I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I love how Jennifer Delamere consistently incorporates fun nuggets of history into her books and weaves compelling plots from them, and Line by Line is no exception. I didn’t know much about the telegraph beyond its association with Edison, so it was cool to get some insight into the actual inner workings of the device and what a big technological advancement it was at the time, with Delamere even drawing comparisons in her note at the end to the Internet for us today.

The characters are also incredible and well drawn. It was cool to see in Alice a heroine who not only prefers to work instead of pursuing the traditional “marriage and children” route, but also that she works as a telegrapher, something I saw as a stereotypically male career in my limited experience.

I also rooted for Douglas to come to his senses about what he really wanted out of life. I could empathize with his having come from nothing and wanting to use marriage as a tool to rise higher, but also love how his arc conveyed that life doesn’t always go the way you plan.

This is another winner from Jennifer Delamere, and I can’t wait to find out what happens next in this series! I recommend this to anyone who likes sweet historical romance.

Line by line is a historical romance novel by Jennifer Delamere. It is centered around Alice, a self declared spinster who is loving her career as a telegraph operator and can’t wait to make a life for herself. That starts when she gets hired at a private company, as she can now afford her own house, and with it comes the most adorable cat ever, which she names Mrs. T, after her old school teacher who believed in her. She is very happy with her life, and she hates it when her family and friends seem to think she’s missing something, but she’s not as she choose this path deliberately.

Life at the office is quite different from the huge station she was used to, but she really likes it. Most of the people are nice, except for Mr. Clapper (a fellow telegraph operator), and I loved reading about the work place in that time period! You can see some things will always be the same... Thankfully Alice is not above giving Mr. Clapper a piece of her mind and I admire her professionalism and wit. But, of course, another very attractive employee walks in after months away on business, and she suddenly feels things she’s never felt before. But bend on her own career and spinsterhood, she’ll do everything to keep it that way.

Douglas, the man that causes the sparks, has plans of his own. His career is very important, and in line with that he wants to make an advantageous match to further business. But he gets distracted by his new coworker... especially how he can effortlessly talk to her and how intelligent she is.

So, there are sparks flying from the moment they meet. I personally prefer it to take a bit longer, growing as they know each other this felt like instalove, though the growth was definitely there. I loved all the banter, and to get to know the inner workings of the office! This book was seriously so much fun to read! There is this spinster book to help find love, you know, we now chuckle over those books now. Well, Alice chuckles too, but in the name of science she decides to try a few tricks and well... the outcome is quite unexpected! There are also friends with their own stories and I can’t wait to read more about them in the sequels! And of course, we’re here for the romance. It is very well done, loved all of it! I even wasn’t sure if it would work out as the obstacles are quite high and very diverse, but it is handled in unexpected ways, and the characters experience a lot of growth. I love the antagonist in this story, as we all know someone like him in real life, it’s very realistic.

The only downside, beside the instalove, is that for me sometimes the scenes didn’t flow, the changes of POV or setting sometimes took me out of the story instead of drawing me in. But halfway it got a lot better and I didn’t notice it anymore. All in all, can really recommend this one! It’s a fun and addictive read, but also has some bigger Christian themes on love, friendship, and what’s valuable in life, what do you live for.

I received a free e-copy in exchange for my honest opinions.

It is refreshing to find a fiction which is ‘clean’ – the boundaries seem to be being stretched further & further - but there is more to this book than that. These characters are more realistic, more true-to-life than many in this genre. Believe it or not, there really are people whose sole intention in life is not just to get married & leave their working life behind. Who can take an interest in their work, even when they are at a relatively junior level. And who can have a male-female friendship without seeking romantic overtones. And real office workers do come across unwarranted jealousies, too, with spiteful behaviour from co-workers. It made a welcome change to read about a heroine for whom romance took her by surprise, actually upsetting her lifeplan rather than fulfilling it. The other thing I particularly liked about this book was that I learned something from it, in this case about the occupation of a telegrapher. This is an interesting way of becoming informed about history, & occupations from the not-so-very-distant past. Line by Line is the first book I have read by this author, but I will certainly be looking out for more.

Line by Line by Jennifer Delamere

“Alice was made of different stuff. She relished the opportunity to strike out on her own, to prove her worth and value. She was glad the field of telegraphy is open to women.”

I have been seeing this book a lot lately and the cover is beautiful so I want to read it. Jennifer is a new-to-me author. I like her writing style. The conversations are great and evokes emotions. Alice and Douglas are both determined to succeed in their work and be recognized by it. They are very good at Morse code that it was perfect when Alice used the dots and dashes to teach Douglas how to dance. I don’t have first hand knowledge with the rhythms of the codes but it works well with Douglas.

