The Artful Match by Jennifer Delamere

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Story Notes

Jennifer Delamere’s conclusion to her London Beginnings series is a nice story that seeks to teach lessons about forgiveness, love and not keeping secrets.

I have enjoyed getting to know the Bernay sisters throughout this series. They are similar in their beliefs but so different in their life directions. This story focuses on the youngest sister, Cara, who begins with an inauspicious happening – she has lost track of the child for whom she is governess. The young heir to the Needenham estate and title, Robbie, wandered away from Cara as she was dozing in the shade and everyone is in a panic. Finding Robbie is the beginning of further trouble as his parents are only waiting to see if he will live through his subsequent illness to hand out Cara’s punishment. Cara makes a vow to God to never care for children again if God will spare Robbie’s life, a true sacrifice for her as she dearly loves children. When Robbie pulls through and she is sent packing, Cara must now decide how to make her way. She has always wanted to spend more time with her art but has not had ample opportunity before. A chance meeting with Langham Burke, a fairly known artist, gives Cara the entrance she needs into the world of being an artist. Langham longs for the chance to truly show his work to the world but is hampered by his family “obligations” that his brother insists he have. But Henry Burke is not the ogre Langham believes and truly just wants the chance to make his family solvent once again. Langham agrees to return to the family country estate if he may bring Cara along, an easy request for Henry to grant since he has seen how much Cara helps his brother. And her intriguing way of handling his ward, Amelia, makes her visit one Henry is looking forward to. Now if only he can find the investors he needs for the family copper mines, he might have a chance to breathe easy for the first time in years. Too bad his mother is aiming for more than just adding investors to the family acquaintance. As the story continues to unfold, there is much forgiveness and revelation of truth that needs to happen before everyone is on the same page. And it just might be that a chance for love between Henry and Cara makes for the best ending for everyone. I loved the steady but easy pace of this story. It was a good read with plenty of good dialogue that didn’t get boring or repetitive. I really liked the characters too as they were very realistically written and distinct. Even without having their name added after a passage was spoken I could have told you who had said it – that was a nice touch. I also enjoyed seeing each character go on their journey towards forgiveness and love. Every one of the main characters – Henry, Langham, Cara and Amelia – were searching for a way to make up for their past and, further, find a place to belong. The elements of faith were a bit quieter in this story but they were present. Rather than have a big conversion for one of the characters there was an understanding that they already possessed saving faith and were striving to live it out the best they could. It was good to see that when they were challenged, their faith grew as they learned that they cannot hope to live the Christian life without God’s help. I will certainly recommend this story and the series to others as I really enjoyed them all. Hopefully Ms. Delamere will bring out a new set of stories soon.

I received this E-book free of charge from Bethany House Publishers via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. I will receive no fiscal compensation from either company for this review and the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.

What a wonderful conclusion to this fantastic series! This is book 3 in the London Beginnings series featuring three Bernay sisters. You would not have to read the two previous books as Jennifer Delamere brings in some of the sister’s doings from the previous books into this one to tie it altogether. Delamere’s writing is believable and easy to follow. The setting of 1881 England with its finery and artistic world is very interesting as we glimpse it from the author’s vivid descriptions. The characters are interesting, endearing, and unique, with some twists and surprises. There is also a faith thread that is woven seamlessly into the characters’ lives. All of this with a very satisfying ending,

Ms. Delamere has once again captured me with her beautiful writing style and beloved characters. I love the way she pulls you to the heart of the story instantly when you open the book. Her books always make me smile and reflect on the story long after I close the book. While this is book 3 in the London Beginnings series, it’s certainly easily read as a stand alone.

I absolutely adored Henry and Cara’s characters. They were chiseled beautifully and really came to life within the story. I loved watching Cara come to terms with the secrets of the Burke family and seeing how she truly felt, and followed her heart’s passion. Henry was a bold, handsome character and I loved how he was added into the story. Beautiful! And the orphanage was a wonderful addition to the story. I loved seeing how Ms. Delamere wove that in!

