A Passion For Pages: A Writer's Review of “Unrivaled” by Siri Mitchell

{Dawn’s Review}

I almost always love Siri Mitchell’s books, mostly because she writes some of the few historicals in the CBA market written from first person point of view. I’m still not quite used to this switching back and forth between hero and heroine though. I mean, I liked seeing Charlie Clarke’s side of everything and all, but I like better when an author is able to let the reader get to know the hero from the heroine’s perspective. It’s more challenging, but so worth it in the end, if done well.

I really liked both Charlie Clarke and Lucy Kendall and felt that they had a meaningful friendship from the beginning of their tumultuous acquaintance. However, it kind of bothered me that the main focus of the book was upon the feud between the candy businesses of Saint Louis instead of the main characters whose lives were being messed up because of the feud. I felt that the scenes were a bit sporadic and the reader was left in the dark as to how the scenes actually affected the main characters. And I know this might seem silly, but I didn’t really feel that the cover depicted Lucy, Charlie, or the story inside the book very well.

Overall, I enjoyed this book—which is saying something coming from this picky reader. I just felt that I was ‘reading a book’, when what I really wanted was to be so engaged in the words, the characters and the story that I could forget I was actually ‘reading a book’. I wanted to get to know Charlie and Lucy so much more, to know more of WHY they were saying what they were saying and WHY they were doing what they were doing.

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher in exchanged for my honest review. I give Siri Mitchell’s Unrivaled 4 Stars.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

{More about Unrivaled}

Lucy Kendall returns from a tour of the Continent, her luggage filled with the latest fashions and a mind fired by inspiration. After tasting Europe’s best confections, she’s sure she’ll come up with a recipe that will save her father’s struggling candy business and reverse their fortunes. But she soon discovers that their biggest competitor, the cheat who swindled her father out of his prize recipe, has now hired a promotions manager–a cocky, handsome out-of-towner who gets under Lucy’s skin.

Charlie Clarke’s new role at Standard Manufacturing is the chance of a lifetime. He can put some rough times behind him and reconnect with the father he’s never known. The one thing he never counted on, however, was tenacious Lucy Kendall. She’s making his work life miserable…and making herself impossible for him to forget.

Purchase a copy here.

Read an excerpt here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

{Meet Siri Mitchell}

Siri Mitchell is the author of nearly a dozen novels, among them the critically acclaimed Christy Award finalists “Chateau of Echoes” and “The Cubicle Next Door”. A graduate of the University of Washington with a degree in business, she has worked in many different levels of government. As a military spouse, she has lived in places as varied as Tokyo and Paris. Siri currently lives in the DC-metro area. Find out more about Siri at www.sirimitchell.com.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

{Enter to Win!}

A Kindle Fire
Vintage Candy Kit
Unrivaled by Siri Mitchell (one for you and one for a friend!)

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on April 17th.

Winner will be announced at the “Unrivaled” Author Chat Facebook Party on 4/18. Connect with Siri, get a sneak peek of her next book, try your hand at a trivia contest, and chat with readers just like yourself. There will also be gift certificates, books, vintage candy kits, and more!

So grab your copy of Unrivaled and join Siri on the evening of the April 18th for a chance to connect with Siri and make some new friends. (If you haven’t read the book–don’t let that stop you from coming!)