The Relentless Lady

by Eva Harris

193 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 19, 2026

Reviews

[Stacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story of a girl in Brazil on her quest to get to experience new things. Some parts I was really invested other parts less so. I found the writing didn’t always flow and that kept me from being fully engaged in the story.

It ended on a cliffhanger of sorts so you do need to read book 2 if you want more of her story. I am invested enough that I will read the rest of the series.

[Heather Mylek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written! Beautiful woman’s fiction book! This book took me on a journey of Francesca’s life. She is such a strong woman who does nothing but try to get things better!!! Not to give much away but this book is soo good and I really need the next one!!! Ends on cliffhanger! Will take you on an emotional rollercoaster! Highly recommend!!

[Casey Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall I enjoyed this one. Being a true story the emotions spilt off the page. I found myself rooting for the MC while she faced obstacles and challenges and made her life her own.

[Vibeke Sørlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is well written and that’s its based on a true story makes you feel it even more.

This book shows you that even if life is hard you can still get there, can’t you?

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a good story/journey about someone pursuing a dream that doesn’t at first seem within reach, but through perseverance, patience, faith, and a positive attitude, it has the potential to be achieved. You know what I’m talking about right; a dream in which the road to travel on is not so straight and narrow and full of roadblocks. The Relentless Lady is such a story. All her life, Francesca has dreamt not to be ordinary. She knows in her heart that she wants more for herself than her little village in Brazil can offer. She wants to go to America to pursue a life that has more meaning and one where she can expand her mind and not be judged for having such aspirations. She doesn’t want to be like all the other women she has grown up with; she wants more for herself. This is a story about her path to break free from the mold that everyone else built for her and to pursue the dream she was meant to fulfill. She uses her faith in God, determination, and an unexpected love connection to carve her path to achieving her goal.

This story was very relatable to me. I am the daughter of an immigrant and have several immigrant family members , and although I was born in America, I know the story of a path to freedom that was not easy to bear that my father and my grandparents took. They came from nothing in Italy to the US searching for a better life just as Francesca was eager to do. I enjoyed learning about Francesca’s life and Brazilian culture that had many similarities to the ones my family chose to leave behind. Of course, those cultures never really leave you, but just shape who you are and carve you into the person you are meant to be. The author’s descriptions of the Brazilian food were amazingly familiar! Aside from them making me hungry as I was reading, they were so on par with my Italian heritage as something I could relate to as well because all things as we know are centered around food!

Overall, I found this to be a very enjoyable read. As a woman, I couldn’t help but to root for Francesca to succeed and carve a path for others in her shoes. It’s a story that also carries with it a message of hope and it has shined a light on my own aspirations to never give up on myself in the pursuit of my own goals.

And of, course, I have to know what happens to the impending love story between Francesca and McKinley so I will most definitely be waiting anxiously for the next book in the series!

[Jennifer Amaral · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book feels deeply personal, emotional, and incredibly inspiring in a way that quietly stays with you long after the final page 🖤✨

A young woman fighting against rigid expectations?
Cultural pressure and religious control?
A journey toward education, independence, and discovering who she truly wants to become??

Yeah… this completely pulled me in.

What really stood out to me is how REAL Francesca’s story feels. Nothing about her journey is simple or magically easy. Every step forward comes with emotional consequences, family conflict, uncertainty, and the constant weight of expectations placed on her by the world around her.

And honestly??
That realism made her story feel incredibly powerful.

Francesca was SUCH an easy character to root for.

She’s intelligent, curious, hopeful, and desperate for something bigger than the life she’s been told she’s supposed to accept. Watching her slowly push against the boundaries placed around her—especially within her family and culture—felt emotional and deeply human.

The book also does such a strong job capturing what it feels like to want more for yourself while still loving the people and environment you came from.

Because Francesca’s journey isn’t just rebellion.

It’s self-discovery.
Growth.
Learning who she is outside of other people’s expectations.

The romance elements were also really well balanced within the larger story 👀🖤

The relationship with the American missionary creates so many emotional and cultural complications, especially as Francesca begins experiencing new ideas, customs, and possibilities that challenge everything she’s known before.

And honestly??
I appreciated that the story focuses just as much on Francesca’s personal growth as it does the romance itself.

The themes surrounding education, language barriers, religion, identity, and independence all add so much emotional depth to the story without ever feeling overly heavy-handed.