Not only is this story faith-filled, it’s a story that will leave you thinking about your own life story, leave you smiling for the amazing characters that are now family, and leave you wanting more from this magnificently talented author. If you are looking for a 4 star, heart-warming, faithful story blended with just the right amount of sweet romance and historic details, then look no further than this novel by Ms. Delamere. I can’t wait for another story!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley, Bethany House Publishers and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*

Lord Henry Morestowe is in for quite a surprise. His taking over the family title and business has been rather difficult. Loosing his father has thrust him into responsibility that he didn't particularly want. The family finances are floundering a bit because farming is no longer as lucrative as it has been. Thus he may have to start working the family copper mine, if he can find investors.

But there is also his brother, Langham, who is not exactly helping things out with the family. He is an aspiring artist and thus like most Victorian artists, he is a starving artist. But he really isn't starving, because he spends the families money as if there is no end to it.

Add to this mix Miss Cara Bernay, an orphan, a recently fired goveunness, and also an aspiring artist. She will enter the picture with Langham, but eventually cause all kinds of angst for Lord Morestowe, who happens to fall in love with her, only he doesn't know it for the longest time.

The story is well researched. The Regency Romance aspect is perfect. The Aesthetic Movement of the time period is well developed in the novel and well, the aspect of aristocracy not mixing with the common laborer is also well documented and woven into the story.

Along the lines of a Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen novel we find that Jennifer Delamere writes a beautiful novel with plenty of wit, wisdom, romance and intrigue. This is the first of Jennifer's novels that I have read, but I see that it is book #3 so now I must go back and read books 1 and 2.

Enjoy!

"The Artful Match" is a Christian romance set in 1881 in England. This novel is the 3rd in the series, and it wrapped up the ongoing story of the three sisters, though the focus was mainly on Cara. You don't need to read the previous novels to understand this one.

The main characters were likable. Cara was very kind and patient with children, but due to a mistake that endangered a child, she swore to never be solely responsible for one again. She decided to learn painting as a profession but ended up also working with a difficult child. Henry wanted to do what's right for his family and difficult ward but resented his brother's irresponsible actions adding to his burden. While initially cautious about his brother's friend, Cara, he's soon drawn in by her kindness and joy. They make a good match and bring out the best in each other.

Historical details were woven into the story to give it a distinct sense of time and place. During her years in an orphanage run by Mueller, Cara learned to pray to God for help and trust that he would provide. She prayed to God with faith during this story, and she also was grateful to God for his provision. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable novel.

The Artful Match is the third book in Delamere's London Beginnings series. Delamere is a new-to-me author, and as such, I had not read the first two books in the series. Fortunately the book's prologue gives just enough background information to help a new reader, and not enough to spoil their wanting to go back and read the previous books. I certainly enjoyed The Artful Match enough to want to read other books by this author, and enough to want to know the stories of the main character's two sisters and their father.

     Caroline (better known as Cara) Bernay had been serving the Needenham family as a governess for their four-year-old son Robbie for almost two years prior to a disastrous outing that led to her dismissal. Vowing never to serve as a governess again, Cara headed to London to connect with one of her sisters, not knowing that Julia was out of the country with her new husband. While she'd never considered using her artistic talents to support herself, finding herself alone on the streets of London and meeting a fellow artist gave rise to that possibility. Langham Burke, brother of the Earl of Morestowe, took Cara under his wing, finding her a temporary home and opportunities within the art community. His brother, Henry, was captivated by Cara's beauty and her ability to work with his wayward ward, but his responsibilities as Earl and his family's dwindling finances dictated where his attentions must lie.

     The Artful Match deals with themes of honesty, integrity and the importance of character over station. While the aristocracy does not carry quite the same stature as it did in the late 1800s, there are elements of social status and the class structure that continue to insert themselves. The idea of being a person of high character who can rise above one's current circumstances resonates across time. I am grateful to have received a copy of this book from Bethany House via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. I was under no obligation to provide a positive review and received no monetary compensation.

