About the Book
Book: A Summer at Thousand Island House
Author: Susan G. Mathis
Genre: Christian Historical Romance
Release Date: July 25, 2023
She came to work with the children, not fall in love.
Part-nanny, part entertainer, Addison Bell has always had an enduring love for children. So what better way to use her creative energy than to spend the summer nannying at the renowned Thousand Island House on Staple’s Island? As Addi thrives in her work, she attracts the attention of the recreation pavilion’s manager, Liam Donovan, as well as the handsome Navy Officer Lt. Worthington, a lighthouse inspector, hotel patron, and single father of mischievous little Jimmy.
But when Jimmy goes missing, Addi finds both her job and her reputation in danger. How can she calm the churning waters of Liam, Lt. Worthington, and the President, clear her name, and avoid becoming the scorn of the Thousand Islands community?
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My Thoughts:
Working for the summer at the Thousand Island House resort is a dream for Addi, as she knows working with the children will help keep at bay some of her loneliness from losing her father. She also dearly loves working with children and hopes to have some of her own one day. Her arrival, a little later than expected, gives her a few unexpected encounters that don't all necessarily bode well.
Addi steps into her role with gusto, often being reminded of the rules of the resort. There seems to be many. And the gentleman who keeps reminding her is Liam Donavan, her boss. However, he puts her in a conundrum as at times he seems interested in a relationship with her and others she is just another employee, that he talks over.
Not only is Addi trying to have the children enjoy their summer and keeping them busy and safe, but there are also jealousies afoot and another man whose interests in her are much more than being a nanny. This was a quick and interesting story of a summer spent during the Gilded Age at a resort and what that may have looked like for a young woman looking to make it in the world.
I was provided a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.
About the Author
More from Susan
Behind the scenes at A Summer at Thousand Island House
I’ve been writing about the Gilded Age for several years now. A Summer at Thousand Island House is my eleventh published story, and I had so much fun creating it. The American Gilded Age was a time of rapid technical advances, industrialization, and thousands of new inventions from about 1870-1910. Mark Twain coined the term in his 1873 novel The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today that satirized the era of social problems that were masked by a layer of thin, gold gilding.
It’s a fascinating time in history, especially in the Thousand Islands. I grew up just twenty minutes from the Thousand Islands in upstate New York. Actually, half of the 1,864 islands are in NY and the other half in Ontario, Canada. All of my books are set during the Thousand Islands Gilded Age, when the wealthy came and scooped up the islands and built lavish summer homes, mansions, and castles.
It was an era of economic growth and wages were higher than Europe, so massive immigration drew about twenty million to the U.S. shores. Unfortunately, it was also a time of unequal distribution of wealth where the rich got richer and the poor working class suffered.
Many young women worked as servants until they married, and that’s what my stories are about—those nameless, faithful women who cooked and cleaned and served tables for the rich and famous. These “downstairs” women had fascinating stories to tell, and I plan to tell many of them.
All my novels are based on a specific place in the Thousand Islands and are the true stories of the owners of that island. So, my plot is generally true. There really was an entertainment pavilion on Staple’s Island where the patrons of Thousand Island House enjoyed all kinds of amenities, including a daycare. And US Presidents, including President Grant and President Chester Arthur (whom you meet), vacationed at Thousand Island House.
Then I overlay the storyline of the fictional servants to create the story. This makes my stories a bit more challenging, but I love a good challenge. Addison Bell cares for children. Liam Donovan manages the pavilion and Navy Officer Lt. Worthington, a lighthouse inspector and single father, comes and goes.
And all of my Thousand Islands’ stories have hope as the central theme. Hope for a better future. Hope for love. Hope for healing. A Summer at Thousand Island House also focuses on healing broken hearts and embracing God’s redemption.
Mathis’s attention to detail and rich history is classic Mathis, and no one does it better.—Margaret Brownley, N.Y. Times bestselling author
Blog Stops
Debbie’s
Dusty Deliberations, July 18
Alena Mentink,
July 18
Karen Baney Reviews,
July 19
Books
You Can Feel Good About, July 19
Babbling Becky L’s Book
Impressions, July 20
She
Lives To Read, July 20
Texas Book-aholic,
July 21
Locks, Hooks
and Books, July 22
Connie’s
History Classroom, July 23
Happily
Managing a Household of Boys, July 23
Book Looks
by Lisa, July 24
Abba’s
Prayer Warrior Princess, July 25
Gina Holder,
Author and Blogger, July 26 (Author Interview)
Back
Porch Reads, July 26
The Book Club
Network, July 27
Truth and Grace
Homeschool Academy, July 28
Holly’s Book
Corner, July 28
Cover
Lover Book Review, July 29
Blossoms
and Blessings, July 30
Blogging With
Carol, July 31
Pause for Tales,
July 31
For Him and My
Family, August 1
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Susan is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
https://promosimple.com/ps/26b9c/a-summer-at-thousand-island-house-celebration-tour-giveaway
Great review, thank you.
ReplyDeleteIt will be interesting to see how things play out in this story set during a time when people of different classes and positions did not interact on a personal level.
ReplyDelete