When a handsome stranger approaches Raina Bretton and offers her a chance for adventure, Raina can scarcely resist the lure. Rothburne Abbey has a unique position for her, one that will take her away from her hardscrabble life and give her a chance to be a lady--only dream for a rag woman. Though Raina has traded squalor for silk and satin, something about the abbey is deeply unsettling. As she wrestles with her true identity, the ruin, decay, and secrets she finds at the heart of the old mansion tear at her confidence and threaten to reveal her for who she really is. I loved the mystery of Lady Enderly--finding out the true reasons that Raina needs to pretend to be her. I especially loved that it wasn't straightforward and easy to guess where the story was going. Raina is fairly street-smart, but she's also impulsive and a bit of dreamer, which gets her into this mess (and partly what keeps her from getting out). I enjoyed the little ways she finds to defy expectations, though, and the way she uses book quotes as secret communication with Sully.
Identity is without a doubt the theme of the story, focusing on the circumstances we let define us versus who we truly are--who God says we are. There's definitely an allegorical feel to the story, which seems a little heavy at times, but it certainly provides food for thought.
Thank you Revell for the complimentary book. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.
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