A suitable finale to the lives of the Bernay sisters, “The Artful Match” is the third and final book in the London Beginnings trilogy. As it turns out, it was also my favorite. This surprised me because at first I was not even sure that I particularly cared for Cara, who seemed flighty and capricious. However, beginning with that “perfectly imperfect day” when her life irrevocably changes, she demonstrates a laudable strength of character and adaptability. Jennifer Delamere adroitly brings this series to a satisfying close by drawing together certain points concerning Rosalyn and Julia as well as Cara. Astute readers may pick up on a few of these details if they have read books one and two, and as such, while “The Artful Match” can be read as a standalone, reading this trilogy in order is highly recommended.

This novel forms an intriguing portrait of life in 1881 London and its environs. As its title suggests, the art scene serves as a primary catalyst for the first part of the story. Given that this was a time of both the celebration and liberation of art, the intertwining of history and fiction provides a fascinating panorama for the reader. From the esteemed Grosvenor Gallery to the humble artist’s studio, the art world shines with novelty. Although not shockingly avant-garde, the bohemian lifestyle of many artists during the Aesthetic Movement offers a unique foil to the more conventional society, and placing Cara among them allows her to develop a more independent nature and to pursue her own artistic bent.

Family affairs encroach upon the more lighthearted aspect of the narrative and ultimately pave the way for transformation and healing. Langham Burke stands apart from his aristocratic family because of his artistic endeavors and irresponsible lifestyle, the misunderstood artist, and the beauty of his acquaintance with Cara bears fruit throughout the storyline. Her godly influence on the stern and noble Lord Morestowe and especially his ward, the unruly Amelia, prove to be a means of healing for all of them. As the prototypical problem child, Amelia is one of my favorite characters because of her insight and precocious depth of understanding. As modern readers we can learn much from how she is treated by various people in the story. Furthermore, although the faith aspect is mostly subtle, it still forms the foundation for the changes which the characters undergo. Lord Morestowe’s acumen sums up what we should all realize and attain to: “The future was, as it always had been, in God’s hands. He would keep working, and he would keep praying for help and guidance.”

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author and NetGalley in exchange for a review. A favorable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

Cara is very sweet and naive and especially good with children, but sometimes her impulsive (and frequently foolish) decisions threatened to drive me crazy. Just because things generally turned out all right is no excuse to, for instance, go home with a man she meets that day on the street, even if he appears to be a harmless, impulsive artist. She's a human trafficking statistic waiting to happen. I also didn't understand her reasoning for falling in love until the end when it was explained better--not sure if I missed it initially, or it wasn't explained until then--but it underscored her occasional lack of good sense (how could a penniless orphan suddenly believe she was destined to marry an earl?). But I did appreciate that as mad as she is at her sisters, Cara still clearly loves them--years of love don't turn into hate just because she's angry.

I guess one could call this a comedy of misunderstandings (not that it's particularly humorous, though it is fairly light in tone): a lot of grief and frustration could have been avoided if things had been talked through rather than allowed to fester into misunderstandings. Granted, without them we wouldn't have had a story, as Cara would have sensibly gone to her sister's and Henry and his brother might not have spent years of undeserved animosity. And then Henry and Cara would never have met, and they do actually balance each other out quite well.

It was nice to have resolve to things brought up in the first two books and interesting to catch a glimpse of the late Victorian art scene. I enjoyed seeing the different ways the Victorian era changed life for women throughout the series.

Thank you Bethany House and NetGalley for the complimentary e-book. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.

This is the third book in the series. It tells the stories of three sisters, and this one tells Cara's story. The first book, The Captain's Daughter, is about Rosalyn, and the second, The Heart's Appeal, is Julia's story.

Cara is considered to be the most emotional of the sisters. Not only is she the baby of the family, her sisters don't think she can take care of herself. Due to an unfortunate mistake, she loses her job as governess and is out on the streets. She tries to go to Julia, but her sister is away from home. Not only that, but Cara is shocked to discover that Julia has gotten married and went to South America! Cara feels betrayed and angry, and after a discovery at a pawn shop, she doesn't want to reach out to her other sister, Rosalyn, either. She meets Langham, an artist, and realizes she wants to be an artist as well. Langham is a bit of a mess, but she's confident his heart is in the right place.

