these different elements and because I liked it, but didn’t really like it compared to the authors other books. I will definitely be trying out her next release, though.

 
 
See y’all on Monday with a new review!


*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
*I received this book for free from the Publisher (Revell) for this honest review.

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