Something Old

Thomas Granger made a serious error. He married for money. Oh, he definitely loved the woman he married, she was everything he ever wanted, but he never actually asked for her hand until a bad gamble in business left him destitute and desperately needing her sizable dowry to pull himself out of debt. The shame of that left him cold toward her, and for the past five years, they have lived as strangers in the same house. Now he has finally recouped his losses and can rectify the distance between them and make the marriage real. The problem is, how? When Lily married Thomas, she was the happiest of women. She had secretly loved him for years and had hopes that hers would be a truly loving relationship. But the minute the wedding night was over, Thomas withdrew, never speaking unless required and never again giving her any hope. Now, after years of neglect and loneliness at his hand, how can she find her way back?  Or does she even want to?

With a writing style that is both flowing and lovely, Ms. Connolly beautifully pens the struggle to regain a love lost.  One will not only read, but actually ache for the loneliness that Lily feels as she struggles to overcome her circumstances. Unfortunately, this plot-line alone is not enough to carry an entire book, so we are left with large portions devoted solely to Thomas and Lily’s silent worries and conversations with others on the problem. However, for those who enjoy the beauty of the written word without the encumbrance of substantial conflict, this is truly a lovely way to spend an evening!

Ruth Lynn Ritter