Henry already knows that his brother is a bit of a mess, and he's come to London to track him down. When Henry finds his brother drunk at a pub, he also meets Cara. She immediately catches his eye, and he's curious as to what she's doing with people like his brother. Henry doesn't understand the art world, but he's going to get acquainted with it. The more time he spends with Cara, the more he likes her. And when he sees how well she deals with his young ward, he likes her even more. They both have secrets they keep close, but only the full truth will allow them to be together.

I enjoyed this one. I liked almost all the characters. I won't list them here, but they were well-written and easy to care about. You'd be okay reading these out of order, but if you like this kind of book, you'll get more out of them reading them in order. Good Book!

*I received a copy of this book from Bethany House through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Artful Match by Jennifer Delamere, from Bethany House Publishing, is a book I requested through NetGalley to read and review. The book was an advanced reader's copy and because of this I will not deduct for poor editing but I will mention that the editing in the book I read was in need of better editing.

The book is the third in a series and I read one book previously. Reading the previous book was not necessary to understand this book. In fact, at first, I thought I was re-reading a book, but that was very short lived. I enjoyed the previous book and I enjoyed this one just as much. It is a historical fiction set in England in the late 1800s. It is also a Christian book, clean and not offensive, but not pushy.

The characters are well developed and mostly believable. The story flowed well. The ending tied up the three books well. The story was somewhat believable but since it is fiction and a fun book to read not totally believable.

I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books by Jennifer Delamere. I would recommend this book to my friends. I give it 5 out of 5 stars. I did receive a free, advanced reader's copy and the review was not required and is my own opinion. I do not give a synopsis of the book as you can find that when you purchase the book, I just give you my opinion and state if I would recommend it or not.

I loved this book and the whole series!
It was a hard to put down book. I liked how the author wrapped everything up in this last book. Love this author!

THE ARTFUL MATCH by JENNIFER DELAMERE follows on from The Heart's Appeal, which I also enjoyed, but it can be read as a stand alone. It is a charming historical romance with good Christian content. The story takes place in the 1800's and moves from Venezuela to England. Subjects such as family or lack thereof, bringing up children and class distinction, are addressed in the book.
Cara Bernay and her two sisters were brought up in an orphanage. Cara, after an unfortunate incident when she was working as a governess, goes to London where she meets Langham Burke, the Earl of Morestowe's brother, and his two artist friends. She decides to follow a career as an artist and is very excited to be independent.
Through Langham she meets his brother, Henry, and Henry's ward, Amelia.
Cara is a natural with children and has a calming effect on the rather difficult little girl. In fact she is good for the Burke family who are in financial straits and who are hiding what they think they know about Amelia's parentage in order to keep their good name in society. The rather scary Lady Morestowe does not take to Cara as have the other members of her family!
I am not going to tell you any more except to say it is a lovely story with well developed characters and quite a bit of intrigue. I can highly recommend the book.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bethany House Publishers. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

The Artful Match is the 3rd Book in Jennifer Delamere's London Beginnings series. I have not read the first two books in the series, but I feel that this book can be read as a standalone novel. This was an enjoyable novel, with a great storyline and interesting characters. I have not read many books during this time period 1881 in London or know a lot about titled nobility, so I liked learning some fascinating new things about this time period. The faith theme is important, and fans of historical fiction will definitely enjoy this novel.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House through NetGalley and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.

The Artful Match is the third book in Jennifer Delamere's London Beginnings Series. It can be read as a stand alone as each book features the story of one of three sisters. This book is the youngest sister, Cara's story. I read this first book in this series, but missed the second one. That being said, I was able to jump right into this book without any trouble, although references to the story line of the second book have made me curious and interested in reading the book I've missed.

Set in London and the English countryside, the story line was intriguing, with a deeply guarded family secret that the Earl of Morestowe and his mother seem willing to protect at all costs. London is one of my favorite places to visit, in person or in a novel, and the descriptive narrative made both the city and country come to life! I really enjoyed the spunky and mischievous character Amelia. Jennifer Delamere said that Amelia was her favorite character to write and it shows. Amelia's personality leaps from the page and her transformation from a storm to be reckoned with to an integral member of the family will endear her to readers. Sadly, I liked Cara, but thought she was overly naive...who in their right mind steps foot in a new city and immediately trusts the first person they come in contact with? I also would have liked to have seen more development of the Henry/Cara story line. I felt like they didn't have many opportunities to interact with one another and would have enjoyed a few more paragraphs of "togetherness". I appreciated the theme of discovering and using the gifts that God has given us. They are part of what makes us unique and sharing them with others is a blessing not only to others but to ourselves as well. I still enjoyed the story, overall it was an entertaining, fun, light read. I would recommend it for those who enjoy historical fiction .

