This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Reviewed by Jennifer Senick for Readers' Favorite
A trip that doesn't go according to plan can sometimes change everything. In The Sewing Room by Diane Winnick, eighteen-year-old Amanda Harrison is excited to leave Surrey and spend a holiday with her aunt, Millicent, in London. It's December 1860, and she has a few places she’d like to visit. Unfortunately, her journey gets off to a rough start. Between train delays, a snowstorm, and accidentally leaving most of her money at home, Amanda has more than enough to worry about. Things get even worse when she arrives at her aunt's boardinghouse and discovers that her aunt no longer lives there. With nowhere to stay for the night, she is offered a cot in the sewing room. It's certainly not how she imagined her visit beginning! Amanda's stay ends up being quite different from what she planned. She makes new friends, gets to know the other residents, and meets James Finley, who catches her attention. What was supposed to be a holiday has become much more than a visit with her aunt. But with so many changes taking place, what will Amanda decide to do about her future?
Amanda is easy to like. She's smart, resourceful, and very capable of taking care of herself. At the same time, she's a little naive about certain things, which made sense considering her age and upbringing. She was also determined, and it was admirable how she handled herself when things went wrong. James was a different story. He certainly has some good qualities, but there were times when I found him quite frustrating. It’s understandable why Amanda would be attracted to him, though. Their relationship wasn't always simple, and I liked that. Diane Winnick does a great job of describing London in the 1860s. The streets, buildings, and even some of the clothing of the time were also easy to visualize. I appreciated getting to know all the characters in the story. The old saying "All that glitters is not gold" seems especially fitting here. People aren't always who they appear to be, and Amanda has some lessons to learn about that. Since The Sewing Room is the first installment in a trilogy, I'm curious to see what happens next. Anyone who enjoys historical fiction with romance, a bit of drama, and characters who aren't always perfect should pick this one up.
