Review: Charming story
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 4, 2012
Ms. Rasley has created a completely charming book with this one.  The characters have well written personalities that give them a sense of realism.  The sceneries are described well but not overdone.  It is easy to picture what the surroundings must look like as you become engrossed in the story.We begin with the heroine Charity who is having a season in London.  She has several suitors but none she takes seriously enough to consider marriage.  She disappoints her family, but then she's been turning down proposals for years, so they are used to this.  Her London season is cut short when her Kentish village needs her back home to help prepare the midsummer festival.  Without her help the town risks the festival being canceled by the vicar who strongly disapproves of such a pagan event.  Since this is tradition, and the proceeds are going to help repair the church, Charity must go back home where she's needed.The reader quickly comes to realize that the entire town with its many residents rely on Charity for everything.  She is asked to, or just inserts herself into, all events and the lives of the townspeople.  Everybody loves Charity.  With her giving, sweet personality it is easy to see why she is such a cherished asset of the community.  It becomes a habit for her to sacrifice her wants/needs to help others.Charity makes it her mission to bring around the young widow Anna who is wasting away after her husband's untimely death.  This is where she meets the hero Tristan.  Not only is Tristan part of the Regency, he is also an artist.  Charity is fond of his work and has seen it in the Academy while visiting London.  Some of his work is considered scandalous--naked paintings of gods (the horror), but this intrigues Charity.  She wants to become acquainted with him because of her sense of adventure, but he is wary she's really looking for a husband.The relationship between Charity and Tristan develops beautifully as the story progresses.  They go from being wary of each other to friends then to becoming engaged.  The author does a wonderful little telling of the engagement, and things don't run quite as smoothly as they should.  Charity does something that puts her in the uncomfortable position of not being the darling of the town any longer after the engagement is made known.  I will let you discover how this plays out as you read the book for it plays out to be a key event that makes the rest of the story quite beautiful.Not only is the primary relationship of the story engrossing.  We also see a secondary relationship developing along the way as well between one of Charity's brothers and another strong secondary character.  While the relationship between Charity and Tristan is in the forefront, the secondary story is written quite nicely without being obtrusive.  It truly does add to the book and outcome of the story.All things considered I believe this to be a delightful story that I would consider reading again.  That doesn't happen too often for me so I consider this one a keeper.