4.5 stars

This was a great historical fiction. I do wish the end wasn’t wrapped up so quickly, but I did enjoy it very much.

Evie is a smart and precocious little girl being raised by her father. He finds her a governess who is nicknamed the Goblin, but the Goblin works for the same family that Sara, the laundress works for and Evie becomes attached to her. Eventually, Sara comes to work for Evie’s father, James, as Evie’s governess and James becomes attached to Sara, too.

There were many hits to Sara’s backstory, so by the time the reveal comes you already know Sara’s backstory. I wish it wasn’t so obvious. I did enjoy this book and finished the audiobook in one day.

I did receive an e-ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my review.

The Lawyer and the Laundress by Christine Hill Suntz tells a sweet story of romance and loyalty. It offers a unique look at a place and time in history that was previously little-known to me, making me want to learn more about the historical events that overlapped in this fascinating setting of 1830s Toronto.

A little bit of intrigue and plenty of secrets complicate the plights of Sara and James, making their relational dynamic complicatedly move from acquaintance to reluctant friendship to more. I particularly enjoyed the way each viewed the world, and how they were romantically drawn to each other from the start. Their sweet romance turns into a marriage of convenience trope, my favorite!

I must mention Evie, a precious and precocious character who steals Sara’s heart. It is always nice when a child character is so endearingly realistic and central to the story.

My thanks to the author for the review ecopy. This is my honest review.

Impressive New Author!
Canada 1837
I was drawn to the name and cover of this book, and I was thoroughly engrossed in the story of Sara, James, Evie, and Henry from start to finish. I mention the children because they are integral to moving things forward. I loved how smart Evie was and how devoted Henry was. Kind, hardworking Sara is trying to outrun her past. I quite liked her. James is driven and doing his best as a single father, beating himself up for not being the 'ideal' husband. Meanwhile, class distinctions are like lines drawn in the sand, and tension runs high, adding to the backdrop of this tale. Additionally, faith is gently layered in, as well as certain characters come to grips with who the Lord is in their lives.

I would love to see Evie and Henry 10 or 15 years in the future!!

I recommend this 5-star novel and look forward to what is next from this author.

I received an eVersion from the publisher and NetGalley without expectation or compensation. All opinions are mine alone.

Read in 1 sitting/could not put it down!

Many great reads easily push forward a favorite character. In The Lawyer and the Laundress the list is long --Sara, Evie, Henry. James. Oh, and Sara's Granny! It's impossible to choose. Such a charming and well written historical fiction with themes of faith, heartbreak, hope, love and learning to trust in God's sovereign timing. These and interesting Canadian history that I am not very familiar with made for a very engaging story.
Thanks to NetGalley and Tyndale Publishers for the opportunity to read for my honest review.

A Canadian historical romance, two people from different positions find themselves inextricably bond together, can they find love too?

Sara O'Connor is a laundress with a secret. James Kinney is a widowed lawyer with a young daughter who has become very attached to the pretty laundress.

A wholesome historical romance with likable characters, and a sweet little girl. Sara was hardworking and determined throughout. Evie is so sweet, and quick to pick up on things. James is a concerned father, doing his best to stay on top of all of his responsibilities. I liked that there was a strong theme of faith throughout as well and I liked learning more about Canada during that time period.

Well written, with good storytelling skill, this book is easy to read and flows well with believable characters that pop off the page. A satisfying read by a debut author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I loved the story! I had never read a story about the revolution happening in Canada with England. The lawyer in the laundress was a sweet love story and a story of finding your family and who you truly are. This story had enough excitement, adventure, twists, and turns, and romance to keep me interested from the beginning to the end, a perfect historical read.

Compelling, engaging story, set in 1800's Canada, about class divisions, deception, loss, love, redemption, and revolution- with a strong faith thread. Recommended for historical romance fans.

As a disclaimer, I DNFed this one so this is just a review of what I have read. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into it, there was nothing that caught my attention right away so I wasn't really invested in the story.

I haven't found a lot of historical fiction that takes place in Canada (feel free to drop me suggestions!) So this was a sweet trip into 1800s Toronto. A woman in hiding as a laundress becomes close to a young girl, whose father has connections to her previous life. The community is on the verge of rebellion and she's trying to remain hidden.

Loved this quote "You figure God abandoned you, but you know deep down that's not true. He was there all along, holding you up until you were ready to stand again."

This is the author's debut novel, highly recommend!

*A big thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for hte ARC and for the opportunity to post an honest review!

