Christine Hill Suntz's debut novel, The Lawyer and the Laundress, is a joy to read. Set in Canada in 1837 colonial days, the novel tells a story of loss, love, faith and the struggles to find happiness in a time of turmoil. Sara and James' lives intersect and affect change in the lives of the other characters in the novel.
I especially enjoyed the quick flow of the story lines and Suntz's way with words. She writes clearly and with finesse. Suntz creates emotional connections with the reader through the thoughtful and dynamic storylines of the characters. Evie, Henry, Granny and Andrew are well developed, and I cared about each of them. Each one had a complete purpose in the story.
Loss and love are ever present in our lives. Reading novels like The Lawyer and the Laundress remind us of the hope that we all share.

4.5/5*- I really enjoyed this lovely story of second chances amongst the unrest in 1837, Canada. Christine Hill Suntz is a NTM Canadian author whom I will definitely read again.

This well-written novel had all of the elements of a good, 1800s historical romance- duty, reputation, family quarrels, hardship, and rebellion, to name a few. Not to mention the noteable characters-
-a swoony hero (the lawyer)
-a strong but downtrodden heroine (the laundress)
-an evil, conniving bad guy who had gotten away with a lot
-a little girl who loves her father and Ivanhoe
-a mischievous, redheaded, street urchin named Henry

If you like Christian historical fiction, I would strongly suggest you mark this book “Want to Read” and add it to your TBR.

This book is suitable for teens and older with no inappropriate intimate scenes and no bad language. I received this book from the author/publisher free of charge, with no expectation of a positive review.

This debut novel is a remarkable achievement. The author's writing is polished, and I would have thought they had been publishing for years. The author's future in the literary world is certainly bright, as this book is exceptional. I found the story captivating and couldn't put it down. The historical aspects of Toronto during that time were fascinating, as they were unfamiliar to me. The marriage of convenience trope is a favorite of mine, and the characters have become dear to me. I especially loved the children, Evie and Henry, and the epilogue was a perfect ending. The novel's happily-ever-after conclusion was a delightful bonus. *I was given a copy of this book by the publisher, and this review is my honest opinion.

Be still my heart… The Lawyer and the Laundress by Christine Hill Suntz is an absolute delight! Set against the richly detailed backdrop of 1837 Toronto, this Christian historical fiction swept me away with its tender story, endearing characters, and timeless message of hope.

Sara’s journey—from riches to rags, with only her ailing grandmother for support—had me hooked from the first page. The charming young lawyer with a motherless daughter, a down-on-his-luck stable boy, and whispers of rebellion all add layers of intrigue. Though the story follows a familiar formula, it’s told with such grace, warmth, and creativity that it feels entirely fresh.

Faith, love, and courage shine through every page. I adored the gentle nods to Ivanhoe and the way the author wove historical detail into a deeply personal story. Easily my favorite read this year—and that’s out of 65 books!

Thank you, NetGalley and Tyndale, for the ARC.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of Christine Hill Suntz’s debut novel, The Lawyer and the Laundress.

As soon as I read the first chapter, I was hooked. I found myself stealing away from my own family to discover the status of lonely Sara and the possible relationships she would form with the other lovable characters.

Suntz paced the plot well. Every chapter leads into a new development, all the while revealing—little by little—the intentions and past histories of the characters.

I love how Suntz splashed archaic words into descriptions, as if the reader is truly stepping into 1837 Canada. She used words like mulish, wherewithal, mews, morass, pelisses, and lawn—words I don’t encounter in my everyday life, but loved seeing them in the context of this story, placed during a rebellious era in Canada. Her description of games they would have played, the way laundry would have been done, and characteristic foods they would have eaten all added to her rich description and how all historical fiction should feel—like it could have happened!

With strong descriptions, each character bloomed with distinct personalities. Suntz does a great job of holding the tension between lawyer James and laundress Sara, all the while bringing them closer physically and hinting at romance. And while there are so many other minor characters to love, I especially liked the minor characters of the stableboy Henry and housekeeper Mrs. Hobbes. Henry’s enthusiasm and ways of popping up out of the blue, along with Mrs. Hobbes’ protective insights pushed the plot along.

The characters were the true gems of this story!

All in all, I recommend The Lawyer and the Laundress. 5 stars plus! And I look forward to reading whatever Christine Hill Suntz writes next!

Having never really read a novel about unrest in Canada in the 1800s, I wasn't sure what to expect from The Lawyer and the Laundress. I was pleasantly surprised. While I felt like the romance was a little too much at some points, I enjoyed the character development in James and Sara. Suntz does a good job of giving enough backstory that you want to root for them.

