The Lawyer and the Laundress by Christine Hill Suntz

 

Lawyer James Kinney isn’t looking for love, and laundress Sara O’Connor doesn’t want to be found. When their paths cross in a British colony on the brink of rebellion, a marriage of convenience may be their best hope of survival.

Canada, 1837. Widower James Kinney knows his precocious daughter, Evie, needs more than his lessons on law and logic, but Toronto offers few options. Classes with the neighbor children seem ideal until James discovers Evie is secretly spending her time with Sara O’Connor, a kind and mysteriously educated servant. For propriety’s sake, James forbids their friendship. But then Evie falls victim to the illness ravaging the city, and James must call upon Sara’s medical knowledge and her special bond with Evie to save his daughter’s life.

When Sara’s presence in his household threatens scandal, however, James offers an unexpected solution: become his wife, in name only, and help him raise Evie to be a proper young lady.

If Sara can ignore the sparks she feels when they’re together, his logical proposal could keep her secret secure forever. But soon, the forces of rebellion unravel their tidy arrangement. When James is accused of treason, Sara must find the courage to face a past that could save her husband’s life.

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About The Author

 

 

Christine Hill Suntz knew she wanted to write novels the day she finished Anne of Green Gables, and she's been lost in her imagination ever since. Her love of language led her to study French and German and pursue a graduate degree in Comparative Literature before finding a home teaching high school French. Her work has won numerous prizes, including the 2022 ACFW Genesis competition.

Christine lives in Ontario on a hobby farm with her family, a flock of chickens, one attack rooster, and a herd of entitled goats. When she's not writing or teaching, she enjoys trying out historical recipes on her (mostly) willing family. 

 

My Review

I loved this read, the author did such a great job of keeping my attention, so good!
The setting 1837 Toronto, and a time of unrest, those that come for a better life, and things are right back to square zero.
Sara and James are from two different worlds, or are they, she when they meet is the laundress, and he is a lawyer. What draws them together, James' darling daughter Evie, and then Henry. I loved these children!
Of course, things don't go smoothly, and then things really go awry, but then comes healing.
I really enjoyed the epilogue, and I would have enjoyed continuing on in their lives!
I received this book through Net Galley and Tyndale House Publishers, and was not required to give a positive review.