This was a very quick read and excellent story I thoroughly enjoyed.

The characters were relatable, the story was good, and the pace of the storytelling kept me interested from beginning to end.

Judith Miller was the first author I read as I left the kid's section of the library, and I've enjoyed her writing ever since. I love that she focuses on different types of stories. The characters in this story are unique in their situations and interests, and Miller brings a fresh view to Christian fiction.

Sweet Christian Historical Romance. Mellie is from a well to do family whose reputation and finances suffered thanks to her brother in law. So that she could make more money, she gave up her job as a tutor to work in the mills to help support her sister and her family. While in school, she had learned a talent for Scherenschnitte, paper silhouette cutting. Since additional income was needed, she found a shop in town where she earned extra money doing Scherenschnitte.
Morgan is the mill owners son. Returning home from being away at school, he wants to learn ways to improve the mills and put his engineering degree to work. To be more efficient, he went to work there under an assumed name. This is an intricate story involving likable characters, and you'll find yourself rooting for them. Lessons of forgiveness and God's love throughout the story. As is typical for Judith Miller, this is well researched and she brings to life what it must have been like to work in the mills at that time. It was an important business for our country, but working conditions were terrible. Such a good story I didn't want it to end. I'm hoping for a sequel!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#AperfectSilhouette #NetGalley

This is one that I will come back to in paperback. I like it but I would like to read it in paperback since I prefer historical fiction to be in my hands.

Mellie left her home in Concord to help supplement her families income. Gambling debts and embezzlement have ruined her family leaving her sister a widow with young children. Mellie has such a strong sense of family and responsibility that she knows she must help them even if it means working in a mill.

Morgan is the son of the owner of the mill. He wants to work as a laborer to see what he can do to help out the workers and help the business run more efficiently. He knows he has a better chance of succeeding if he is seen as a fellow employee. He also has a strong sense of responsibility and family.

It only makes sense that the two would be attracted to each other and find things in common. I loved the simple part of their romance. The conflict comes when they realize that they haven't been completely honest with each other.

I found this story to be very sweet. I enjoyed reading their story. I was particularly interested in the art of paper cutting. I had to go and look up the technique. It is truly fascinating that someone could create delicate works art with a pair of scissors.

I wish that I could have know what happens to Mellie's sister and her children. I would have loved if the story could have taken them on a visit to her sister's home. This is a sweet story with a happily-ever-after.

Source: I received a complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Mellie has gone to work in a textile mill in order that she might make some money to help support her sister and niece and nephew. In order to make some extra income, she works in the evenings cutting silhouettes for people using a practice called Scherenschnitte. While there, she meets Morgan and I don't need to say anything else there.

I was fascinated by this paper cutting technique. I cannot draw anything and so the idea of cutting true-to-life images of people using scissors is just amazing to me. I would like to watch this and see how it is done.

As far as the story, it was a fun read, interesting to see how all the events would unfold. It seemed a bit hurried toward the end, where the one character makes a complete turn around in their personality and character and ideas all within a 24 hour period. That seemed a little unrealistic to me, but it made the story interesting anyway.

I was also appalled at the hours these ladies were forced to work in the mills and the rather strict rules they needed to observe at their boardinghouses as well. It seemed a bit slave-like. I am assuming the story was based on real-life practices from that era, though I didn't research it myself and there was no note from the author either.

All-in-all I enjoyed the story and would read more books by Judith Miller.

I received this book from Bethany House via NetGalley and was not required to write a positive review.

Good story premise. Excellent historical read. Characters are fairly well developed and the romance is good. Trust issues, Faith issues, and Class Status issues are themed.

I really enjoyed this story and the historical depiction of the workings of a textile mill. After I read this book, I ran across a couple of seasons of The Mill, a BBC production inspired by true stories of an 1840-50s textile mill in England. The depiction was so similar to what I read in this book. I was further impressed.

The major thing that kept this from being a 4 or 5 star read is there are quite a few unresolved problems -- widowed sister and family-what happened to them? The hero gave up his pampered son place to find out from a worker's POV what working a textile mill was like and what needed changing - nothing was resolved here about the changes.

People are complex and, of course, meet Jesus in many different ways. One character gets tied up with Jesus in buttons and bows without any real reason why. We all have motivations and this woman's motivation of selfishness and snobbery was not addressed. Just too much fairy tale resolutions that kept this book from being a really good satisfying read.

Mellie Blanchard leaves her sister and sister’s children to try and bring in income to support them. Mellie moves to a boardinghouse in Manchester, NH to be part of the mill-working girls. To supplement that income, she also creates silhouette portraits at a photography studio in town. Mellie makes some friends, of course, from among the many women at the mill and boardinghouse. Mellie’s prior employment as a tutor/governess was upset when her brother-in-law had secrets come to light. These secrets, Mellie wishes to continue to hide.

William Morgan, son of a mill owner, asks his father to place him undercover in the mill in a technical role so that he can learn the ins and outs of the system, for the betterment of the workers. He knows that is privileged role would mean that workers would not be forthright with him. He, too, has secrets.

Fate brings Mellie and William together.

