Publisher: Bent Pine Publishing
Published: October 19, 2021
Source: Author
Summary:
April 18, 1906 – A devastating earthquake rocks San Francisco and Templeton Morehouse fears her husband is lost forever. A powerful and compelling story from
USA Today bestselling author Bette Lee Crosby
Chances were a million to one that a girl born and raised in Philadelphia would encounter a stranger from California on the trolley and fall madly in love, but that’s what happened. Templeton was not only taken with John Morehouse, but also with his tales of life in San Francisco. As an aspiring fashion designer, the dazzle of a city called the Paris of the West, with its towering department stores and European couture was too much to resist.
Despite her family’s objections, she and John are married and, on their way back to California, before the month is out. To ease the heartbreak of such a move, Templeton promises to return for a visit every summer. She intends to keep that promise, but when her design business grows more demanding, the trips back to Philadelphia become less frequent and she makes foolish choices she will come to regret.
Now, when she is on the verge of having everything she’s ever wanted, a devastating earthquake tears across San Francisco and she discovers the father of her baby is missing.
My thoughts:
Somehow this is the first book I’ve read by Bette Lee Crosby and it will certainly not be the last. She had reached out to me asking if I wanted to read this one and I’m so glad she did. I will definitely be checking out her extensive backlist of titles when I get the chance.
What initially grabbed me about this book was that it was set around the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. I had read another book set during that time and just found it to be so fascinating so I was quite excited to pick up another one. But that was just the tip of the ice burg when it comes to this book – there is so much more to it and I found myself completely swept up in the story.
Even though this story takes place well over a hundred years ago, I feel it is just quite a timeless and relevant story for today. Young women are often faced with that age-old decision of having to choose between work and family and I thought the author wrote this in such a way that it really could have been set in any time period. The dreams of chasing what we want, both professionally and personally, often are in conflict and sometimes one has to come before the other.
I loved going on this journey with Templeton and felt such a strong connection to her. I myself, as I have mentioned numerous times, struggled to get pregnant, so I could totally relate to that stress. I can certainly vouch for the emotional toll that takes on a marriage and I felt that the author really nailed that here.
I really enjoyed this book. It’s an emotional journey that has its ups and downs and tugs at your heartstrings many times but I cannot recommend it enough. And now I need to decide what to read next from this talented author. If you’ve read any of her other books, what do you suggest?