Alice wants to remain a spinster and Douglas aims to be a millionaire but as their worlds collide, they both can’t set aside their growing affection. It’s cute and fun when they are together. Mr. Clapper is not someone you want to work with. I don’t like Lucy either. She seems to be self-absorbed. I do like Emma as Alice’s friend. I’d love to see her plants. I enjoyed this book and learning more about telegraphy. I like reading about Andrew Carnegie in the story. The ending is great but I feel like I want more. 4.5 stars

Thank you #netgalley and #Bethanyhouse for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Kind of a strange premise....it tries to be a romance, but you have a protagonist who wants to be a spinster because she enjoys her job. Alice is a woman who wants to be self-sufficient at a time when that is not a valued trait for women. But she also enjoys kissing, so she wants to get married. She finds a book about not being a spinster and tries to follow the advice given in there, too. Thankfully, the man she ends up finding has no problem with her working, though they both decide that love and family are the most important. It's a bit...all over the place, relationship wise. The background information about the telegraph system was very interesting though!

This was an enjoyable read and a solid start to a new series from Jennifer Delamere. I liked the setting and learning a little more about telegraphy...and I liked the set-up for characters who I'm guessing will be main characters in future books!

Jennifer Delamere has looked into the history of telegraphy and its impact on the world, and pulled together a quite amusing novel centered around telegraphs and telegrams.

Alice McNeill is a telegrapher for the Central Telegraph Offices in London, but when she hears of an opening at the Henley Company, an imports company, she applies for the job. She is a conscientious telegrapher who works on incoming telegrams by ear, listening to Morse Code as it comes in. She rarely has to read the ticker-tape, which makes her more valuable to the company.

Douglas Shaw is second only to the owner in the Henley Company and is relied on by Henley to make contracts and provide profit.

Archie Clapper is Mr. Henley's wife's cousin, and whose only purpose in life is to make life harder for his coworkers. When he feels that he's been jilted by Alice, he goes out of his way to get back at her, and eventually get her fired.

This is a compelling novel that has cameos by real historical people who were active in the business world at the time. The secondary characters really flesh out the plot and make it more enjoyable, and the novel itself is very hard to put down.

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a telegram full of good news.

Bethany House and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review. The opinions expressed are my own.

This was such a wonderful historical novel. I loved the characters. And the best part was the little bit of mystery that was woven throughout the book.

Line by Line was my first Jennifer Delamere novel and I’m glad I read it. This was a true historical romance. There is plenty of history regarding the telegraph, essentially the ‘internet’ of the age. I also enjoyed the characters in this novel. They developed well and the romance unfolded nicely, maintaining my interest throughout. When reading a story, I enjoy having to put some of the pieces together myself. That was not the case in this story, as everything was clearly spelled out for the reader. Personal preference. I’m looking forward to book 2 in this series.

Set in London in 1881, Line By Line, the first book in the Love Along the Wires series, features independent, hardworking telegrapher Alice McNeil and ambitious businessman and social climber Douglas Shaw who are both employed by Henley and Company. In this character-driven story, romance and history combine with a little drama and humor to make an entertaining read. The romance between Alice and Douglas develops slowly with its ups and downs. There is a definite “first sight” attraction that they both try to ignore for some time because of goals they have set for their individual lives. This quote gives insight to their feelings: “Of all the things he planned to accomplish in this life, falling in love with a determined spinster was most definitely not among them. Nor did love appear to be in her plans either.” Their flirtatious banter, however, is delightful. The well-researched historical aspect of the story involving the telegraph and its world-wide importance in those times and the inclusion of the meeting and conversation with Andrew Carnegie is very interesting and informative. The story immediately caught my attention and kept it through the satisfying ending. All the characters including secondary ones are well-developed and memorable. This is the first book I have read by this author. I like her expressive, flowing style and will be checking out her other works and looking forward to the next book in the series. I enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.
I received a copy of this book in e-book form from the publisher via netgalley but am under no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.

Forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to the things before you.

You could almost say that was the motto for the life of Alice and especially of Douglas. As a well educated young lady, Alice has dreams that don’t include marriage and a family, at least not now. After all, she has worked very hard to become a first-class telegraph operator. Long before the telephone, the telegraph operator was a very important position as that was the way to communicate with much quicker results than the postal mail would allow. Douglas had left his very humble beginnings behind and was moving up in the business world, becoming indispensable to his employer.

