Love at Any Cost

Love at Any Cost
(The Heart of San Francisco)
Julie Lessman
(Revell)
ISBN: 978-0800721671
April 2013/416 pages/$14.99
He’s looking to take care of his family. She’s looking to take care of her heart. Trouble is . . . love’s looking to take care of them both.

Cassidy McClare is a spunky Texas oil heiress without a fortune who would just as soon hogtie a man as look at him. Jilted by a fortune hunter, Cassidy travels west hoping a summer visit with her wealthy cousins in San Francisco will help her forget her heartache. But no sooner is she settled in beautiful California than Jamie McKenna, a handsome pauper looking to marry well, captures her heart. Can love prevail when Jamie discovers that Cassidy is poorer than he is? And can Cassidy ever learn to fully trust her heart to a man?

Bestselling author Julie Lessman brings the delectable Gilded Age to life in this sumptuous new series. Join your favorite romantic storyteller as she moves to the hills of San Francisco for more romance, passion, and surprising revelations.



ABOUT THE SERIES

From the glitter and glamour of San Francisco’s Nob Hill and Napa wine country, to the seedy dance halls and gambling dens of the Barbary Coast, “The Heart of San Francisco” series is a study in contrasts between the haves and have-nots, and barriers between rich and poor that only faith can transcend.

The story of the McClares, a wealthy political family in 1902 San Francisco, not only highlights the struggles of faith and heart of three cousins, but of the matriarch of the family as well, Caitlyn McClare. A widow of strong faith and beauty, Caitlyn butts heads and hearts with her handsome brother-in-law Logan McClare, the fiancé who betrayed her before she married his brother. In a breathtaking city where the Irish were predominant in the early 1900s and wielding power in both politics and wealth, the story of the McClares is a glimpse into beauty and degradation, poverty and promise during a riveting time in our nation’s history.

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 and was voted by readers as "Borders Best of 2009 So Far: Your Favorite Fiction." 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 and #3 Author of the Year, #5 Novel of the Year, and #4 Historical Fiction Author of the year. 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. You can contact Julie through her website at www.julielessman.com.

MY THOUGHTS

After reading Julie Lessman's fabulous O'Connor family saga which took two trilogies to complete, one might wonder if she has exhausted her store of romance and drama. Wonder no more! Lessman hits the ground running with Love at Any Cost with this new series about the McClare family. While the setting is San Francisco during the Gilded Age at the turn of the 20th century, this book features a visiting cousin from Texas, which absolutely delighted my Texan roots! Lessman's trademark drama and passion are evident throughout this novel, and while Cassidy and Jamie are the focus, the other family members get plenty of visibility, too. Cassidy's Uncle Logan and widowed Aunt Caitlyn have quite a history and a present - what remains to be seen is whether or not they will have a future. I loved getting to know this big boisterous, loving (yet occasionally contentious!) family. I can already tell this is going to be a must-read series, and you won't want to miss a single book. Messages of faith and the proper role that money should play in our lives are seamlessly woven into this story. Love at Any Cost - highly recommended!


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received an advanced copy of this book free from Revell Publishers as part of a blog tour. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”