📚✨ BOOK REVIEW ✨📚

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Closed-Door Historical Fiction Romance
🪶 @christinehillsuntz

𝙇𝙖𝙬𝙮𝙚𝙧 𝙅𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙆𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙮 𝙞𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙖𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙎𝙖𝙧𝙖 𝙊’𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙧 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙. 𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙨 𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙖 𝘽𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙨𝙝 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙮 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙤𝙛 𝙧𝙚𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙖 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙮 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙫𝙖𝙡.

🎩 Thank you so much to @netgalley for this wonderful ARC. Historical Fiction is a genre I don’t dabble in much, but I so much enjoyed this debut novel! I am hoping there will be a continuation of the story as James, Sara, and Evie were most delightful to read. Christine wrote such an emotional tale of Canadian Rebellion, grief, and found family. I will definitely read more from this author!

🧵Canada, 1837. Widower James Kinney knows his precocious daughter, Evie, needs more than his lessons on law and logic, but Toronto offers few options. Classes with the neighbor children seem ideal until James discovers Evie is secretly spending her time with Sara O’Connor, a kind and mysteriously educated servant. For propriety’s sake, James forbids their friendship. But then Evie falls victim to the illness ravaging the city, and James must call upon Sara’s medical knowledge and her special bond with Evie to save his daughter’s life.

When Sara’s presence in his household threatens scandal, however, James offers an unexpected solution: become his wife, in name only, and help him raise Evie to be a proper young lady.

If Sara can ignore the sparks she feels when they’re together, his logical proposal could keep her secret secure forever. But soon, the forces of rebellion unravel their tidy arrangement. When James is accused of treason, Sara must find the courage to face a past that could save her husband’s life.🧵

#historicalfiction #canadianrebellion #christianfiction #thelawyerandthelaundress #foundfamily #netgalley

interesting and well-done historical work which certainly sweeps you away. i would have liked to get more detail about the surrounding worldbuilding, but it was still great. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

Sara O’Connor never dreamed her choices would lead her here. Desperate for work, she becomes the laundress at a nearby inn, where she befriends the children who work there or are tutored there.

James Kinney is a principled lawyer raising a daughter on his own. When Evie catches a life-threatening illness, he must rely on the laundress from the inn to tend to Evie after the doctor has given him no hope.

Set in Toronto in 1837, this historical romance is about a woman with a mysterious past and a man with a hurting heart who discover they might find a safe place to flourish and heal in their relationship with the other.

I found the writing to be fresh and engaging, and I easily lost myself in the storyline. My one small complaint is that this leans heavily into the romance with only a small side of real-life history. My personal preference is to have that more balanced. But aside from that, I enjoyed this story and can’t wait to see what Christine Hill Suntz publishes next.

I received my copy of the book from the author. All thoughts in this story are my own.

One of the best novels I have read in quite sometime.
This is a new to me author and I was extremely happy that I read this one.

It was an emotional read for me as the cruelty of Lexi fortunate waa on full display however I loved how one wealthy little girl and one poor little boy were became integral to the storyline.

I loved the grit and determination of the main characters and rooted for them throughout.

My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy
Of this book.

THIS was a good one! The story began with an instantly captivating character in Sara O'Connor, laundress, quickly morphed into a page-turning historical romance, complete with a life threatening illness, marriage of convenience, and even a rebellion that had me feeling like I was back in my "Dear America" books era (though this story was technically set in Canada).

This story had everything I wanted. Suspense, danger, sizzle, a very well done plot twist (which I did discover before it was confirmed in the book), very loveable (and hateable) characters, especially the two children, Evie and Henry.

Highly recommend especially for if you like...
-Marriage of Convenience
-Plague/illness/healer
-Dear America

*I received a copy of this book for free from Netgalley. The above ideas are my own.

The Lawyer and the Laundress is a beautiful faith based, wholesome, clean story blended with history of the British colony in Canada, 1837.

There aren’t too many fiction stories I’ve read based in Canada so I was delighted to chose this story and I was not disappointed in the slightest. Christine Hill Suntz story flows really well and she pulls the reader in with her fantastic character development. After I read this story, I went to search for her other works and discovered that this is her debut novel. Her characters Sara, Sara’s grandma, James, and Evie now hold a special place in my heart and I felt such a deeply emotional tie to their story as if they were my own family. I wanted to reach out and protect them from danger. That means a lot when a story evokes such emotions. Be sure to have a tissue box next to you while reading this story!

Christine Hill Suntz is now one of my new favorite Christian writers and I look forward to reading more of her stories.

