Beyond all Measure by Dorothy Love

     Looking for a fresh start after the death of her father and the end of her engagement, Ada Wentworth flees to Tennessee to become a companion for an elderly lady and to start working on her dream of making hats for ladies. What she finds in Hickory Ridge is a small town divided by prejudice in the aftermath of the Civil War: prejudice against black people and Yankees. To further complicate things, Ada seems to be falling for Wyatt, the nephew of the woman she cares for. Can she become a successful businesswoman without losing her heart? Or is the price worth it?


     I enjoyed this book. The time of the Civil War has always been of interest to me (I even took a whole class on it in college), and I liked the way Dorothy Love handled the topic of race and regions and the prejudices people have towards one another. It was a great side storyline in addition to the romance. Ada and Wyatt are great characters (I’m a character-driven reader). Sophie, a young orphan girl who is racially mixed, and Lillian, the stogy old lady Ada cares for, are excellent supporting characters and breathe a little humor into a tough time period. The plot was well-developed and was realistic for that time period in American history. I was surprised when the person terrorizing Ada was revealed, but I won’t spoil that for you.

This was the first book I’ve read by Dorothy Love, but I will check out her other books. I recommend this book for any Christian fiction fans.

I received this free book from Booksneeze for the purpose of reviewing. My thoughts and opinions are my own.