Quick Review: The Apothecary's Daughter by Julie Klassen

From the Back Cover:

Lillian Haswell, brilliant daughter of the local apothecary, yearns for more adventure and experience than life in her father's shop and their small village provides. She also longs to know the truth behind her mother's disappearance, which villagers whisper about but her father refuses to discuss. Opportunity comes when a distant aunt offers to educate her as a lady in London. Exposed to fashionable society and romance--as well as clues about her mother--Lilly is torn when she is summoned back to her ailing father's bedside. Women are forbidden to work as apothecaries, so to save the family legacy, Lilly will have to make it appear as if her father is still making all the diagnoses and decisions. But the suspicious eyes of a scholarly physician and a competing apothecary are upon her. As they vie for village prominence, three men also vie for Lilly's heart.

My Thoughts:

This was my first time reading popular Christian fiction author Julie Klassen. I listened to the audiobook version narrated by Divina Porter, and as I listened I fell completely under the spell of the inhabitants of the bustling little village of Bedsley Priors. This title is labeled an inspirational romance, but I didn't even realize it until about three-quarters of the way through. Ms. Klassen's style is more subtle, portraying the rewards of living the life of a good Christian without beating the reader over the head with religion. The story was also written with an exquisite attention to historical detail that enhanced the experience and never overwhelmed it. The Apothecary's Daughter has everything I like in a romance: a great cast of characters, a little bit of mystery, a couple of plot twists I never saw coming, scenes that made me laugh and scenes that made me cry. A charming, heartwarming story that finished beautifully and was surprisingly poignant. I am looking forward to reading the author's other novels.

My Rating:  5 Stars out of 5