A Hope Undaunted by Julie Lessman

A Hope Undaunted is the first book in the highly anticipated new series, Winds of Change, from award-winning author Julie Lessman.


This highly charged romance takes readers to Boston, while the 1920s are drawing to a close. Katie O'Connor is the epitome of the new woman—feisty, smart and sassy with goals for her future that include the perfect husband and a challenging career in law. Her boyfriend Jake fits all of her criteria for a husband—good-looking, well-connected, wealthy, and head-over-heels in love with her.

But when Katie is forced to spend the summer of 1929 with Luke McGee, the bane of her childhood existence, Katie comes face to face with a choice. Will she follow her well-laid plans to marry Jake? Or will she fall for the man she swore to despise forever?

A Hope Undaunted has been lauded by Booklist: “A rich girl and a poor boy find that love can be the great equalizer in Lessman’s engrossing tale, which has more awareness and sizzle between the hero and heroine than your average inspirational romance."

Publisher’s Weekly has praised Lessman, saying her “writing skill is noteworthy” in A Hope Undaunted.

Julie Lessman is the author of A Passion Most Pure, A Passion Redeemed, and A Passion Denied. Lessman has garnered several writing awards, including ten Romance Writers of America awards. She lives in Missouri.

My thoughts:

I have read a novel by this author in the past an really enjoyed it. She writes very well, but to be completely honest, I had a hard time getting into this book. It could have just been me, but by about page 120 I was still trying to figure out who was who, and how everyone was related. I remember some of the characters from another one of Julie Lessman's books, so I was trying to jog my memory. With that said, I did enjoy Katie O'Conner's character. She wanted to have a career and a husband, so basically have her cake and eat it too. I really loved her feisty stubborn spirit, and wish I could be a bit more like this character some days. In the time period that this book took place, not many women had both a career and a thriving relationship, and if they did they were brave pioneering women. So while this wasn't my favorite book by Julie Lessman, it was a well written novel, and I do look forward to reading future novels by this author.

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Available September 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group

Disclaimer: review copy provided