Review: A Most Unsuitable Match

Miss Fannie Rousseau is a young woman of privilege traveling west to uncover the truth behind a family secret.

Mr. Samuel Beck is on a mission to atone for past failures that still haunt him.

Their meeting aboard a steamboat to Montana sparks an unlikely attraction. They are opposites in every way…except in how neither one can stop thinking about the other.

Will the end of the journey bring the end of their relationship, or is it just the beginning?

This is the back cover copy for Stephanie Grace Whitson’s latest release A Most Unsuitable Match.

IMO: I’m a big fan of Ms. Whitson’s historicals. Walks the Fire hooked me and the Pine Ridge Portraits series reeled me in. So, of course, I jumped at the chance to read her newest book. No disappointment here!

From the first scene showing Fannie scrubbing the tombstone that marked her parents’ graves to the last scene five years later (which I won’t divulge), I journeyed in Fannie’s shoes as she tried to save her family’s fortune and solve the mystery surrounding her aunt. I felt for Samuel in his attempt to locate a precious family member and win Fannie’s heart.

I think one of the strengths of a Stephanie Grace Whitson novel is the authenticity of her characters’ emotions without them dripping in melodrama. By the end of the book, the reader feels like she’s participated in whatever events have transpired. While Fannie struggles to grow from a young girl dependent on others into an independent woman prepared to handle hardship and tragedy, Samuel is called for a special purpose. I liked Fannie. I liked Samuel. I also liked Dr. LaMotte and wondered if a portion of the epilogue was a teaser for her next book.

Some of the character names were a little odd. I’d love to know why Stephanie Whitson chose the beer industry as her inspiration for them—not something that turned me off, but it had me researching the names. Since St. Louis plays a large part in the book, I can only guess that the setting influenced her.

If you enjoy 19th century historicals with a love story you want to root for, I’d recommend you add A Most Unsuitable Match to your TBR pile.

Disclosure of Material Connection: This book came to me free from Bethany House with the hope that I would mention it on this blog. There was no requirement for me to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed above are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.