My favorite part about this novel are the secondary characters. Henry and Evie are the perfect complement to James and Sara. They are intelligent, thoughtful, sensible, and funny. At points, they seem smarter because of their common sense. I wanted to continue reading to see what their characters did.

There is an element of faith, but it isn't super showy. I might have wished for a little more in the way of Sara relying on her heavenly father after she leaves her earthly one.

A special thank you to NetGalley and Tyndale House Publishers for this complimentary ARC. All opinions are my own.

The Lawyer and the Laundress by Christine Hill Suntz is a nicely written Christian historical story taking place in Canada in 1837. This story spotlights how hard Sara worked to provide inadequate housing and food for her elderly relative and herself. While working as a laundress, she became acquainted with Evie, a young student and her father. The student develops strong feelings toward Sara. When the young girl finds out Sara is without work, she convinces her father, James, to hire her as her teacher and care giver.

I found this story interesting in that gives a look into the lives of the underprivileged people, how they lived and worked and the people they worked for. I enjoyed the relationship between Sara, the young stable boy and Evie. It is very inspirational in how the young boy watched out for Sara and Evie. This story has so much to enjoy. It has depth with the differences between how Sara and James lived. It shows the devotion and dedication the lower class have for each other and how they look out for each other and help as they can. The story also has mystery about Sara and her previous years and mystery surrounding the people she was around at that time. This is a great story that grabbed my attention and held it to the very end.

I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this book, this is my honest review.

What a wonderful, poignant debut by author, Christine Hill Suntz—set during a time of great turbulent, political unrest in colonial Toronto, Canada. I was immediately drawn in by the plight of the laundress, Sara O'Connor, and her captivating friend, poor-little-rich girl, Evie Kinney.

It's not as though widower and lawyer James Kinney doesn't dearly love his daughter, Evie, but he needs help raising her to be a proper young lady. Sara seems the perfect choice to become Evie's governess, but a beautiful laundress with a deep secret? Out come the scandalous gossipmongers! And danger.

Although I found this to be a fairly predictable read and pretty much knew how it was all going to play out, I absolutely loved the characters—with the exception of a few malicious ones! I'm not the brightest bulb in the pack when it comes to history so I found myself skimming over a lot of it. However, with plenty of romantic tension, faith, and a tender, heartwarming conclusion—I feel this author is one for readers to keep an eye on. I am definitely looking forward to reading more of her work!

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Tyndale House and was not required to write a positive review.*

I was hooked from the start.

Marriage of convenience, mystery, redemption, suspense, child characters that made me laugh out loud, fantastic history, and a love story you can’t help but cheer for … could this book have any more of my favourite things in a novel? So unique and fresh, I had a hard time putting it down.

I loved the Toronto 1837 setting, with widow/widower main characters, an intelligent and daring hero and brave, survival-spirited heroine. I cannot wait for more from Christine Hill Suntz.

Fans of Rachel Scott McDaniel, Sarah Sundin, Elizabeth Camden … this is a must read!!

Thank you to Tyndale and the author for my complimentary copy! All opinions in this review are my own.

The Lawyer and the Laundress is an exquisitely written historical fiction novel written by Christine Hill Suntz set in Canada. In the midst of a world swept up with war, the struggle to build a free world, rebellion, and illness emerges a group of characters so well developed that they appear to be separated from the reader by an intangible veil which if crossed correctly could allow the reader to step right through the text and into a new world created exclusively by the author.

It is difficult to say whether the main character of this novel is the beautiful Sara O'Connor or the young Evangeline Kinney. Sara is no more than 29- years of age and dwelling with her "Granny" in a tiny home in Irish Town, She has learned to support herself by taking requests from the local townspeople who need her services as a laundress. When Young Evangeline ("Evie") comes to her home to hide from the cruelty of her teachers, Sarah protests that she should not be running away from school. However, perhaps only the protests of Henry, a stable boy employed at a nearby estate, convinces Sara just how needy Evie is for a mother figure and how deplorable the conditions at this school actually are.

By the time Evie's father discovers that his daughter has been sneaking off he removes her from the school altogether and forbids her from having any further contact with Sara or anyone else in Irish Town. However, when Evie contracts a case of Scarlatina, her father sends for Sara who is known for being able to turn illnesses of this sort completely around and help patients quickly recover. Evie's father, James, hires Sarah as his daughter's governess and Sara and Evie quickly form an inseparable bond. The three quickly discover that even though they all find themselves completely alone in the world, they are connected by having more in common than they ever could have predicted.