✨ If you love:
• emotional women’s fiction
• coming-of-age/self-discovery journeys
• strong ambitious heroines
• cultural and family conflict
• realistic stories about finding your own path

This one is heartfelt, inspiring, emotional, and beautifully centered around a woman learning to choose herself 🖤✨

[Jea · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Relentless Lady is the first in a series of women's fiction by Eva Harris. It's a brilliantly written (and based on a true story) telling of a young Brazilian woman growing up in poverty with a father who has very strict evangelical beliefs. She is often punished for dreaming of something different for herself than her traditional culture allows. She fights to get an education, but still dreams of more. She meets an American missionary named McKinley along her journey, and they become friends. He dreams of her moving to the States and being closer, even though his life is chaotic as well. They continue to correspond over the years. Later, a family in the United States offers her a new life in another country as an au pair for their children, and she finds herself moving to Utah, where McKinley also lives. However, by this time, he has had a series of misfortunes, and decides to disconnect from social media as he heals, and isn't aware that Francesca is moving close by.

This story is about embracing change, overcoming language and culture barriers, finding love, and, more importantly, finding Francesca's own true identity. A very emotional journey, definitely recommend, but please know that the ending is unfinished and left to be continued...

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this was an emotional and immersive experience. I loved Francesca and felt so invested in her journey! The story left me with a strong sense of anticipation for her future, and admiration for her resilience and how far she's come.

Francesca is such a relatable and well developed protagonist, I often found myself rooting for her, hoping she'd succeed, feeling nervous for her, or feeling happy for her accomplishments. I loved the mirroring between McKinley and Francesca as both deal with their own struggles yet have dreams that go beyond societal expectations. While both value the ideals of family and marriage, they're not willing to sacrifice their personal goals to adhere to it. They felt like kindred spirits with a genuine connection.

I especially loved Francesca's character growth over the course of the story. She starts as someone with big dreams but even bigger hesitations, torn between wanting a different life and fearing the consequences if things go wrong. Over time, she develops into a woman no longer willing to remain trapped in her situation, even while acknowledging the risk and her fears.

[Country Mama]

The Relentless Lady by Eva Harris is a women's fiction about our FMC named Francesca Silva who is a woman from Brazil. Francesca comes from a family in poverty with strong gender roles. I honestly did not like this character or the premise of the plot as I am an old fashioned traditionalist with gender roles in my house with most all of our roles, within reason. I did like the plot about a person trying to achieve the 'American Dream' that so many people including in our own country try to acquire at some point in our lives. If you like strong women who are fighting to achieve their dreams you will really like this book!

[Joanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wonderfully written book is inspired by true events. It follows Francesca, who grows up in Brazil, and her life from infancy to her early 20’s. Francesca’s family was poor and she knew she wanted a better life for herself and started taking English classes. She met an American missionary, McKinley, who helped her with her English. They spend time together and their friendship develops into more, but life had other plans for the two of them. This is the first book of the series, and Francesca’s story continues in the next book.

[Marcela Lugo · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Relentless Lady is a powerful look at what it really takes to break free and chase the American Dream. The book highlights the massive struggle to overcome financial hardship and strict cultural expectations in search of a better life.
The story leaves you wondering what will happen next as a new chapter begins in a foreign country. I’m looking forward to finding out how the transition goes, and I’m really crossing my fingers that a certain past connection resurfaces along the way.

If you appreciate stories about resilient women fighting for their dreams, you will enjoy this.

[Rachelle Whynott · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an emotional journey, especially knowing it’s a true story. I found myself routing for Francesca. The obstacles she had to overcome and the changes to her life she had to make in order to live her life for HER were inspiring. I think we can all take something from this and apply it to our own lives.

I enjoyed this novel and I look forward to more from Eva Harris in the future.

I received this book as an ARC and I’m leaving my honest review

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

She has plans to become more than what others may expect of her. She wants to get an education and become a powerful woman but her parents do not want it. She will meet him but there is a language barrier but she is not going to let that stop her. Follow her journey and see if she succeeds
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and a beautiful tale

[Kailynn Portwood · Rating 2 out of 5]

The beginning of the story started off really strong and with everything going on kept me wanting more. The further I got in it just started to feel very repetitive and slow. I started skimming just to see where it was going to just be left on a cliffhanger. I wished I had liked this more but I felt like there was a lot of build up for a big downfall.

[LashayBee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was heartfelt and emotional story about Francesca who was from Brazil . She married an American man and struggled with language and culture barriers within her marriage.