The Artful Match (London Beginnings)

I want to be clear that I typically judge a book by its cover, and I normally would have never picked up this series based on the cover...OMG I am so glad that I did! This is the 3rd book of the London series and Delamere did NOT disappoint! I am so grateful that I have had this time to delve into books like this. Cara finds herself in circumstances she can not control, and trusts God every step of the way. Each sister has her own journey, and these books give perspectives from other main characters point of view as well. The imagery is so well- detailed that you forget you are reading, but rather you feel you are sitting taking in the scenery with everyone else. I love the anticipation and the mystery, and the fact that you are forced to be patient with Cara as her journey unfolds. I’m not sure why I have been such a sappy romantic lately, but I can only attest it to God softening my heart to new beginnings!!! Great Series!!! #theartfulmatch #londonbeginnings

I loved the first two books in this series, but wasn't sure about this one by 20% of the way they because the main character was so naive and seemed to make decisions every woman in that time period would know not to make. Like living in a house with two unmarried men. Anyway, I did fall in love with the book & realized she was in a bit of a desperate situation. Especially for someone with an artist's fanciful frame of mind that can talk themselves into making decisions they probably shouldn't make. I know this because I can be that way too.The book was well written and engaging. However it did unnecessarily use the word "that" much too frequently.

Had a lot of ups and downs for Cara, but the story was nice, and the overall family feeling is sweet

Cara and Henry are very different characters but they seem to ground one another in positive ways. Cara tries to make amends for an accident that she is involved with. Henry is trying to do the same for someone in the family. This story is well written and a continuation of the series but can be read as a stand alone.I did find the story well developed but there was a bit of a jump at times in the storyline that were not as easy to believe, an example is how some of the challenges in the relationship are resolved.I enjoyed the book and series very much and look forward to reading more by this author!

Rich in historical detail and told with warmth and good humor, this last book in a wonderful trilogy brings hope and assurance of the persevering love of God, though not at all preachy. I’ve added Jennifer Delamere to my list of favorite authors.

Jennifer DeLamere has become one of my favorite authors. I'm looking forward to her new series staring women telegraph operators.

The Artful Match by Jennifer DelamereRating: 4 out of 5 stars______________________________________________________________________________Story NotesJennifer Delamere’s conclusion to her London Beginnings series is a nice story that seeks to teach lessons about forgiveness, love and not keeping secrets.I have enjoyed getting to know the Bernay sisters throughout this series. They are similar in their beliefs but so different in their life directions. This story focuses on the youngest sister, Cara, who begins with an inauspicious happening – she has lost track of the child for whom she is governess. The young heir to the Needenham estate and title, Robbie, wandered away from Cara as she was dozing in the shade and everyone is in a panic. Finding Robbie is the beginning of further trouble as his parents are only waiting to see if he will live through his subsequent illness to hand out Cara’s punishment. Cara makes a vow to God to never care for children again if God will spare Robbie’s life, a true sacrifice for her as she dearly loves children. When Robbie pulls through and she is sent packing, Cara must now decide how to make her way. She has always wanted to spend more time with her art but has not had ample opportunity before. A chance meeting with Langham Burke, a fairly known artist, gives Cara the entrance she needs into the world of being an artist. Langham longs for the chance to truly show his work to the world but is hampered by his family “obligations” that his brother insists he have. But Henry Burke is not the ogre Langham believes and truly just wants the chance to make his family solvent once again. Langham agrees to return to the family country estate if he may bring Cara along, an easy request for Henry to grant since he has seen how much Cara helps his brother. And her intriguing way of handling his ward, Amelia, makes her visit one Henry is looking forward to. Now if only he can find the investors he needs for the family copper mines, he might have a chance to breathe easy for the first time in years. Too bad his mother is aiming for more than just adding investors to the family acquaintance. As the story continues to unfold, there is much forgiveness and revelation of truth that needs to happen before everyone is on the same page. And it just might be that a chance for love between Henry and Cara makes for the best ending for everyone. I loved the steady but easy pace of this story. It was a good read with plenty of good dialogue that didn’t get boring or repetitive. I really liked the characters too as they were very realistically written and distinct. Even without having their name added after a passage was spoken I could have told you who had said it – that was a nice touch. I also enjoyed seeing each character go on their journey towards forgiveness and love. Every one of the main characters – Henry, Langham, Cara and Amelia – were searching for a way to make up for their past and, further, find a place to belong. The elements of faith were a bit quieter in this story but they were present. Rather than have a big conversion for one of the characters there was an understanding that they already possessed saving faith and were striving to live it out the best they could. It was good to see that when they were challenged, their faith grew as they learned that they cannot hope to live the Christian life without God’s help. I will certainly recommend this story and the series to others as I really enjoyed them all. Hopefully Ms. Delamere will bring out a new set of stories soon.I received this E-book free of charge from Bethany House Publishers via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. I will receive no fiscal compensation from either company for this review and the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.

This was the third book in thee series, with the sisters featuring in each book, oldest to youngest. I really enjoyed it. Although I wanted a little more from the epilogue. It had some good twist and turns.