I thoroughly enjoyed the repartee between Alice and Douglas. For her, it seemed to be an affirmation of the knowledge she worked so diligently to acquire. On his behalf, it appeared to be a real treat to be able to discuss technical things with a friend. Learning more about the telegraph as well as the added intrigue makes the first book in this new series, Love Along the Wires, even more captivating.

This digital copy was received through Baker Publishing Group, Bethany House Publishers and NetGalley. All impressions and comments are my own and were in no way solicited.

What a wonderful historical fiction tale by Author Jennifer Delamere. I always enjoy her stories. Her impeccable research makes the time period she writes about come alive! In "Line by Line", we meet Alice, who, against the standards of the day, was totally happy being an independent "spinster". She went up against the expectations and simply wished to have a good job and stay single. She became very adept at her job as a telegraphist. I enjoyed reading what it was like to communicate by telegraphs before phones were common. I loved her no-nonsense personality, it reminded me of a friend of mine in high school.

I chuckled how she bought a Spinster book, not that she wanted to catch a man, but she wanted to try a few experiments to see if it made any difference with men she had trouble communicating with.

Douglas, a self-taught, up and coming, invaluable right-hand man to the owner of a large company, has come a long way from where he grew up. He is looking to marry a wealthy woman to cement his standing in society. One more thing he has to learn is how to dance. After several failed lessons, enter his colleague Alice to teach him. She finds a very creative work-related way to teach him!

Both Alice and Douglas learn some important lessons about life through their individual and shared experiences. It's fun to see them try to ignore their attraction. I love the history of that time, the sweet story, the epilogue, and the author's notes at the end. I highly recommend Line by Line!

What a great book!! This is my first book by Jennifer Delamere and definitely did not disappoint!! II will definitely be adding her to my to-be-read authors list!! I absolutely loved this story. It was thoroughly engaging and had all those elements you look for in a story; love, a somewhat villainous character, comedy, disappointment and more love! Right away you can tell that the author has done extensive research to make this book come alive! It was interesting to relive that moment in history when technological improvements were just beginning.

The characters are very relatable and endearing. Both main characters Douglas and Alice are determined to make their own way into the world and be successful in what they do. For Alice that means being an independent woman, not focused on marriage or starting a family but rather focus on making herself a successful telegrapher. Douglas on the other hand has come from poverty so he is determined to make a name for himself in the business world and climb that corporate ladder in whatever way that may be even the possibility into marrying into a what most consider a noble family. That is until he meets Alice!

Oh my stars! Their love story is so good! It really all starts with a friendship and a bookstore! (How can you go wrong with a book that includes a book store?!) And seriously it all starts with a book she picks up from the bookstore called "The Spinster's Guide to Love and Romance". I don't want to give you any spoilers but by picking up this book it causes Alice to come across many comical problems. They moments she encounters truly have you shaking your head and smirking!

There are some sweet moments as well with Douglas and Alice that are swoon worthy! Especially on one scene where Douglas taps out Thank You in Morse Code after Alice helps him to feel more confident with dancing! Gah!! You definitely fall in love with Douglas and are pulling for him the entire time!

Although the love element is great in this story, it's only part of it. Douglas and Alice are both on a journey. They are both learning what they truly want out of life. When Douglas meets with Mr. Carnegie (yes the Carnegie from our history books) he definitely has an eye-opening experience. He not only learns that Carnegie is a business minded person but that his outlook on wealth is not to accumulate it but rather help others with it. I love how he says this " No idol is more debasing than the worship of money. If a person is going to spend so much of their life's blood and sweat on something, it should be something that is elevating in character." Wow! That is a teaching moment not only for Douglas but I think of all of us as human beings as well!

Alice also goes through an eye opening experience of her own after she gets dismissed from her telegraphy job (this is where that somewhat villainous character comes in) and heads out to her parents wedding anniversary celebration where she hears her dad say "You have been my best life's work." All this time she has been thinking that her sole purpose was to stay unmarried and focus on her independence. She has never wanted to have that independent spirit to be taken away. She realizes after speaking with her mentor as well that all this time she has wanted "a man to whom she could safely entrust her heard and her hard-earned independence."

It was lovely to see these characters grow and learn about themselves throughout the story. Jennifer Delamere definitely left the story open for continuation as we were introduced to two of Alice's friends; Rose and Emma and I for one cannot wait to read their stories in hopes to also catch glimpses of Douglas and Alice!

If you love historical fiction in a Victorian Era then I know you will love this book!

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley for promotional purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.

