Will a damaged reputation and desire for society's approval thwart the legacy of grace?
Tainted by scandal and forced to leave London for the quieter Brighton countryside, the Honorable Miss Clara DeLancey is a shadow of her former society self. She's lost the man she loved to another and, in a culture that has no patience for self-pity, is struggling with depression. A chance encounter brings her a healing friendship with the sisters of an injured naval captain. But Clara's society mama is appalled at the new company she's keeping.
Captain Benjamin Kemsley is not looking for a wife. But his gallant spirit won't let him ignore the penniless viscount's daughter--not when she so obviously needs assistance to keep moving forward from day to day. Can he protect his heart and still keep her safe?
When they're pushed into the highest echelons of society at the Prince Regent's Brighton Pavilion, this mismatched couple must decide if family honor is more important than their hopes. Can they right the wrongs of the past and find future happiness together--without finances, family support, or royal favor?
Several years ago, Christian artist Brandon Heath released a song called "I'm Not Who I Was." That song kept coming to mind as I read Clara DeLancey's story. Prior to her fall from grace, Clara was a respected and sought-after young woman—but she wasn't kind. After she was rejected by the man she expected to marry, her brother Richard disgraced the family with his actions, and the family (minus Richard) retreated to Bristol where they could be out of the public eye. Clara allowed her bitterness and anger to fester, and it got to the point where she wondered if it would be better to end her life.
Then she met the Kemsleys and, through the Kemsleys, met Jesus.
But the consequences of Clara's actions remained, and through the rest of the novel, she fought against the notion of who she had been as she tried to show who she had become in Christ. Not everyone believed that Clara had changed, and some people continued to believe the worst of her. I truly felt for Clara as she felt the social consequences of her—and her brother's—actions. And that's saying something, as I pretty much despised her in the first two books of this series!
I greatly enjoyed Clara's journey throughout the novel, and I especially liked that coming to faith in Christ didn't turn her into a meek wallflower; instead, she began to stand up for herself and for those she cared about. Clara's spunk is one of my favorite things about her!
The love story between Clara and Benjamin Kemsley is sweetly romantic and full of longing, as the two are of different social standings, so a match would never be approved by her parents. (This is crazy to me, as their family's disgrace made Clara unsuitable for men of her "station," so why not allow her to marry Ben? I'm thankful we don't have such rigid social stations today!)
There's no question that Carolyn Miller gets better and better with each book! While I'm sorry to see this Legacy of Grace series end, I'm eagerly looking forward to the first book in her upcoming Promise of Hope series, which releases early next year! 5 stars.
Note: While you will understand Clara's troubles better if you've read The Elusive Miss Ellison and The Captivating Lady Charlotte, this book functions as a stand-alone title.
Buy the book.
Read my reviews of Miller's The Elusive Miss Ellison (4 stars) and The Captivating Lady Charlotte (4-1/2 stars).
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free for review from Kregel Publications. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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Thank you for your lovely kind words! I'm so glad you enjoyed Miss DeLancey's adventures :)
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Carolyn! Looking forward to your next book :-)
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