Wednesday, December 21, 2022

The Sisters of Sea View by Julie Klassen

Book cover
The Sisters of Sea View
by Julie Klassen


ISBN-13: 9780764234262
Paperback: 448 pages
Publisher: Bethany House
Released: December 6th 2022

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from Goodreads:
When their father's death leaves them impoverished, Sarah Summers convinces her sisters to open their seaside home to guests to provide for their ailing mother. Emily and Georgiana agree, but Viola, who wears a veil to cover a scar, detests the idea.

Determined to stay together, the sisters begin the new venture. Instead of the elderly invalids they expect, however, they find themselves hosting eligible gentlemen. Sarah is torn between a growing attraction to a mysterious Scottish widower and duty to her family. Meanwhile, the new situation exposes Viola's scars--both the visible and those hidden deep within--and her cloistered heart will never be the same.


My Review:
The Sisters of Sea View is a Christian romance set in 1819 in England. While three sisters had potential romances going on, this was mainly Viola's romance. She was born with a cleft lip and faced prejudice for it until, after several torturous surgeries, she finally had the lip fixed with only a scar left. But she's mentally scarred, too, so she wore a veil and avoided going out rather than face rejection. She chose to read to invalids to earn money, and her first client was a military man who was terribly burned while saving a friend from a fire. Viola quickly learned to look past his physical scars (though his attitude needed adjusting), yet she couldn't believe that others could do the same toward her. She (and the client) had to struggle through these issues and find the courage to face the world without hiding.

Historical details were woven into the story and brought it alive in my imagination. The characters were engaging, varied, and acted in realistic ways. I cared about what happened to them, including people staying at Sea View and the reading clients. They faced challenges and grew in character. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable novel.


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.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

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