A Lady in Attendance by Rachel Fordham ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

It's 1898 in upper New York State.  Hazel has just gotten out of five years in the state reformatory.  She knows that she'll never get a job if people know her past so she uses an alias when she applies for a job as a Lady in Attendance for dentist Gilbert Watts.  He is a quiet and unassuming man who becomes very impressed with Hazel and her skills at handling his patients. The more he gets to know her, the more he realizes that she is hiding major secrets about her past.  When she finally tells him about her past, he has to decide if he will continue to pursue her romantically or let her go.  As Rachel works hard to clear her name she has to decide if she will stay with Gil or if she will leave and start another new life.  Will the soft-spoken Gil and the hardened Hazel be able to find love and a safe place in the world?

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

June 2021; Revell; 978-0800740078
audio, ebook, print (352 pages); Christian romance

A Lady in Attendance is a wonderful story about love and redemption.  The two main characters Hazel and Gil are well written and likable - though I will admit that I liked Hazel better than Gil.  I also enjoyed the friendship between Hazel and Ina,  Even though finding love and marriage was important to both of them, their friendship with each other never diminished.   I enjoyed the way that the author told the reader about Hazel's past in a gradual manner,  We learned about her punishment ( 5 years in a reform school) long before we learned what she was convicted of doing,  This novel is clean Christian fiction so there is nothing physical beyond a little kissing.

I thought that this novel was a good break from some of the books that I've been reading lately.  There was a mystery central to the story but overall it was a light read with a HEA ending.  My main personal problem with the book was that I don't enjoy historical fiction about this time period (the late 1800s) but that is a personal issue and shouldn't affect other readers from enjoying this well-written book about love and redemption and God's love.

Buy A Lady in Attendance at Amazon

Susan Roberts lives in North Carolina with her husband of over 50 years.  She grew up in Michigan but now calls North Carolina home. Since her travel plans had to be canceled for this year, she is starting to make plans for travel in 2021. She reads almost anything (and the piles of books in her house prove that) but her favorite genres are Southern fiction, women's fiction, and historical fiction. Susan is a top 1% Goodreads Reviewer. You can connect with Susan on Facebook, Goodreads, or Twitter. 

Get even more book news in your inbox, sign up today! Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.