Five years in a New York state reformatory have left a blemish on Hazel's real name. So when she takes a job as Doctor Gilbert Watts's lady in attendance in 1898, she does so under an alias. In the presence of her quiet and pious employer, Hazel finds more than an income. She finds a friend and a hope that if she can set her tarnished past in order, she might have a future after all. As Gilbert becomes accustomed to the pleasant chatter of his new dental assistant, he can't help but sense something secretive about her. Perhaps there is more to this woman than meets the eye. Can the questions that loom between them ever be answered? Or will the deeds of days gone by forever rob the future of its possibilities?
Rachel Fordham pens a tender tale of a soft-spoken man, a hardened woman, and the friends that stand by them as they work toward a common purpose--to expunge the record of someone society deemed beyond saving--and perhaps find love along the way.
★★★★☆
At the tail end of the 19th century, Hazel has just been released from a five year sentence in a Women's Reformatory (similar to a prison, but -- as the name suggests --- with a stronger emphasis on genuinely trying to reform criminals). Wanting to put some distance between the now and her past (at least until she has a chance to fully clear her name), she fudges her work experience a bit to secure a job as a "lady in attendance" (aka dental assistant). It doesn't take long for Hazel to develop a good friendship with her boss, dentist Dr. Gilbert Watts, even if he may show some awkwardness around the opposite sex.
Gilbert appreciates how easy Hazel is to talk with, and while a close bond grows quite naturally between them, he can sense that she remains noticeably guarded when it comes to talking about anything tied to her past. Though he may have initially laid serious ground rules about maintaining professionalism in the office (read: there will be no flirting between them in the downtime between patients, that sort of thing), one thing leads to another and he can't help but care about her wellbeing... as well as grow quite attracted to her overall.
Ohh, poor Gilbert. This thirty year old virgin clearly has interest in women but it seems he's too terrified of them to have ever really allowed himself attempts to pursue / woo anyone! Until Hazel, that is. Perhaps the fact that neither of them had their minds focused on finding a mate helped make the environment a more at-ease one for love to find them. There's a fun, lighthearted, almost cozy quality to the "unintended", slow courtship of Hazel & Gilbert (I say "unintended" because c'mon, this is a Christian historical romance, we all knew where this was headed from page 1 lol... but Hazel & Gil lean hard into "it's totally not like that" for most of the novel). Their story is only sweetened that much more with the inclusion of the side story romance of Hazel's friend Ina, who had long believed that her face mark would likely prevent her from ever experiencing love.
"Fear was a beast that arrived uninvited, unannounced, and with force. It came now, sweeping over her and stealing her breath."
I had to giggle at the scene in the dental mold room that felt like a nod to the famous pottery scene from the film Ghost. 😃 And may I add that for a guy who frequently says he's bad with words and never knows what to say to women, Gil's pretty freakin' smooth when he wants to be!
And I don't know about you, but when Hazel finally gets into the nitty gritty of what landed her in the Reformatory.... to me, when you put all the little details together... sure, she wasn't making the best life choices... but it kinda felt like this poor woman got five years of being locked up for essentially just being a flirty, hormonal teenager! So sad! But hey, case in point with this novel that dramatic / sad / hard times learning experiences make for great stories later!
A Lady in Attendance is not the most complex story, but it's the perfect one to pick up on a lazy afternoon when you just want a nice community to hang out in. Not too hard to follow along, but plenty of romance, drama, adventure, and humor to keep those pages turning.
A list of discussion questions are provided at the back of the book for anyone who may want to recommend this as a reading club selection.
FTC Disclaimer: Revell Publishing kindly provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The opinions above are entirely my own.
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