Nancy Moser's An Unlikely Suitor ~ Reviewed

An Unlikely Suitor
Nancy Moser
Paperback: 394 pages
Publisher: Bethany House (May 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0764207520

Description

Lucy Scarpelli, an Italian dressmaker from New York, befriends socialite Rowena Langdon as she's making her summer wardrobe. It's an unlikely friendship, but one that Rowena encourages by inviting Lucy to the family mansion in Newport, Rhode Island. Grateful for Lucy's skill in creating clothes that hide her physical injury, Rowena encourages Lucy to dream of a better future. One day Lucy encounters an intriguing man on the Cliff Walk, and love begins to blossom. Yet Lucy resists, for what man will accept her family responsibilities? Rowena also deals with love as she faces a worrisome arranged marriage to a wealthy heir. And Lucy's teenage sister, Sofia, takes up with a man of dubious character. All three women struggle as their lives, and those of each unlikely suitor, become intertwined in a web of secrets and sacrifice. Will any of them find true happiness?

Review:

‘L’more domina sanza regole.’ Love rules without rules” (p. 318)

Nancy Moser has created a story in which love does rule without rules – in so many ways! Unlikely Suitor contains many unlikely relationships! So unlikely, in fact, that even the characters in the story don’t realize the full extent of their unlikelihood! The Scarpelli women have been divinely moved from the crowded, dingy apartment into living arrangements and jobs that are far better than ever imagined. However, the move causes their lives to intersect with a realm of society in which they are considered – somewhat less.

But the heart pays little mind to the social standing in this story, and love draws many unlikely couples together. How all of this works out – well, that is sometimes awkward, painful and confusing. You will have to allow yourself to enjoy being transported back to the Guilded Age and join the Scarpelli family on one incredible journey! You will enjoy every moment, and by the time you reach the last page, you will be completely satisfied! Bravo, Nancy Moser! This is a great novel!

Reviewed by: Kim Ford