The Lawyer and the Laundress is a delightful narrative that will have readers thoroughly engrossed and entertained. The dialogue between characters is perhaps one of the best written by any modern author. A thorough scan of the text will quickly have readers feeling as if they truly stepped through time into an elaborately created world.

I'm always a little hesitant when reading a new to me author, but this book was a complete surprise. This historical novel based in Canada is sure to keep you turning the pages. I don't normally read marriage of convenience books, but I really enjoyed the storyline and the characters in this book. There was somewhat of a little mystery that added some suspense, but it wasn't hard to figure out what was going on. My favorite characters are the little girl and her friend. After reading this book, I will be looking into other books by this author.

I received a complimentary copy through Netgalley and was not required to leave a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The sweetest characters about a time period I knew nothing about. I had never heard of the Upper Canada Rebellion-not even sure what Upper Canada referred to. This novel started off telling the story of Sara a laundress who is mistreated-it has some Ever After vibes with the laundry scenes iykyk. There's the most endearing little street boy Henry and a wealthy daughter Evie who is attending lessons (picture Felicity Merriman with Annabelle) with a strict teacher. Evie is the daughter of a lawyer. The character's develop deeply and we get to experience the changes in their life along with them. Hill does a great job weaving in the emotions Sara feels as she struggles to make a living and face her past. Because I had nothing to compare the story to I also found myself thinking of Les Mis. There are many references to Ivanhoe, but I'm not familiar with that book, but fans will probably enjoy it.
It's a fantastic debut novel and I can't wait to read more!

(Just because I pass books onto teens I will say I'll be saving this one to pass on to adults just because there is a smidge of physical activity that I thought beautiful and tastefully done but it might be too much for a teenager.)

This is not a cookie cutter romance book! I needed to take a break from mainstream romance because it was getting too repetitive, and this was just what I needed to remind me that fresh ideas are still possible in the genre.

The book centers on Sara, a young widow who fell in her social standing when she first married. In Canada in the late 1830s, Sara works as a laundress and befriends a girl on the grounds of her employer, and lots of events happen from there – political rebellion, a revelation of secret identity, family estrangement, and love. The plot really was a page-turner!

While I loved the main characters, Henry, a secondary character, really stole my heart.
Highly recommend.

An ebook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

Good historical romance set during the Canadian rebellions in 1837/1938. I feel this book would be better understood with a good grasp of Canadian history, with which I'm unfamiliar.

This book pulled me into the story right from the start! I loved getting to know both the characters of Sara and James, and could feel their emotions. I also really enjoyed learning more about Canada’s history, which, as a Canadian, I feel like I unfortunately don’t know much about.

Christine also has a really nice way of weaving in a touch of faith to the story, which feels very sincere and adds the right amount of depth.

This was such an excellent read, one that really captured my attention and left me wanting more in the best way! Thanks to Christine and Tyndall for the opportunity to read an advanced copy.

An engaging histficrom set during turbulent times in 1837 Toronto. I had not heard of the Upper Canadian Rebellion before and found the era gripping. I was also taken by the clean Christian romance between a widowed lawyer and a laundress who becomes his daughter's governess. Historical romance fans will love this story, as I did!

The Lawyer and the Laundress by Christine Hill Suntz is a delightful historical fiction novel that readers will find hard to put down.

Set in Toronto in 1837, we meet Sara O’Connor, a laundress with a secret. She meets Evie, the daughter of James Kinney, and the young girl becomes quite attached to her. Often running away from her classes just to be with her.

James Kinney, for his part, can’t understand what it is about Sara that sets her apart from other servants. She seems well-educated and yet lives in the impoverished Irish Town. When Evie runs away to find Sara (after she loses her job), she ends up getting very sick and James turns to Sara for help in saving his daughter. The relationship that develops was sweet, and I enjoyed this blooming romance (with secrets) very much.

I have never read a novel by Ms. Suntz before and I was very impressed. In fact, I could not put this book down and read it in one day. I loved the faith element and Sara’s growing trust in the Lord. I also enjoyed that this was set in Toronto, where I grew up. The rebellion by William Lyon Mackenzie was a part of my Canadian history that I was completely unaware of, so it was neat to read about it. This rebellion, along with the added mystery of who was framing James for treason, kept this book moving.

If you enjoy historical fiction with a sweet marriage of convenience trope, you will love The Lawyer and the Laundress. I highly recommend it!