I enjoyed the history of this story and appreciated the details that Judith Miller is so good as building into her stories.

A Perfect Silhouette by Judith Miller is the second Christian Historical I’ve read recently involving working in the mills. Set in 1850 New Hampshire, we view the mill town, boarding house, and mill itself through the eyes of one young woman, Mellie Blanchard. We see the deplorable conditions within the mill walls, sweating to near-fainting with Mellie and breathing in stifling lint-laden air. The undeniable monotony of watching the loom shuttles whiz back and forth may have threatened to put me to sleep!
I thought William Morgan was very brave to take on a role beneath his social class in order to discover more about the true workings of his family’s mills.
There were some details about the looms that were hard for me to follow, or I wanted to leave for business people like Morgan and his father.
Trust and forgiveness are themes that are addressed as are loving one’s enemies, plus standing for one’s convictions.
One part of the story I am still puzzling over- could it really have happened like that? I’m not quite convinced.
I have enjoyed reading Miller’s books as she has lately taken us through several different professions in America’s history.
Quotes:
« He’d stepped into this new identity thinking he could do good, yet each lie had required another. He was beginning to have trouble sifting the lies from the truth. »
« “Prayer is our best hope—in all circumstances... »
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not affect my opinions for which I am solely responsible.

I requested and received this book through NetGalley and Baker Publishing. I am not forced to leave a review either positive or negative. This review is freely given and my own opinion.

I enjoy reading books by Judith Miller and I enjoyed this book also. When I started the book, I thought I had previously read it but knew that couldn't be true. I had read a book that involved the millworkers in that region and time period in a different book years ago. The only similarity was the description, a very accurate description, of the mills and working/living conditions.

The main characters in this book were well thought out and well-executed.individuals. The storyline was pretty believable also. It is, of course, a fiction book but well done. It is also a Christian fiction and that aspect is also well done. It shows God and a Christian life without being preachy.

I do not like reading books that need a lot of editing. Even though this was an advanced reader copy, the editing was well done. Not perfect but almost so. The story was well thought out and flowed smoothly. I was sorry when it ended. I would have liked it to go on a bit more to show what happened to Mellie and her sister.

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars and would recommend it to anyone wanting to read historical fiction.

I enjoyed this Christian historical novel written by Judith Miller. I immediately felt drawn into Mellie’s story line and appreciated her righteous character and compassionate heart. The author did a great job incorporating details about the time period to help the reader understand the difficult circumstances faced by the ladies who worked in the mills. I had a little bit harder time connecting with Morgan and his parents, but warmed up to them as the story progressed. I’ve always loved Grace Livingston Hill novels and this story reminded me somewhat of those books with a sweet heroine who has an almost impossible financial situation to overcome; and an upstanding guy who looks past her circumstances and sees her true value as a person. I appreciated Mellie’s strong faith and her willingness to sacrifice for others.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

A Perfect Silhouette was written by Judith Miller, and is set in the mid-1800s.
Summary: With a major scandal in her family’s recent past, Mellie Blanchard leaves her home behind, and takes a job at a mill in New Hampshire.
Not accustomed to manual labor, and shunned by the workers who disapprove of her fancy belongings, Mellie makes the best of her situation-if only for the money it will bring for her family back home.
Will Mellie be able to support her family? And what of the handsome stranger that quickly becomes more than a friend? Will she be able to handle more secrets when the truth is finally revealed?
My Thoughts: This book was a wonderful read. I thoroughly enjoyed the unique storyline, and could really feel for the characters as they dealt with some very tricky situations in their lives. It was also extremely interesting to read about the techniques the mills employed back then.
The story is well-written, interesting, and was a very quick read for me. I really liked it, and it is definitely worth the read.
I would like to thank Bethany House for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my review. Thank you!

Mellie Blanchard, a gently bred young woman who has benefitted from private school education and the finer things in life, find herself in need of a job. In 1850, the only respectable career for a young woman was in a fabric mill. Mellie makes her way to Manchester, New Hampshire and commits to working a full year at a mill. Along the way, she faces a host of unknowns—long hours of work, blackmail, and having three roommates. When she realizes that her mill pay won’t help her sister get out of debt soon enough, Mellie takes on a second job cutting silhouettes at a local photographer’s studio.

Morgan Stark, fresh out of college with an engineering degree, wants to make a difference in his father’s mills. He decides to enter the workforce incognito in order to learn the business from the ground up. He bumps into Mellie when he first arrives in town, and sees her again at the photographer’s studio. They strike up a friendship, but he isn’t honest with her about his background, which causes problems later on in the book.

This was a pleasant read, but the characters resolved their problems in such a tidy manner that the book seemed flat and predictable.

Starting with a side-note here: I'm a huge Avengers fan. I'm not going to lie, every time I read the surname Stark in this book, I thought of Tony Stark and I kept picturing his (Tony's) dad as in place of the character in the book.

Aside from that odd little side note, I enjoyed this story, although I wish the conflicts weren't quite so easily resolved. I like happy ever after stories and enjoy seeing issues resolved, but it seemed to happen a little too effortlessly in this book. I need a little bit of struggle to make it seem more realistic.

