The Pursuit of Lucy Banning

12933801

The Pursuit of Lucy Banning
Olivia Newport
Revell


Lucy Banning may live on the exclusive Prairie Avenue among Chicago's rich and famous, but her heart lies elsewhere. Expected to marry an up-and-coming banker from a respected family, Lucy fears she will be forced to abandon her charity work--and the classes she is secretly taking at the newly opened University of Chicago. When she meets an unconventional young architect who is working on plans for the upcoming 1893 World's Fair, Lucy imagines a life lived on her own terms. Can she break away from her family's expectations? And will she ever be loved for who she truly is? 

Readers will love being swept away into a world of mansions, secrets, and romance as they follow Lucy through the streets of the Windy City during one of the most exciting times in the city's history. From opulent upper-class homes to the well-worn rooms of an orphanage, Olivia Newport breathes life and romance into the pages of history--and everyone is invited.


     So I fully admit that I've been wanting to read this book for forever- because it has such an absolutely gorgeous cover. I mean really, girls: look at that dress!

     However, I have to admit this story  didn't end up being a favorite, despite the promising cover. The writing itself was passable and about the quality you'll find in most Christian fiction (depending on your point of view, this is either a good or a bad thing) However, Lucy's deceptive actions -those stemming from her own personal desires, anyway- kept me from really respecting her character. It also struck me as odd that at one particular point, Lucy was sitting in church thinking of how hypocritical so many of the church members were as they listened to the day's sermon while going about, not caring for the poor- when she was being just as hypocritical by talking the talk but then sneaking around and lying- how was what she doing any better? Even though the truth did eventually come out, she didn't seem to have a whole lot of remorse for lying, because it was lost in in the "virtue" of being progressive and attending college classes. That really, really annoyed me.

     I wasn't sure what I thought of the whole Daniel storyline. I admit it got better at the end, but there was still something slightly off-putting about it to me- as if the author was trying to make him seem as bad as possible so Lucy was more justified in breaking off their engagement, even though he didn't start going downhill until after she jilted him. Still, this probably won't bother a lot of readers. Personally, the character I found the most interesting was the maid Charlotte- and on second thought, I'll add Lucy's brother Leo to that list.  He just seemed like a really nice guy.

     So overall, I didn't really find The Pursuit of Lucy Banning overly impressive. If you like Christian Historical fiction, you'll still probably want to try this one, as it has got a lot more favorable reviews than I've given here. But due to my personal preference (and convictions, for that matter) this one didn't make me "keeper" list.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars

Comments

  1. Emma JaneAugust 9, 2014 at 9:05 AM

    I bought this whole trilogy last summer kind of on a whim, because I thought they sounded like such good books and the covers are so gorgeous! I wasn't very impressed (well, as soon as I saw they were under 300 pages I wasn't impressed), but I'm still rather fond of them. I think this one was my least favorite. The second one is about Charlotte, which is slightly better, and the third one is my favorite. But yeah, the writing was passable and the characters weren't very memorable. One reason I had expected to really like these books was because they're set in Chicago during the Columbian Exposition, and since A Proper Pursuit is one of my favorite books, I wanted to read more about the period and setting. Needless to say, these don't compare. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  2. RissiAugust 11, 2014 at 7:12 PM

    The covers don't quite match the inside of this series. They are certainly cute stories, though like you, I agree; they're not quite keepers.

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownSeptember 11, 2014 at 12:32 PM

    I just reviewed this book (http://blog.calledhis.com/the-pursuit-of-lucy-banning-by-olivia-newport-review/) so I wanted to see what others thought.

    I actually saw your review before reading on Goodreads! I agree wit h a lot of what you said, especially about Daniel - he seemed perfectly fine in the beginning! I think the author in a way wrote herself into a hole that became hard to get out of without trying to turn Daniel into a villain.

    I must admit, though, that I kind of want to see what happens with Charlotte in book two...

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

In This Moment

Image
  In This Moment Gabrielle Meyer Bethany House Publishers Maggie inherited a gift from her time-crossing parents that allows her to live three separate lives in 1861, 1941, and 2001. Each night she goes to sleep in one time period and wakes up in another. Until, that is, she turns twenty-one, when she will have to forfeit two of those lives--and everyone she knows in them--forever. In 1861, Maggie is the daughter of an influential senator at the outbreak of the Civil War, navigating a capital full of Southern spies and wounded soldiers. In 1941, she is a Navy nurse, grappling with her knowledge of the future when she's asked to join a hospital ship being sent to Pearl Harbor. And in 2001, she's a brilliant young medical student, fulfilling her dream of becoming a surgeon, yet unable to use her modern skills in her other paths. While Maggie has sworn off romance until she makes her final choice, an intriguing man tugs at her heart in each era. The mysterious Brit...
Read more

The Seamstress of Acadie

Image
As 1754 is drawing to a close, tensions between the French and the British on Canada's Acadian shore are reaching a fever pitch. Seamstress Sylvie Galant and her family--French-speaking Acadians wishing to remain neutral--are caught in the middle, their land positioned between two forts flying rival flags. Amid preparations for the celebration of Noël, the talk is of unrest, coming war, and William Blackburn, the British Army Ranger raising havoc across North America's borderlands. As summer takes hold in 1755 and British ships appear on the horizon, Sylvie encounters Blackburn, who warns her of the coming invasion. Rather than participate in the forced removal of the Acadians from their land, he resigns his commission. But that cannot save Sylvie or her kin. Relocated on a ramshackle ship to Virginia, Sylvie struggles to pick up the pieces of her life. When her path crosses once more with William's, they must work through the complex tangle of their shared, shattered past ...
Read more

Before Midnight

Image
this is the cover of the book I had, but I thought this cover was really pretty! Before Midnight Cameron Dokey Simon and Shuster I’ve heard of this series for a long time now, but I hadn’t gotten a chance to read any of the books until just recently. I really did enjoy this retelling of Cinderella, although there were things about it I didn’t care for. However, it was one of those books whose flaws you don’t notice until you’re done reading and sit back and reflect on the story. One thing I did like about this book was the way it was written, and that it really drew me right in. The twists on the story of Cinderella were interesting, and a few were unexpected. Another thing I liked was that the main character was called Cendrillon , the original French version of the name Cinderella , and that her nickname was Rilla. However, the romance wasn’t really as great; it felt like almost an afterthought. The Prince was barely in it, and their relationship wasn’t given ...
Read more