I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Tyndale House Publishers through NetGalley for my honest review.

When you can't stop reading, yet don't want a novel to end, you know you've found an amazing story! When I first heard about this book a few months ago, I was happy to see it is set in my country of Canada AND written by a Canadian author. I was intrigued and kept thinking about it. So I didn't hesitate to take up the opportunity to read an advance copy.

From the first chapter, I suspected this would be a 5-star read and that feeling never left me. I don't often have that feeling from the start but it turned out to be right on target. I immediately liked Sara, the female main character. She is spirited yet so gracious and loving. Mr. James Kinney is a mixed bag but his growth in the story is admirable. He has a significant growth arc in so many ways that I grew to admire him. Sara's Granny is such a woman of faith and selflessness. The children within the novel, Evie Kinney and Henry the stable boy, are both such delights. There are other fascinating characters within the story as well.

Sara's story is touching. She's an incredible heroine. The riches to rags storyline is captivating. We learn her background, as well as James,' in chunks throughout the novel. The time period setting of 1837 with the Tories, the rebels, etc. was very interesting. Frankly, I found it ironic that Canada isn't much different in many respects today. Some have loyalty to the Crown and others want complete independence.

One of my favourite scenes within this novel are when Sara (& sometimes Henry) are learning. It is such a gift and the love and attention given causes them both to thrive. The scene with the piano and the gift is particularly beautiful.

Though I'm not typically a fan of marriages of convenience, this one made sense. And, of course, knowing there are sparks and an attraction of mind and body doesn't hurt! You can't help but want them together as a couple.

This is a phenomenal debut for Christine Hill Suntz and I will be reading whatever she writes next without hesitation. I felt such immense reader contentment reading this book.

>>> Huge thanks to Tyndale House Publishers and Net Galley for an advanced reader copy. A positive view was not required. My honest review is in my words alone.

4.5/5⭐
I finished this book in two sittings in one day.
I love a good romance. When it's historical-and something I'm not familiar with-that's even better! So a romance that takes place in 1830s Canada? This book had my full attention!
Throughout the book I rooted for Sara. I wanted to know more about her (because clearly there were several skeletons in her closet) but even though I knew there was secrets, I wanted to stay in her corner.
However, the same went for James.
The love for his daughter bounced off the pages. With the time being 1837, I knew expectations for the time would get in the way-like James realizing that his daughter couldn't just stay home and learn about court cases. She needed to have proper schooling-aka, being a lady. But James didn't hold tight to society's expectations of the time-he knew that his daughter needed not only the opportunity to be a kid, but to be herself. Even if James was punishing Evie, I knew he was doing it because, HELLO, a nine year old shouldn't be running around town to a dangerous part of town ALONE.
I never felt like the romance was forced. I was afraid that there'd be that "insta-love" that would lead to Sara becoming the governess while they both hid their love for the other. I appreciated that it was a gradual infatuation-while still that "there's something different about this person" after just meeting. Because-HELLO-I'm still reading a book romance.
What I assume is supposed to be a big SHOCKER amazingly did shock me. THAT is why I loved the book-because so many books set things up to be predictable. Which takes the enjoyment about of reading the book.
I chose 4.5 stars because, while I LOVED the book, there were a few moments that were just a tad cheesy or moments where Evie, James' daughter, came across as older than the age she was (8? maybe 9?). A few times I had to remind myself that Evie was his daughter just because of the way she acted. HOWEVER, I also remind myself now that kids WERE different in the 1830's, so I need to be careful with those expectations.
All in all, I recommend this book!

This is a Christian romance set in 1837 in Canada. James struggled to raise his daughter properly while trying to keep his law partner out of trouble. He's joined the rebels who want to violently overthrow the oppressive government. James feels it's still possible to create needed change legally. Sarah was disowned by her rich father when she married a poor man. Now a widow, she does laundry for an inn where James's daughter is getting tutored along with the owner's daughters by a strict, harsh woman.

James was initially prejudiced against Sarah because of her obviously lowly station, but he recognized that she had manners and education far above that of most common laborers. Plus she built his daughter up and supported her against bullying. As James and Sara spent time together, they grew to respect and care for each other. The marriage proposal didn't come until nearly the end, and it forced both of them to face the problems in their past relationships. The characters were engaging, well-developed, complex people who acted realistically. The bad guy was subtly manipulative, and it took courage from Sarah and James's daughter to expose his lies.

Sarah struggled with why God didn't heal her sick husband and allowed her so many sorrows. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd highly recommend this excellent historical romance.