Reading about what life was like as a mill worker was fascinating. I knew that people worked really long hours in difficult conditions, but this story made it more real to me. I also wasn't aware that they had so many rules in their (very limited) off hours.

I was intrigued by Mellie's talent at Scherenschnitte (paper cutting), enough so that I had to google it to find out just what it was all about. Definitely a lot more labor intensive than what I was originally picturing. What a fun talent that would be to have.

This was an enjoyable, clean book to read.

I received an ARC of this book from Bethany House Publishers; via NetGalley, this review is my personal opinion.



What I like about this story is easy to read, faith center, there is no unnecessary drama, the characters are likable, the progression in the relationship between Mellie and Morgan is not force, but swiftly and I believe that Judith Mille wanted to give a message through her story on how important is, to be honest, and also forgive. If you like historical fiction and want to enjoy a lovely story filled with faith and beautiful end, this book is a great choice.

A unique story set in the mill factories where women worked in horrible conditions for not enough money. It was interesting imagining women setting out on their own to work in a town far away, in order to send money to their family so they can have a better life. Mellie received an offer from a traveling man, and decided it was the best way to help those she loves. When things seem to good to be true they often are. Sleeping in a room with 4 or 5 complete strangers would be a huge wake up call, and that wasn’t all Mellie had to adjust to. The viciousness of some of the female characters was tough to read. I couldn’t imagine being in that type of situation where blackmail was the norm. I enjoyed getting a glimpse into what life was like for those women who worked so hard for those they love. I loved how Millie wasn’t afraid to ask the photography shop owner if he might be interested in using her talents to help boost his business. This book touches on several different areas where people can be caused to stumble, and even Mellie was far from perfect. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Historical Romance. I received a copy of this book from Bethany House publishers and was in no way forced to post a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

A Perfect Silhouette
by Judith Miller

Bethany House

Bethany House Publishers

Christian

Pub Date 06 Aug 2019

I am reviewing a copy of A Perfect Silhouette through Bethany House Publishers and Netgalley:

This book transports us to 1850 Manchester New Hampshire where we meet Mellie Blanchard who takes a job at a mill in order to help provide for her family. Looking for additional earnings she approached a daguerreotype shop owner asking that he hire her to make paper cuttings or silhouette portraits for those who are unable to pay for the expensive daguerreotypes.

After a particularly charming customer catches Mellie off guard with his broad smile and twinkling eyes catch her off guard, when the customer asks to escort her home, the seeds of a romance start to blossom! The pieces of her new life seemingly fall perfectly into place. When her new venture leads to an unexpected opportunity, she finds herself confronted with the reality that the truth is not always what it seems!

Will Mellie, who has secrets of her own, find happiness in the new life she has built for herself in the busy mill town?

I give A Perfect Silhouette, five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

I've always enjoyed books by Judith Miller! I really liked the storyline and loved the characters. Mellie was very resourceful and strong. Of course there has to be a few "mean girls"... I loved how one in particular was dealt with. This story will make you consider some things in your own life. I would love to read a sequel to this book...

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley on behalf of the Publisher and was under no obligation to post a favorable review.

The Perfect Silhouette by Judith Miller tells the story of Mellie Blanchard as she begins a new life in Manchester, New Hampshire working in a cloth mill. Her family has fallen upon hard times and she must send money back to her widowed sister and her children. The work is long and difficult, but she’s determined to do right by her sister and provide for her as best she can. To make a few extra cents, she also starts working at a local photography shop making sillhouettes. And it’s there that a chance meeting will change her world.

Morgan Stark is the only heir of the Stark Mills fortune. But he will not be content to simply sit behind a desk. He wants to investigate what changes could be made to the mill to improve production and conditions for all the workers. The best way he can do that is by not coming in as the bosses son, but undercover as a regular mill worker named William Morgan. When he meets a sweet young woman in a photography shop who does the most beautiful sillhouettes, he can’t help but lose his heart. But what will she think of him when he reveals his true?

I enjoyed this book. The characters are sweet and the plot uncomplicated so it’s the perfect read for a lazy afternoon where you simply want a good story to fill your time. I enjoyed the twin sisters at the boardinghouse immensely, and Mr. Harrison was a delight. Things came a little too easily for Mellie, and she didn’t have to work through much conflict, but it was an enjoyable story nonetheless.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for an honest review. The opinions are my own.

With nods to North and South, Judith Miller’s A Perfect Silhouette is a sweet historical romance. Being a fan of Gaskell’s classic novel, I loved reading about a factory worker who falls in love with the mill owner. I liked both our hero, Morgan, and our heroine, Mellie, and enjoyed reading about their romance as it gently unfolded. Mellie’s riches-to-rags story and the secret of Morgan’s identity gave a deft nod to the Cinderella story, which I appreciated, while adding more depth to the plot and kept the reader guessing as to how things would unfold. A well rounded cast of supporting characters as well as a quaint New England setting provided a cozy backdrop for this endearing story. Overall, I really enjoyed this book.

Fans of sweet, inspirational historical romance will love A Perfect Silhouette.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.