The Best of Intentions

by Susan Anne Mason

Book Overview

In the aftermath of WWI, Grace Abernathy is determined to reunite with her family, crossing an ocean to convince her widowed sister to return home to England. Yet Toronto holds more tragedy and her... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0764219839
• ISBN13: 9780764219832
• Release Date: July 2018
• Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.73 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.5" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Can Grace and Andrew come together despite society’s rules?

When Grace travels to Canada from England, the last thing that she expects to find is her nephew orphaned and now being cared for by her sister's dreaded in-laws. As a last resort, she decides to secretly become his nanny. As she slowly builds a relationship with the Easton family, Grace starts to see them for who they truly are. Not without their weaknesses and prejudices, she also finds common ground in the way that both her and the Eastons have suffered through World War I. This story is such a beautiful example of learning to love others as God does, to see them as He does. The relationship between Andrew and Grace builds slowly and in a very believable way, although I must admit that I was frustrated at times with Andrew’s slowness to stand up to society’s expectations for him! That’s the whole point of the story, though, to learn to trust God’s plan for our lives and not to worry about what others expect of us. As I have with all of Susan Anne Mason’s books, I highly enjoyed this story and can’t wait to read the next book in the Canadian Crossings series! I received a copy of this book from Bethany Books through NetGalley and am under no obligation to post a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Engaging from the start & emotionally gripping!

I admire Grace’s determination in fulfilling her promise to her ill mother. Not knowing what will happen on the other side of the ocean & facing the Easton’s who rejected her sister Rose is a mighty bold move in my mind. What she finds on the other end is not what she expected when she finds tragedy that scatters her plans awry! Even more bold, is obtaining the nanny position under the guise of an assumed name. Knowing the risk of the family finding out who she is, she forges forward in the desire to get to know her young nephew. Upon meeting Christian’s uncle & guardian, Andrew, the picture she had in mind is not what reality is. She quickly finds her heart tangling in feelings she doesn’t know what to do with. Not only is he handsome, but he truly cares for the boy and will do what is needed to care & provide for him. Along with the rest of the Easton family who’ve lost too much already--Mr. and Mrs. a son, Virginia aka Ginny, a brother. I think having Christian around is helping their hearts heal and Grace soon finds this to be true the more she observes them. This is a story of how all of these things play out. For me, it was chock full of emotion both happy & sad. My heart went out to both Grace and Andrew as they struggled with regret, guilt, remorse and feelings of not being enough, especially when it comes to their parents. Also how there were many reminders that in spite of human feelings, they are always enough in the eyes of God and nothing will dampen His love for them. I really love how this came together and how it kept me engrossed in it. When you pick up a book to read and it’s as if you’ve literally stepped into the pages and feel a part of everything going on you know it’s a good one! I couldn’t help but feel like the characters were people I would like to get to know…though Cecilia tried my patience on more than one occasion. She’s the spoiled socialite. If I could have reached through the pages to shake some sense into Andrew, I would have! Grace is the epitome of her name; gentle, graceful, never afraid to speak the truth in love and softhearted. She’s everyone’s friend and feels things deeply. Andrew is the swoon-worthy hero, though he struggles with regret and trying to prove himself to his father. He’s loyal to his family and will do the right thing, even risking losing his own happiness for family obligation. But we all know you can’t fight true love and when it comes knocking on their doors, will they have the courage to open it? Emotional and gripping, you don’t want to miss this! I can’t express how much depth this holds and all the layers the reader unfolds as the pages fly through your fingers. Susan Anne Mason is a master of telling stories that touch your heart and feed your soul at the same time. It left me smiling and wanting more and I can’t wait until the next book in the Canadian Crossing series! P.S. It was fascinating to learn about Canada's Dominion Day, July 1st. Seems to be much like our own Fourth of July celebration with family activities and fireworks to end the day with. Probably called Canada day in today's modern world! How fun to learn history through fiction. *I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House publishers on behalf of the author and was under no obligation to leave a favorable review. All opinions are my own*