This story was so good. I loved the characters, history and storyline between Sara and James. Sara has been working as a laundress and doing all she can to get her and granny to a better place. Evie, a student of Mrs. Cooper’s has gotten herself in some hot water and when Sara steps in to take blame, she loses her position. How could she do this with granny counting on her? James has always tried to do right by his daughter with doing all he can to be both parents to her. But when Evie falls deathly ill and the only person she asks for is Sara, he knows he must find this woman. He can’t lose his daughter also! With the help of Evie’s friend, the stable boy Henry, they go in search of Sara. Willing to pay anything, James finally gets Sara to agree to take care of Evie’s sickness. Although tongues start wagging about James taking in a nurse governess for his sick daughter, he knows it was the right choice. When word about an uprising starts to spread, James and Sara both have to make some hasty and hard decisions to save each other and Evie. Can Sara really live a life like this again and can James love once more? I really enjoyed this story! Thank you to the author and publisher for the complementary novel and to Austenprose for the tour invite. This review is of my own opinion and accord.

Christine Hill Suntz, the Author of “The Lawyer and the Laundress” has written a captivating, intriguing Historical Romance. This novel is based on the Upper Canadian Rebellion on December 5, 1837. The Genres for this novel are Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Christian Historical Romance, and Fiction. In this well written novel, the author vividly describes the timeline, the scenery, the costumes, food, and the dramatic and colorful characters. My favorite characters are the two young children, Evie, the lawyer’s daughter, and Henry, a boy that works in the stables. The children speak their minds and take action. Lawyer James Kinney is a widower, and has a difficult time bringing up his independently young daughter. He feels school might be what Evie needs. The Laundress that works near there, isn’t a typical worker. There is a touch of class about her. Sara O’Connor is trying to hide her identity and has secrets. At the school that Evie goes too, Sara gets involved in helping and saving Evie.

There are adventure, twists and turns, danger, rebellion, lack of communication, betrayals, and secrets. Somehow in this hostile environment, James offers Sara the opportunity to marry, and take care of his daughter, and James will take care and protect Sara. When the rebellion threatens their safety, Sara must make important decisions. This is a delightful and romantic book, and I highly recommend this to others

I loved everything about this book! What fantastic characters, including the delightful Evie. James and Sara are well-developed and intricately layered and their upstairs/downstairs dynamic was more than met the eye as we learn about Sara’s past. I loved how protective James was, and how what started as practicality and protection so easily shifted into adoration. I was cheering for their relationship from the start- both of them so likable and genuine. I was also fascinated by the Canadian history I knew so little about. I’m so eager to read more from Suntz- she’s a fantastic new voice in historical fiction. This did NOT feel like a debut novel!

I received a complementary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. I was not asked to leave a positive review and my opinions are my own.

What country would you set a new book? I realized that while I love L.M. Montgomery, I don’t read many books set in Canada. The Lawyer and the Laundress by Christine Hill Sutz is set in Toronto Canada in 1837.

Sara O’Conner is a young widow trying to make ends meet as a laundress. She befriends a motherless child, Evie, and through her, her father James. After Evie falls ill with scarlatina, Sara nurses her back to health and stays on as her governess. Sara’s new role in the home causes scandal across town. Why is a laundress so educated? What secret is she trying to hide?

My thoughts on this novel:
• I loved the romance between Sara and James. It was slow burn, and a marriage of convenience.

• I loved Sara and Evie’s relationship. It was made all the more special as Sara had lost her own mother as a child. She sympathized with Evie and did not want her to have the hard life that she herself endured.

• I loved Henry, a poor young waif, who is sharp and knows all that is going on around town. He helps Sara, Evie, and James through many pickles. They help him too.

• Ivanhoe is featured prominently throughout the novel and the characters enjoy reading and discussing it. I still need to read Ivanhoe!

• I had never heard of the Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837. I enjoyed learning about it in the story and the author’s note at the end of the novel.

• This is my first book by Christine Hill Suntz and it won’t be my last! It is hard to believe this was her debut novel. It was very beautifully written with great characters.

• Sara has lost her faith through life’s trials, but James has kept his own faith. Sara has a journey back to faith in this novel.

• This was a clean read.

• There were great discussion questions at the end of the book.

Overall, The Lawyer and the Laundress by Christine Hill Suntz was an engaging historical romance with wonderful characters set in Toronto in 1837. I highly recommend this fabulous debut.

Book Source: Thank-you to @christinehillsuntz @tyndalehouse @crazy4fiction @austenprose for the review copy as a part of the Austenprose PR Book Tour.

I loved the premise of this book. After all, who doesn't enjoy a good Cinderella story? And the fact that the author threw in Canadian history piqued my interest even more.

But I just couldn't get into the story. I felt no connection to the characters, and it all felt quite stilted to me.

As much as I wanted to love it, I just didn't.