The Pursuit of Elena Bradford by Ann H. Gabhart (Austenprose PR Tour)

 

Do you have a favorite vacation spot?  One place I think is wonderful is Mackinac Island in Michigan.  It’s a beautiful and unforgettable place full of history and natural beauty.  My great great grandparents met on the island working there one summer and married.

Elena Bradford’s father has recently died, and her mother discovered that he left them greatly in debt.  The only way she can think of to save the family from destitution is to find a wealthy husband for her “old maid” daughter, twenty-two-year-old Elena.  Her younger daughter, Ivy, is the beauty of the family, but is considered too young for this task.  They travel to a resort, Graham Springs, Kentucky for the summer.  While there, Elena works on her artwork and meets two men who will not meet her mother’s standards.  Kirby Frazier is a penniless artist, while Andrew Harper has come to the resort to repair his wounded heart after being left at the altar.  Will Elena find love, or will she marry an older wealthy suitor to save her family?  When a mysterious woman arrives alone at the resort, her fate will change the Elena’s path.

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I always love a good love triangle and the Elena, Kirby, and Andrew love triangle was a good story.  I liked the resolution.

·       The story had an interesting mystery about halfway through and also some action/suspense towards the end of the novel.

·       I loved the setting of the Graham Springs resort in Kentucky.  I didn’t realize this was a real place until the end of the novel.  The author’s note was so interesting.  I was especially fascinated to learn that the mysterious death was a true mystery that was never solved.

·       This was a slower read for me, but I still enjoyed the story.  It seemed to slow down in the middle for me, but once the mysterious beautiful Vanessa arrives alone at the resort, the action picked up. 

·       I loved the focus on healing throughout the novel.  Elena, her sister Ivy, and her mother are still healing from her father’s death.  Andrew is healing from his fiancée’s betrayal. Other characters have similar stories of coming to the resort to heal.

·       I loved the beauty of nature that was woven throughout the story.

·       Cats were a key feature.  Elena must leave her beloved cat at home and then a mysterious cat at the resort helps her to survive a misadventure.

·       I loved how there was dancing every night at the resort.  It sounded like such a wonderful place to visit.

Overall, the Pursuit of Elena Bradford by Ann H. Gabhart is a delightful historical romance and a perfect read to bring along on any vacation.

Book Source: Thank-you to @annhgabhart @revellfiction @austenprosefor the review copy of this novel as part of the Austenprose PR Tour