The Artful Match is book 3 of a series. I read it as a stand alone novel, but it would probably be best to read book 1 and 2 before this one. As a stand alone novel, I enjoyed the story. Cara, the main character finds herself out of a job and place to live, and meets up with an artist. The artist has a handsome brother that catches her interest. It's a wonderful story of 1880's England. I will read this one again and again!

WHY I CHOOSE THIS BOOK

It sounded intriguing. I actually vacillated a bit while trying to decide if I was going to download it for review or not, because I figured from the blurb that the romance might be a bigger part of the plot than I generally like. In the end, my intrigue won out and I read it.

WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS BOOK

This book was not my cup of tea. I didn’t really dislike it, but I felt rather meh about the whole story. I should have listened to my instincts about it probably not being a story that I’d really like so that I didn’t have to write an unexcited review because the book wasn’t bad, just not for me.

In an effort to be succinct, here’s a list of pros and cons.

Pros:
*The life of an artist was well portrayed. Reading about the painters in the story felt very real and even several weeks after finishing the book I can still imagine them bending over their canvases.
*The main character grew up in one of the orphanages run by George Müller. This wasn’t a huge part of the story, but it was probably my favorite thing about the book, considering I read/heard a ton about Mr. Müller when I was younger.
*The misunderstandings between the brothers was very well written – and despite the fact that the misunderstanding itself bugged me to bits (I mean, come on guys!), it was executed well.

Cons:
*The life of an artist was maybe a little too well portrayed. As in, even though it didn’t go into detail I didn’t like how much it alluded to the fact that their lives weren’t exactly righteous.
*There was too much romance for my tastes, but again I know this is a personal thing, and I don’t think there was wrong romance – it just took over the plot.
*The big misunderstanding going on between the brothers bothered me so much. I won’t go into it for spoiler’s sake, but I’m really glad I don’t have a relationship with any of my siblings like that…

CONCLUSION

I don’t think I’ll read another book by this author, nor would I recommend them, but hey! It might be someone else’s style…

RATING

I’m giving The Artful Match 3 out of 5 stars. Thank you so much Bethany House and NetGalley for letting me review this book.

The Artful Match by Jennifer Delamere was my first taste of Ms. Delamere's writing and to be perfectly honest, the reason I chose to read and review this book was the book cover. I know that it is an unspeakable rule of reading that one must NEVER judge a book by its cover!  ;) However, I believe that I redeemed myself by greatly enjoying this cute tale that I wouldn't have found without happening across the cover.  Although this is the third book in Ms. Delamere's series London Beginning, I had no trouble picking up on the characters and context.  Ms. Delamere welcomes her readers into the world of her characters with ease, giving us a glimpse into late 19th century England with the story of Cara Bernay an orphaned young woman looking for her path in life.
Cara Bernay's cheerful outlook on life even after enduring tragedy in her life endears her to everyone she meets (not to mention the readers of this book) and makes it hard for some to take her seriously.  However, Cara early on in the book deals with the serious consequences for a mistake she makes in her job, leaving her with no job and nothing to hold onto.  Can she make herself a career in art with her painting abilities? She takes the train to London and happens into someone similar to herself, a young man with an interest in art, though he is carefree and somewhat irresponsible.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Ms. Delamere created characters that were believable, easy to relate to, and  brought them through situations that although complex were realistic. I also appreciated the strong positive outlook and clear importance that family, faith, and integrity had in this work. She did an excellent job of weaving struggles and everyday difficulties with much larger seemingly insurmountable problems, and letting the characters face them in their own ways.

This is the third book in a trilogy. I hadn’t read the other two and I didn’t feel lost at all. It can stand alone. Very well written story of a girl finding her path.