WIR: Unrivaled

Unrivaled 

Author: Siri Mitchell 

Date Read: January 25, 2013 

Medium: Kindle Book

First Sentence: Soon, soon, soon. My thoughts kept tempo with the horses' hooves.

Genre: Christian Fiction, Romance,

I "Laughed Out Loud" Quote: "You're the prettiest girl I've ever seen? I want you to know you're the perfect VP Queen? When I found out about your father, I felt pretty mean? Listen to me! I was thinking in poetry."

Cover Rating: Loved it! Fits the characters in the book.

Reviewed for: NetGalley and Bethany House Publishers

Stars: ★★★★☆  

Three-Time Christy Finalist Pens Another Winning Historical Romance. Lucy Kendall always assumed she'd help her father in his candy-making business, creating recipes and aiding him in their shared passion. But after a year traveling in Europe, Lucy returns to 1910 St. Louis to find her father unwell and her mother planning to sell the struggling candy company. Determined to help, Lucy vows to create a candy that will reverse their fortunes. 
St. Louis newcomer Charlie Clarke is determined to help his father dominate the nation's candy industry. Compromise is not an option when the prize is a father's approval, and falling in love with a business rival is a recipe for disaster when only one company can win. Will these two star-crossed lovers let a competition that turns less than friendly sour their dreams?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -My Review - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

I never start a book without knowing whose in it, where its going, and what's supposed to happen and how it will get there. However this time I dove right in without knowing the story line. (And quickly backed out to figure out what in the world was going on in here!) 

So lets meet the heroine. Lucy Kendall, daughter of one-candy-wonder [first name] Kendell, owner of City Confectionery; also extremely obsessed with eating and creating candy. And kinda of bossy, and extremely self-centered if I do say so myself.

Our hero Charles (Charlie) Clark, jail bird, is the son of a determined business owner (who just happens to be the rival candy company

Upon returning home from a lengthy tour of Europe, Lucy is more than eager to share all of her latest candy finds with family and friends, only to find out her father is very sick, and their company on the brink of ruin. Determined to single-handily bring the company back to its former state of glory, she tackles the task of creating the "next big thing" with gusto.

And fails.
And Fails.
And fails yet again.

Lucy Kendall annoyed me for the majority of the book. She was so focused on what SHE wanted she failed to try and understand her mother's point of view. For most of the book I got the distinct impression, all she her was her mother say "this isn't good" and completely disregarded other valid points she brought up. Though I, myself can understand Lucy's feelings, its just seems worse when you read it, than when you're the one behaving as such.

But I digress.

At the same time, our hero is busily changing his life, and helping his father (successfully I might add) promote his candy business, while trying to grapple with the fact that he is a rival to the pretty Miss Kendall. Despite the lengths she went to destroy his father's company he still hangs on to the bitter... (mostly) end.

All in all, I gave this book four stars out of five.

"I really liked it"

Thanks to NetGalley and Bethany House Publishers for my free review copy.