Reviewer: Connie Payne
Title: Courting Miss Adelaide
Author: Janet Dean
Publisher: Steeple Hill
ISBN-13: 9780373827961
Release Date: September 2008
Genre/Sub-genre: Inspirational Historical Romance
Year/Setting: 1897 Noblesville IN
Overall Rating: 3.75
Sexual Content Rating: None
Language (Profanity/Slang) Content Rating: None
Violent Content Rating: Minimal
Janet's Website:
www.janetdean.net
Adelaide Crum is by all accounts a spinster. She runs a successful millinery shop and is respected in the community. That is until she approaches the Children’s Aid Society committee with her desire to adopt one of the orphans arriving in town. Not only is she turned down, but she’s insulted and humiliated. She’s single and therefore unfit to parent a child.
Charles Graves, owner of the local paper, is fairly new to the community and one of the members of the committee. He’s empathetic to Adelaide’s desire; however his understanding did her little good. Unfortunately life isn’t fair, and neither is God. He knows that from experience.
Adelaide knows it’s God’s plan for her to have a child. So why didn’t the committee grant her request? When the opportunity to foster one of the little girls comes up Adelaide is overjoyed; God’s plan is at work. Even though it’s temporary, she’s going to love and provide for little Emma as Adelaide’s own mother never did for her. And she’s not going to need a man to provide that love or secure home.
Her reputation becomes even more shattered when she writes a series of suffrage articles for the local paper. Charles has tried to warn and dissuade her, but she insisted. His father did leave half the paper to her in his will. She doesn’t need his permission. But combine that with angering a father and accusing him of mistreating one of the newly arrived orphans (Emma’s brother), well, she’s a bit ill-equipped for the consequences. Nor is she prepared for the feelings that seem to grow for Charles.
Charles protects Adelaide as best he can. She seems to have blossomed and grown, become confident in herself and her beliefs. And it seems to be leading her into trouble. So are his feelings for her. He’s not ready to love or share his life with anyone, let alone Miss Adelaide Crum. However, his attraction and compassion for Adelaide get the better of him.
Initially I was worried that the characters were going to be staid and two-dimensional. But that soon proved to be untrue. With each page and scene that passed they grew and developed into very likable characters.
The tension between Adelaide and Charles is palpable, but even more so between Adelaide and the townsfolk. Though her determination is to be respected, she often acts based on her feelings instead of her common sense (and haven’t we all?). While it gets her into much trouble, the reader cheers her on while admiring her unwavering faith.
Courting Miss Adelaide is not only a romance, it’s so much more. Ms. Dean offers a great deal insight into the difficulties of life and social patterns and expectations in the late 19th century, as well as women’s roles in society.
Connie
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