When Fate Steps In


Fiction - Historical - Event/Era
230 Pages
Reviewed on 05/31/2012
Buy on Amazon

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.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Alice DiNizo for Readers' Favorite

It's 1860 in England and Elena Dryfess is picking herbs as her sister Mary Margaret has their meal ready to eat. Mary Margaret lovingly touches the elegant china plates she uses to set the table in their small cottage home. They both recall earlier times of happiness followed by pain and terror. Back then their mother, Doris Madison, had worked as housekeeper for Lord and Lady Birmingham. Lord Robert Birmingham is sickly but kind but Lady Evelyn, his wife, is nasty. Elena spends time with Daniel Dryfess who works on the Birmingham's farm estate, but Mary Margaret is in love with Lord Charles Birmingham, the son and of Lord and Lady Birmingham. Lord Charles and Mary Margaret run off to Gretna Green to marry, and when they return home, Lord Robert is happy but Lady Evelyn is furious. Will these two pairs of lovers survive over the years?

"When Fate Steps In" is a well-written and well-edited historical romance that readers will enjoy. The characters of Elena, Daniel, Charles and Mary Margaret, Lord Robert, Doris, Andy and his mother are created well, but Lady Evelyn Birmingham needs to be much less evil to fit into the storyline. Perhaps she was mistreated as a child or made to marry Lord Robert when she really loved someone else. Andy's as well as his mother's role in the story needs to be more than vindictive. Perhaps their family was treated cruelly by accident. The introduction of James who is Mary Margaret and Charles' kidnapped son the at story's end is nicely played out and readers will like adding "When Fate Steps In" to their reading lists.