by Ashley Clark
Publisher: Bethany House
Series: Heirloom Secrets
ISBN: 9780764237621
I was thrilled to be on Ashley's launch team for the 3rd book of her Heirloom Secrets series. I was excited for the conclusion, but it was even more than I expected! She sent me the book for review.
Summary:
Alice runs a New Orleans flower shop alongside her aunt, but thoughts of her mother, who went missing during Hurricane Katrina, are never far from her mind. After getting off on the wrong foot with a handsome yet irritating man who comes to her shop, Alice soon realizes their worlds overlap--and the answers they both seek can be found in the same place.
In 1861 Charleston, Clara is known to be a rule follower--but the war has changed her. Unbeknownst to her father, who is heavily involved with the Confederacy, she is an abolitionist and is prepared to sacrifice everything for the cause. With assistance from a dashing Union spy, she attempts to help an enslaved woman reunite with her daughter. But things go very wrong when Clara agrees to aid the Northern cause by ferrying secret information about her father's associates.
Faced with the unknown, both women will have to dig deep to let their courage bloom.
In 1861 Charleston, Clara is known to be a rule follower--but the war has changed her. Unbeknownst to her father, who is heavily involved with the Confederacy, she is an abolitionist and is prepared to sacrifice everything for the cause. With assistance from a dashing Union spy, she attempts to help an enslaved woman reunite with her daughter. But things go very wrong when Clara agrees to aid the Northern cause by ferrying secret information about her father's associates.
Faced with the unknown, both women will have to dig deep to let their courage bloom.
My Review:
What a powerful story! Gosh, I have so many thoughts after reading the last book in the series Where the Last Rose Blooms!
I liked Alice immediately. She's no-nonsense. She runs her flower shop with her aunt and I loved how unique it was. Her introduction to Sullivan was comical, although she didn't find it that way. I also loved the aunt in this story, while I couldn't stand Alice's father. Alice definitely deals with a LOT in her life and loss is definitely a big one.
The parallel to Rose and Ashley's story was an interesting one to me. Rose's daughter is ripped from her and Alice has to deal with the loss of her mother. I loved Rose. There was something so stalwart about her. Then there was Clara. I hadn't realized how young she was so I was glad the author mentioned it. We finally got to bring everything together with reading their story.
I also adored having Millie and Juliet in the story connect the dots with their ancestors as well as Sullivan's connection to them. I was fascinated by the floriography used in the story. It was really cool how it was used as communication with Clara and the Union people. I also enjoyed how Alice used it as a florist for weddings. She made sure the meaning of the flowers were right for the wedding and that added such a great touch.
There's a LOT covered in this story, things that the author handles very well: depression, suicide, slavery, and abandonment. Yes, heavy topics, but they don't overwhelm the story or take away. There's is a beautiful depth to this story because of those topics.
I wish I could pull the time splits apart and read the historical ones in order. It was so interesting to me how the author shared more details with book three, but it makes sense when you finish because it brings all of the pieces together.
I liked Alice immediately. She's no-nonsense. She runs her flower shop with her aunt and I loved how unique it was. Her introduction to Sullivan was comical, although she didn't find it that way. I also loved the aunt in this story, while I couldn't stand Alice's father. Alice definitely deals with a LOT in her life and loss is definitely a big one.
The parallel to Rose and Ashley's story was an interesting one to me. Rose's daughter is ripped from her and Alice has to deal with the loss of her mother. I loved Rose. There was something so stalwart about her. Then there was Clara. I hadn't realized how young she was so I was glad the author mentioned it. We finally got to bring everything together with reading their story.
I also adored having Millie and Juliet in the story connect the dots with their ancestors as well as Sullivan's connection to them. I was fascinated by the floriography used in the story. It was really cool how it was used as communication with Clara and the Union people. I also enjoyed how Alice used it as a florist for weddings. She made sure the meaning of the flowers were right for the wedding and that added such a great touch.
There's a LOT covered in this story, things that the author handles very well: depression, suicide, slavery, and abandonment. Yes, heavy topics, but they don't overwhelm the story or take away. There's is a beautiful depth to this story because of those topics.
I wish I could pull the time splits apart and read the historical ones in order. It was so interesting to me how the author shared more details with book three, but it makes sense when you finish because it brings all of the pieces together.
About the Author:
Ashley Clark (www.ashleyclarkbooks.com) writes romantic women's fiction set in the South. With a master's degree in creative writing, Ashley teaches literature and writing courses at the University of West Florida. Ashley has been an active member of American Christian Fiction Writers for almost a decade. She lives with her husband, son, and two rescued Cocker Spaniels off Florida's Gulf Coast. When she's not writing, she's rescuing stray animals, dreaming of Charleston, and drinking all the English breakfast tea she can get her hands on.
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