Clara is one of the first female physicians in Canada. Her parents had agreed to her education under one condition - she would marry a man of their choosing afterwards. Clara cannot imagine a life her mother had planned for her and despite the agreement with her parents, elopes with a man she barely knows.

I could not put it down, the writing was exquisite and the characters beautifully crafted. For most part I also enjoyed the story.

Every single character in this book has had a difficult past or a complicated family situation or, in most cases both. I would have preferred a little less struggle and misfortune to balance things out.

Clara was a pampered daughter of a wealthy family, so you’d think her the one who’s had it easiest, but that’s not exactly the case. She was a woman very much ahead of her times and finding a man who would understand and respect her was not easy. But she was not one to bend to anyone’s will; she was determined to live her life on her own terms and find happiness even if it meant breaking the rules.

I liked Clara’s spirit and how unstoppable she was in chasing her dreams. It’s truly inspiring if you consider her times, and heartbreaking when you realize that women still fight similar battles nowadays.

I did not like the last ~30%. There was way too much heartbreak and drama. Some of it didn’t add anything to the story and I don’t understand why did the author decide to include it.

The ending was satisfying so all in all solid four stars from me.

CW: loss of a loved one, attempted sexual assault, stillbirth, miscarriage, domestic violence, detailed descriptions of medical procedures

Thank you Rising Action Publishing Co. and NetGalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I liked the cover design, and from the description, this sounded like something that I might enjoy.

This was a very good historical novel, and it was heartwarming without anything being overly sentimental or sugar-coated. From the start, I liked the protagonist and was interested in her. There were also some other characters that I took an interest in, and I became very emotionally involved, hoping for the most desirable outcome for these characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

In this historical fiction Clara Thomas, our main character, tries to find her way in life as a physicist, a difficult thing to do at the end of the 19th century, and also as a woman.
For a first novel, I was impressed by the easy flow of the plot and the characterization of the characters, making you empathize with some and not so much with others.
I have read the novel practically in one sitting and I will certainly keep Christy K. Lee in my focus, waiting for new novels of hers.
Clearly recommended for lovers of the historical and romantic genre.