MY REVIEW:

Although it seems a bit sad to leave the oh so charming and beloved O’Connor family behind as Julie embarks on a new series set in a new city and featuring an entirely new family, “Love at Any Cost” relieved any misgivings I might have had. It only took a few chapters for me to know that the McClare family and friends would quickly work their way into readers’ hearts. I for one cannot wait to learn which family member’s story will be offered next.

When Cassidy McClare arrives in San Francisco for an extended visit with family, she has only one objective – to avoid romantic entanglements so that her battered and bruised heart can heal. As she steps from the train she is literally knocked off her feet by Jamie McKenna who will quickly become an unavoidable fixture in the McClare household. Jamie’s primary objective is to find a wealthy and well-connected woman who can not only help advance his career and status but can help him provide for his mother and crippled sister. It doesn’t take him long to zero in on Cassidy as that woman.

“Love at Any Cost” is a mostly light-hearted and witty novel with large doses of romance. It also has its share of drama as well as some surprises that I didn’t see coming. A possible secondary romance adds to the enjoyment and it will be interesting to see how that develops as the series continues. But right in the middle of all the angst and romance are wonderful bits of wisdom, usually rendered by Cousin Bram or Aunt Cait that eventually break through the barriers erected by both Cassidy and Jamie to help them learn how to allow God be in control of their lives. 

This book was provided for review by
Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
The Gilded Age is brought to life in the new Heart of San Francisco Series. Fans of bestselling author, Julie Lessman, will join her on a journey to the West Coast for romance, passion, and surprising revelations found in Love at Any Cost.
Jilted by a fortune hunter, cowgirl Cassidy McClare is a spunky Texas oil heiress without a fortune who would just as soon hogtie a man as look at him. Hoping a summer visit with her wealthy cousins in San Francisco will help her forget her heartache, Cassidy travels west. But no sooner is she settled in beautiful California than Jamie McKenna, a handsome pauper looking to marry well, captures her heart. When Jamie discovers the woman he loves is poorer than he is, Cassidy finds herself cheated by love a second time. Will Jamie discover that money can’t buy love after all? And can Cassidy ever learn to fully trust her heart to a man?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Julie Lessman is an award-winning author whose tagline of “Passion with a Purpose” underscores her intense passion for both God and romance. Winner of the 2009 ACFW Debut Author of the Year and Holt Medallion Awards of Merit for Best First Book and Long Inspirational, Julie is also the recipient of 14 Romance Writers of America awards. Chosen as the #1 Romance Fiction Author of the Year in the Family Fiction magazine 2011 Readers’ Choice Awards, Julie was also awarded #1 Series of the Year in that same poll. She resides in Missouri with her family and is the author of The Daughters of Boston series and the Winds of Change series whose first book, A Hope Undaunted, ranked #5 on Booklist’s Top 10 Inspirational Fiction for 2010.

Praise for Love at any Cost:

With an artist’s brushstroke, Julie Lessman creates another masterpiece filled with family and love and passion that compares to none in the Christian market today. Interwoven with themes of betrayal, trust, and God’s love, Love at Any Cost will not only soothe your soul, but it will make you laugh, stir your heart, and release a sigh of satisfaction when you turn the last page. The next book in the series cannot come soon enough!—MaryLu Tyndall, bestselling author of Veil of Pearls