Shine Like the Dawn ~ Review

Shine Like the Dawn
By Carrie Turansky

Maggie Lounsbury can't forget the betrayal she faced from her dearest friend when she most needed him. Four years have passed with no word from Nate Harcourt regarding the tragedy she faced and is still facing. With her young sister Violet, Maggie has taken up residence with her Grandmother Hayes helping in her millinery shop. But when a near tragic event again strikes her family Maggie's childhood friend Nate is determined to be her rescuer.

But time and distance have shaped Maggie's view of Nate and he will have to work hard if he hopes to again call Maggie friend.  There is just one problem - Nate isn't quite sure what Maggie's resentment against him is. Add to that the pressure of assuming his father's leadership in family, estate and business holdings and Nate more than has his time filled with concerns beyond Maggie.

But when Maggie's concerns about her her family's lake "accident" lead her on a search for the truth she turns to her old friend for help. But why would anyone have had reason to wish her family harm? Or are her suspicions unfounded?

Meanwhile England is undergoing a transformation of its own. The common person is demanding rights and protections - one problem those who profit from their labors are not willing to lose their gains by letting the workers live a life where the daily effort of feeding, clothing, and caring for one's family be eased.  And unfortunately for Nate this is a problem that he has just inherited. His actions may determine the future of Heatherton and her people.

Set in the early 1900s this is a book that will appeal to those who love Edwardian English fiction. The world is on the cusp of change. We often look back and talk about simpler times which if one reads this book is quite obviously false. Life was as trying though their trials were not technologically derived.  This book has a thread of mystery that adds intrigue and a touch of romance.

Fans of Carrie Turansky's Highland Hall series will be thrilled with this newest book ~ it's a highly recommended read. This is a feel good book when you turn the last page you won't regret a moment spent reading it!

I was provided a review copy of this book by the publisher Multnomah with no expectation of a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.


About the Book:
Separated by an inconceivable tragedy, can faith and love reunite childhood friends and light the way to a bright future? 

In a quiet corner of northern Edwardian England, Margaret Lounsbury diligently works in her grandmother’s millinery shop, making hats and caring for her young sister. Several years earlier, a terrible event reshaped their family, shattering an idyllic life and their future prospects. Maggie is resilient and will do what she must to protect her sister Violet. Still, the loss of her parents weighs heavily on her heart because she wonders if what happened that day on the lake…might not have been an accident.

When wealthy inventor and industrialist William Harcourt dies, his son and Maggie’s estranged childhood friend, Nathaniel returns from his time in the Royal Navy and inherits his father’s vast estate, Morningside Manor. He also assumes partial control of his father’s engineering company and the duty of repaying an old debt to the Lounsbury family. But years of separation between Nate and Maggie have taken a toll and Maggie struggles to trust her old friend.

Can Maggie let go of the resentment that keeps her from forgiving Nate—and reconciling with God? Will the search for the truth about her parents’ death draw the two friends closer or leave them both with broken hearts?