Search - Maid to Match

I'll admit....I hated it at first. For the first 140 pages, the characters are flat, one-dimensional, inconsistent and just not believable. Then there was an incredible act of kindness and generosity on the part of the hero and it turned the whole book around for me. And it just got better from there. It does have the typical Gist edgy-ness...the heroine gets drunk at a party when she doesn't know the punch is spiked, child abuse figures heavily in the story line, and there is a detailed description of the newlyweds undressing on their wedding night (but it stops when the sheets are pulled back). A Bride Most Begrudging is still my favorite by this author, but this will now rank a very close second. So if you don't like the beginning, just stick with it. It is sooooooo worth it!

Enjoyed this story very much. I didn't realize that so much work went into an estate or how a person was trained to be a lady's maid. The story was also interesting from the two points of upbringing.

Deanne hits another home run with Maid to Match. I was glad to receive a review copy. I loved the first line, “Like a butterfly breaking free from its confining cocoon, Tillie Reese emerged from the barren, tan-colored servants’ hall into the opulence of Biltmore’s main level.”

This author quickly whisked me into the Biltmore, where I wanted to know more about the Vanderbilts, their amazing home and what was required to become a lady's maid. My favorite thing about Deanne’s books is the fact that they are educational and captivating. This author goes to great lengths to masterfully craft historical details in every book she writes. I was immediately drawn into the unfamiliar world of 1898 with its class struggles, and was mesmerized by how a Mansion is run. It only took a few minutes to feel compassion for the hopes and dreams of her believable characters.

Deanne writes about strong women with conviction. Tillie is no exception; she has a deep faith in God and has her focus on the purpose for her life. She’s been groomed to be a lady’s maid and she will stop at nothing to achieve it. Tillie falters a little when she meets Mack and the chemistry between them unnerves her. Tillie’s mother has prayed hard for this opportunity. Could Tillie be seeking money and status over achieving the call God has for her life? Everything has lined up perfectly, hasn’t it? People were depending on her; she had to get this job to provide. So, why did she have this nagging unrest in her heart?

God has worked everything out—hasn’t he? She wonders and prays a hard prayer, “I’m listening, Lord. Call to me. Just like the sheep. Just like these animals that you called to the ark. Call to me and I will follow.”

I felt like I was actually there when Mack, a big, strong manly man, dressed in proper attire, tries to serve his first formal dinner with its many courses. I felt myself praying he didn’t spill anything or break a dish. I couldn’t believe how much food they ate and the manner in which it was supposed to be served and eaten.

I was amazed how the Vanderbilts lived and how they cared for their servants. I couldn’t believe what a lady’s maid was required to do for Mrs. Vanderbilt and her guests. It seemed too intimate to let someone else do these things for you. It definitely went against the "personal space" rule we have today. This book is going on my list of favorite picks for book club.

Nora St. Laurent
The Book Club Network www.bookfun.org
Finding Hope Through Fiction www.psalm516.blogspot.com

Great read! Fascinating insight of "The Help" in a mansion of those days......

Great historical fistion. Wonderful characters.

A very light, sweet, clean romance. The unique setting is what really makes the story stand out from the rest, though. Readers of any kind of historical romance are so used to the servants being only background comments that a book that actually allows those servants center stage is wonderful in and of itself. Gist offers a very realistic look at the realities, both good and bad, in the life of the servant class while weaving a very sweet romance into the fabric. For that alone this book is highly recommended reading