Alice McNeil is living the life she dreamed of, that of a spinster careerwoman. Drop-dead gorgeous Douglas Shaw may turn her head, but she won’t be derailed by dreams of love. Will she?
Douglas is ambitious and full of himself. He rose from abject poverty to become an admired businessman in London. Marry for wealth and position? Why not? I love the way Andrew Carnegie tactfully guides him into considering benefiting others.
They enjoy discussing technical advances, but easy comradery is strained when Alice’s life unravels. Both must determine what they really want in life.
After a slow start for me, this became a riveting tale.

What a lovely start to the Love Along the Wires Series. The characters were charming and the history of telegraphs interesting.

Alice is driven to have a successful career as a telegraph operator and is quite pleased after landing a job with a private company. She has no desire to marry or have children. Alice has nothing against men. She simply wishes to be self-sufficient.

In contrast, Douglas is also driven to be successful, however, his motivation is to amass wealth and never return to the poverty he was born to. His primary focus at the time he meets Alice is to marry a banker's daughter.

What I loved most about Line by Line was the characters. They are portrayed in such a realistic fashion. Not only Alice and Douglas, but all the secondary characters as well. I'm hoping the remainder of the series will be about Alice's friends Emma and Rose. The story line also includes a not so easy to like character, but he is described in stellar fashion.

And what's not to love about a small bookstore serving a key role in the romance?

Line by Line is set in London in the 1800s and tells the story of Alice who doesn't desire or expect to marry. Instead, Alice focuses on her career as a telegrapher. When she unexpectedly purchases a book detailing the way men think, she begins using the new knowledge to help navigate a difficult work relationship. Meanwhile, Douglas begins working in the same office with Alice and a friendship quickly develops. Will it lead to more? Can Alice and Douglas work past each of their preconceived desires for their personal futures? This delightful book grabbed my attention from the very beginning and kept my interest until the very end. I impatiently look forward to book 2 in the series!

An enjoyable look at falling in love:
This was a fun, light-hearted book that is sure to entertain and delight.
Alice was fiercely independent and determined to make her own way in life and not settle down with a husband and family. Douglas is also ambitious and determined to succeed at work plus break into the upper social circles. They form a bond and end up coming to care deeply for one another yet they resist and try to forge their own paths in life. There are rivalries to overcome, decisions to be made and priorities that need to be set.
I found the first third of the book a bit sluggish but I became more invested in the story as it progressed. I enjoyed the various quotes from the Spinster book and thought they added much needed brevity to the story. There is a light Christian message and reminder to store up treasures in heaven and not on earth.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Very enlightening story about telegraphy during the Victorian age. Alice grew up in the midst of the Morse code and a telegraph office. I liked that her father taught her telegraphy and allowed her to follow in his footsteps.Alice had a lot of spunk which was appealing. Clapper was truly a despicable character that used his connection to the fullest. Andrew Carnegie's advice to Douglas was an encouragement and applicable even today. Enjoyable! Recommended!

It's a beautiful story!
Alice is a young Telegraph operator, an independant woman who doesn't want to marry. Her career is more important to her than marriage... Until she meets Douglas Shaw at her new workplace and start using the advices she reads in a spinster book! Douglas grew up in a poor neighborhood in Glasgow and he's a very ambitious man
hard worker, he longs to go far in his career and marry into high society. Alice and Douglas develop a friendship who arouse the jealousy of one of their co-worker... they both will have to reconsider the path they have chosen at first and focus on what really matter, familly, love and helping others because wealth and career is not everything in life...
I really enjoyed reading this book, it was funny and beautifully written.

I absolutely adored this story! I'm a huge reader of romance novels, both historical and contemporary, and I really enjoyed the uniqueness of the plot behind this book. The story focuses on Alice who is determined to make her own way in the world as a telegrapher. Obviously, I know that telegraphs existed and the basics of how they worked, but I found myself really drawn in to a story where this played such an important role. It make for an interesting change of pace.

I loved Alice's independent nature, but also that she experienced growth. She learned along the way that she could be ambitious, but still find love with the right man. Douglas also underwent a fantastic transformation as he learned that his goals needed to be about so much more than just acquiring money.

When Douglas tapped out thank you in Morse code after Alice helped him to feel more confident with dancing, I think I fell for him right then and there. That moment just really stood out to me as so sweet. There is enough tension in the book to keep you reading, but not so much that it's overwhelming. I was able to see possible routes for more of the series (which I assume there will be more since this was labeled as book #1?). I really hope there's more because I want more of these characters!

I received a complimentary copy of this book and I am leaving an honest and voluntary review.