A Portrait of Dawn by Samantha St. Claire

A Portrait of Dawn by Samantha St. Claire ISBN-13: 9781732736740 ebook: 337 pages Publisher: River's End Books Released: April 8th 2020

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Dawn Fairburn deftly manages her father's political career but rejects the idea of marriage. Her legs aren't the same length, which draws pity or revulsion from potential suitors. She longs to be loved for herself, not for what marriage to a politician's daughter will get them. The artist, Luke Brennan, may have eyes to see color and light making his artwork unique, but her clear vision for his truest talent will transform both his work and their destiny. In 1890, as Idaho Territory is preparing to become a state, Dawn and Luke must find the courage to step into a wilderness of an uncharted future.


My Review:
A Portrait of Dawn is a romance set in 1890 in Idaho. This novel is the fifth in a series. Characters from the previous novels played a role in this one (so you may be interested in Alena's continuing story), but you don't need to read the previous novels to understand this one.

The main characters had depth and grew as people during the story. They acted realistically, and I cared what happened to them. But most of the "falling in love" happened off screen. We're told that they had a long, personal conversation where they learned about shared interests and what kindred spirits they were. During their shown interactions, though, all I saw was maybe a potential friendship. Dawn told Luke that he was the only person standing in the way of his dreams, so stop making excuses. He appreciated her beauty and how she was awed by his art (which gave him more confidence in his skill). But most of the time, Luke was off drawing or learning how to survive in the wilderness, not spending time with Dawn.

I was concerned when one character basically said that if you kiss another person and lust after them, then you'll know that marriage to that person will be based on life-long love. Er, really? That character was single, but Dawn took his advice seriously. Historical details about Idaho's statehood celebrations were woven into the story. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable story, but I didn't enjoy it as much as the other books I've read in the series.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.