Books & Spoons Review for AN UNLIKELY MOTHER by Danica Favorite

7/5/2017

Bound by a Child

Hoping to overcome her reputation as Leadville, Colorado's biggest gossip, wealthy socialite Flora Montgomery offers to help a miner care for an abandoned child. But her growing affection for the sweet boy's handsome rescuer could be a problem. Especially since her parents insist she must marry for money.

Undercover mine owner George Baxter is digging himself into a dilemma. The once-spoiled Flora has become a delightful, generous woman, and she'll be devastated by his deception. Yet if he can't discover who's sabotaging the mine, George will lose any chance of making a home for Flora and Pierre. Can the little boy who holds both their hearts help them lay claim to a new dream of family?

A sweet story that greatly demonstrates the growth and development of character a person has when wanting to be more Christ-like, when truly wanting to walk in His steps. Mix in some societal problems, family drama, a little danger, little mystery, an adorable young man from France, and childhood enemies finding themselves falling for each other and you have thought-provoking story in your hands.
The main theme in the story is the apparent change former bully and 'mean girl' Flora Montgomery is going through in her life. She used to be feared for her sharp and critical tongue. Now she is outcast and avoided after some drama she created in the town, meddling in other people's business she had no place to interfere in.
Forgiveness is not an easy and automatic thing and the struggle Flora has to go through to find her new place in the society with the new attitude with a change of heart is a lonely, uphill battle.
After losing his father in an accident George finds out the trouble in the family business. Searching for the truth about the terrible conditions at the mine the family owns, he goes undercover and runs into his childhood bully, Flora, who doesn't recognize him.
My favorite part of the story was the bond that developed between Flora, George, and Pierre. The connection was there immediately, the bonding and joy they experience in each others company were delightful.
I found it humorous how obvious the growing feelings between George and Flora were. Everyone paired them immediately, and their destiny would have been sealed if not the assumed class separation or financial troubles in George's family.
The first part of the story got a little stuck on the theme of Flora's past and need to change, the class differences in that time period and the snobbiness of the upper-class society. But when the mysteries at the mine starts to unravel, the story takes off to an exciting and exhilarating suspenseful yet love-filled journey.
The message of the kindness, forgiveness, and acceptance in the story is clear. The character development is underlined, encouraged and celebrated. The class actions and judgment of the society is challenged. And through it all, the message of love, in different forms, comes abundantly apparent.
~ Four Spoons