Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
Terrific book. It's not often you find a romance set during the Great Depression, which made this one even more appealing. Here we have two sides of the Depression. Jolie Cramer's father invested heavily in the stock market, so when the crash came, he lost almost everything. This brought on a fatal heart attack. Jolie's mother, devastated by the loss of her husband and their lifestyle, spends her days either depressed or pretending that they are still rich. Seeing the effect of her father's loss on her mother, Jolie intends never to fall in love or marry. She plans a career in fashion design. That is, until the day her mother informs Jolie that it's up to her to save the family by marrying Randal Osterlund.
Randal's family came through the crash in good shape. After he took over the business after his father's death, Randal diversified their holdings, ensuring that they still had income. Randal was raised by a father and grandfather who had high expectations - nothing was ever good enough. Now that he's in charge, Randal wants to make a name for himself through his own efforts. He plans to purchase an airline and start passenger service. But the man who owns the airline he wants to buy will only sell to a married man. Randal has avoided love and marriage after seeing the effect his mother's death had on his father. He doesn't want that kind of pain in his life. He makes a deal with Mrs. Cramer (believing it has Jolie's agreement) that he will pay their taxes, provide for the two younger Cramers, and give Mrs. Cramer an allowance if Jolie marries him.
Once she recovers from the shock, Jolie and Randal have a heart-to-heart conversation regarding expectations. They are honest about their anti-love opinions and feel they will do well together. They spend time together getting to know each other. I loved that Randal was Jolie's port in the storm of her mother's controlling behavior. It said a lot about him that he stood up for Jolie's desire to make her wedding dress. They were well on the way to becoming good friends by the time the wedding arrived. The scene with the wedding chase was hilarious and exciting, and I enjoyed how they bonded over it.
As Randal and Jolie settled into life together, I enjoyed seeing their relationship grow. An unexpected attraction grew between them, leading each to contemplate the future. They had already agreed to take the time to be comfortable with each other before adding anything physical to their relationship. Neither expected the deepening feelings, especially after their agreement that love had no place in their marriage. I loved their continuing support of each other. Randal's pride in Jolie's sewing accomplishments was unmistakable, and I loved the scene at the department store when he took her shopping. Jolie was equally supportive of his airline plans. I loved her joy and excitement when he took her flying. There was a fly in the ointment of Randal's plans, however. The owner of the airline he wants turned out to be Jolie's godfather, and he has very different plans for the airline. I ached for Randal and its effect on him and his belief in himself.
There was some conflict near the end brought on by a trouble-making rival of Jolie's. She and Amy were long-time adversaries, and Amy excels at creating trouble. An unexpected encounter between Amy and Randal gives her the ammunition - twisted though it was - to prey on Jolie's fears. While the confrontation between Jolie and Randal was painful, it did end up clearing the air and opening their eyes. I loved the conclusion.
I also enjoyed the importance of family to both Randal and Jolie. Randal has a powerful protective gene, and he likes nothing better than looking out for his family. It became clear that he perhaps takes it a little too far when he objects to his sisters and their husbands exerting some independence. Jolie, being outside looking in, has some good suggestions for his sisters and sees nothing wrong with helping them find their way. I loved seeing the sisters get involved with Jolie's sewing endeavors. For her part, Jolie is just as protective of her siblings but is a bit more clear-headed about it. She spent years protecting them from their mother's foibles, but now that Jolie isn't there, her brother and sister become mom's next money-making targets. When Jolie helps them find their own jobs rather than asking Randal to give them money, he feels hurt and rejected. I enjoyed the ending as the various threads came together in one giant tangle and the love, honesty, and communication it took to weave a solid cloth from them.
I also enjoyed seeing characters from some of the author's earlier series make appearances. It's always fun to see how their lives are going.
#netgalley
Randal's family came through the crash in good shape. After he took over the business after his father's death, Randal diversified their holdings, ensuring that they still had income. Randal was raised by a father and grandfather who had high expectations - nothing was ever good enough. Now that he's in charge, Randal wants to make a name for himself through his own efforts. He plans to purchase an airline and start passenger service. But the man who owns the airline he wants to buy will only sell to a married man. Randal has avoided love and marriage after seeing the effect his mother's death had on his father. He doesn't want that kind of pain in his life. He makes a deal with Mrs. Cramer (believing it has Jolie's agreement) that he will pay their taxes, provide for the two younger Cramers, and give Mrs. Cramer an allowance if Jolie marries him.
Once she recovers from the shock, Jolie and Randal have a heart-to-heart conversation regarding expectations. They are honest about their anti-love opinions and feel they will do well together. They spend time together getting to know each other. I loved that Randal was Jolie's port in the storm of her mother's controlling behavior. It said a lot about him that he stood up for Jolie's desire to make her wedding dress. They were well on the way to becoming good friends by the time the wedding arrived. The scene with the wedding chase was hilarious and exciting, and I enjoyed how they bonded over it.
As Randal and Jolie settled into life together, I enjoyed seeing their relationship grow. An unexpected attraction grew between them, leading each to contemplate the future. They had already agreed to take the time to be comfortable with each other before adding anything physical to their relationship. Neither expected the deepening feelings, especially after their agreement that love had no place in their marriage. I loved their continuing support of each other. Randal's pride in Jolie's sewing accomplishments was unmistakable, and I loved the scene at the department store when he took her shopping. Jolie was equally supportive of his airline plans. I loved her joy and excitement when he took her flying. There was a fly in the ointment of Randal's plans, however. The owner of the airline he wants turned out to be Jolie's godfather, and he has very different plans for the airline. I ached for Randal and its effect on him and his belief in himself.
There was some conflict near the end brought on by a trouble-making rival of Jolie's. She and Amy were long-time adversaries, and Amy excels at creating trouble. An unexpected encounter between Amy and Randal gives her the ammunition - twisted though it was - to prey on Jolie's fears. While the confrontation between Jolie and Randal was painful, it did end up clearing the air and opening their eyes. I loved the conclusion.
I also enjoyed the importance of family to both Randal and Jolie. Randal has a powerful protective gene, and he likes nothing better than looking out for his family. It became clear that he perhaps takes it a little too far when he objects to his sisters and their husbands exerting some independence. Jolie, being outside looking in, has some good suggestions for his sisters and sees nothing wrong with helping them find their way. I loved seeing the sisters get involved with Jolie's sewing endeavors. For her part, Jolie is just as protective of her siblings but is a bit more clear-headed about it. She spent years protecting them from their mother's foibles, but now that Jolie isn't there, her brother and sister become mom's next money-making targets. When Jolie helps them find their own jobs rather than asking Randal to give them money, he feels hurt and rejected. I enjoyed the ending as the various threads came together in one giant tangle and the love, honesty, and communication it took to weave a solid cloth from them.
I also enjoyed seeing characters from some of the author's earlier series make appearances. It's always fun to see how their lives are going.
#netgalley
