Destined To Last

Destined To Last (2010) Alissa Johnson (The Providence Series)

Set in England ~1815.

Lady Kate Cole was, by most accounts, a young woman of exceptional beauty, extraordinary talent, and notable charm. She was also, by all accounts, a woman so remarkably prone to accidents that it was generally considered wise to back away if she happened to be standing next to a steep hill, a large body of water, an open window, or any sort of material that might cut, discolor, burn, spill, break . . . It was probably best if one simply kept a bit of distance from the girl whenever possible.

Mr Andrew Hunter is a man of immense wealth who has worked hard for every single penny he has made.

“I aspire to wealth,” he corrected, “and what it can acquire.”

“It can’t acquire happiness,” William pointed out.

“True, but insufficient amounts of it will certainly afford a man a great deal of misery.” Cold, hunger, and loneliness came to mind.

I really like the two of them–separately and together. Kate’s clumsiness makes me adore her, and Hunter’s past has damaged him far more than he is willing to admit.

He glanced at her. “Is it necessary for you to practice?”

“In a general sense you mean?” she guessed, then continued when he nodded.

“Of course. How could I improve otherwise?”

“I hadn’t thought it possible for you to improve.”

She felt her cheeks warm. “I thank you for the compliment, but one can always improve. And one should always strive to, in my opinion. I’d hate to think I was no more skilled today than I was five years ago. I’d hate to think I was the same person I was five years ago.” She thought about that. “How disheartening it would be to know the person I am now is exactly the same as the person I was then, and exactly the same person I’ll be twenty years from now.”

“You want to be someone else?” Hunter asked.

“No, I just want to be better.

I also like that the misunderstanding between them comes not from a misunderstanding per se, but because of how Hunter is broken, and how he needs to come to terms with his past and his feelings.

I generally dislike Big Misunderstandings because they feel manufactured and usually just require TALKING to resolve. Here, the two talk and are honest, and the reconciliation comes because Hunter has to change his beliefs about himself.

Publisher: Stonesong Digital
Rating: 8.5/10

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