"Unrivaled" by Siri Mitchell

 

Unrivaled (Mar. 1, 2013) by Siri Mitchell.*

Who knew candy could be such a cutthroat business? Nineteen-year-old Lucy Kendall has returned home to St. Louis after a year abroad with her aunt and uncle. She’s been inspired by Europe’s top confections. However, surprises await her when she returns home. Her father is bed-bound after a heart attack three months earlier. On top of that, her mother is trying to sell his (and Lucy’s) beloved candy company, City Confectionery. They cannot compete with their biggest candy competitor, Standard Manufacturing, whose mainstay candy is made using a recipe Lucy’s father created. Lucy is determined to save her father’s company, and she’ll work to undermine Standard. It’s too bad that the Standard owner’s handsome son has moved to town. Charlie Clarke can now lead a life he only dreamed of. Charlie’s feelings toward Lucy are strong, but Lucy can’t love the enemy. Can she? She’s so passionate (and pigheaded) about candy. Is she only single-minded or can she learn to see beyond herself? Will Lucy be satisfied with her actions?

            I liked this story, but I didn’t love it. This Christian historical fiction novel is nicely written, and I appreciate the obvious research that went into making this book an accurate story for the time period (1910-1911). There is a lot going on: faith, scheming, love, worry, rivalry, and the main characters are from totally different backgrounds. Mitchell handles it all deftly, but I admit that the book started off slow for me. I recommend this book if it suits your interests: Christian fiction, historical fiction, how cutthroat the candy business could be. This is a fine book, but it didn’t wow me.

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are expressly 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.”