Hooks & Eyes

Ambition & Destiny #1

by V.L. McBeath

To start again, Mary must leave the past behind...

When young widow Mary Jackson moves to the nearby town of Birmingham she hopes to put her troubled past behind her. But with two small children to care for, she fears for the future.

Living with an elderly aunt, she takes a job making Hooks & Eyes for the ambitious Mr Wetherby. With his mind focussed on building a business, he isn't looking for love. But it isn't long before he decides he wants Mary as more than a worker.

Frightened and confused, Mary flees. But when Mr Wetherby tracks her down, she needs to make a choice. Will her decision give the family the future she hopes for? Or will she destroy the very thing she's determined to protect?

Set in Victorian England, Hooks & Eyes is Part 1 of The Ambition & Destiny Series. A captivating family saga of love, loss and betrayal.

Background

This novel (and the subsequent Ambition & Destiny Series) was inspired by real-life events discovered through family history research. Due to its historical nature, parts of the storyline and all characterisation is fictitious. Names have been changed and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Please Note: The book is written in UK English.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Victorian, Fiction

432 pages, Paperback

First published March 8, 2017

About the author

Val is an accidental author! She started writing in 2010 when she realised the family history research she was working on would make a great story.

That story ultimately turned into The Ambition & Destiny Series, a five part series with a short story prequel.

By the time that was complete, Val had developed a taste for writing and began a series of historical cozy mysteries - Eliza Thomson Investigates.

Prior to writing, Val trained as a scientist and worked in the pharmaceutical industry for many years. In 2012, she set up her own consultancy business, and currently splits her time between business and writing.

Born and raised in Liverpool (UK), Val now lives in Cheshire with her husband, two daughters and a cat. In addition to family history, her interests include rock music and Liverpool Football Club.

Reviews

[♏ Gina☽ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly loved this book - once I started I could not stop and read it in one day. The characters are very well developed, and you will grow to care about all of them (although I admit to wanting to slap Mr. Wetherby more than once, the pompous a**).

A fictional novel based on a true story, this first installment of the Ambition & Destiny Series resolves around Mary, a widow with two small children who is determined to make it on her own after losing the love of her life. The setting is Victorian era England.

After moving with her children to get away from a tragic past and family members who never approved of her marriage due to religious differences, Mary accepts a job offer from the industrious and determined-to-be-wealthy Mr. Wetherby, who is hiring ladies to work in his hook and eyes shop. What starts as a way to support her young son and daughter turns into something else when Mr. Wetherby decides he wants Mary as more than an employee. Mary spurns his advances, but Wetherby is a man used to getting his own way and will stop at nothing to get what he wants in life, and what he wants is Mary. He begs forgiveness for his forward ways and decides to use the children to make Mary fall in love with him. Little does he know that Mary still carries a love, not only for her late husband, but his brother who looks so much like him. Knowing that can never happen, Mary makes the best of a bad situation and finally agrees to wed Wetherby, mostly for the sake of her children, who will be taken care of.

Mr. William Wetherby (yes, he is called Mr. throughout the book) is a bit of a bully. In an era when women were to do as their husbands tell them, he uses that tradition to force Mary to do what he wants, even to the point of sending her little son, William, away to school.

Marrying Wetherby gained Mary an easier life, but it was also fraught with tragedies. Mary nearly loses her life delivering a son. Wetherby names him "William" while Mary is unconscious, despite the fact that she already has a son with the same name. He is determined to have a William Jr. named after himself. Following this, Mary suffers many miscarriages and loses a set of twin boys shortly after birth.

I am greatly looking forward to the rest of the series. Knowing it's based on a true story also meant a lot to me. These women, held down under the thumbs of men, had to find the courage to stand up and fight for themselves or forever be pawns used to get what men wanted.

[Connie Huddleston · Rating 2 out of 5]

Absolutely no plot - just a story about a woman's life. Too long and then a cliff hanger. Why would I want to read another one.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this historical book. I thought it had a sense of realism that many a historical romance does not have. Things were portrayed as they would have happened in the past, not in our ideal of the past. My only critique would be that many characters were introduced at once and it took me a little longer than I'd normally like in a book to sort out their relations to the others. However the story is well done and the characters are compelling. I think this is a great opener to what I believe will be an amazing series!

[Bookworm86 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before I have even started reading the main book I have come across the explanatory notes and family tree. I must say I find this an absolutely fantastic idea and I think it could definitely be used more by other authors. I just wanted to add this and will continue this review once I have completed the book.

This book continues where Condemned by Fate finished and goes on to tell the story of what happened to Mary.
A historical romance set in the Victoria Era. Just like it's prequel this book captivates your attention from the start and keeps you turning the page until the end.
Each scene is richly atmospheric.
A beautiful tale of love and loss filled with emotions of suspense, romance, betrayal and sadness.
This book creates strong emotions and feelings for the characters from sympathy to disgust.
The story ends leaving you wanting to hear more about the family and what happens in their lives
I thoroughly enjoyed the historic element and am looking forward to hearing more from this highly talented author .
Recommend to fans of history, romance, suspense and anyone just looking for an interesting and good read xx

[Nicole Fitton · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me a while to get into this book. I found having a lot of characters introduced quite quickly a bit confusing and I needed to keep going back and re-reading various sections, but I am glad I stuck with it, what a gem! For me, the strength of the story was in the writing. McBeath writes believable historical fiction that places you right in the heart of the Victorian Era. Hooks and Eyes is ultimately about the choices we make, It's about love and loss, relationships and struggles and oh so much more. Mary Jackson is a widow who struggles to bring up her children after the death of her husband. Her choices are limited and this was a key focus point of the book. McBeath has highlighted brilliantly the role of women. Her characters have depth and I felt I gained real insight into an era which, for all its forward-thinking, was still very much a man's world. At times I got frustrated with Mary, but given the era her subservience was understandable. The book had a beautiful flow and the descriptive passages were so well written that I could almost feel the chill in the air and see the ice on the windows! This book was a delightful find and left me wanting more. Good story telling at its finest!

[Bookworm86 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before I have even started reading the main book I have come across the explanatory notes and family tree. I must say I find this an absolutely fantastic idea and I think it could definitely be used more by other authors. I just wanted to add this and will continue this review once I have completed the book.

This book continues where Condemned by Fate finished and goes on to tell the story of what happened to Mary.
A historical romance set in the Victoria Era. Just like it's prequel this book captivates your attention from the start and keeps you turning the page until the end.
Each scene is richly atmospheric.
A beautiful tale of love and loss filled with emotions of suspense, romance, betrayal and sadness.
This book creates strong emotions and feelings for the characters from sympathy to disgust.
The story ends leaving you wanting to hear more about the family and what happens in their lives
I thoroughly enjoyed the historic element and am looking forward to hearing more from this highly talented author .
Recommend to fans of history, romance, suspense and anyone just looking for an interesting and good read xx

[Vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a great fan of stories written from family history and VL McBeath has not disappointed. In this gentle story where life does not always go to plan, and where family relationships fluctuate, the reader is afforded an excellent insight into early Victorian life for the working class people of Birmingham. A lot of characters were introduced quite quickly and it took some effort to sort them out, but this is a story about the difficulties women faced and the decisions they had to make to survive. I’m looking forward to the next instalment.

[Reg Shell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Women of today need to be aware of what is was like to live in Victorian times, and I don’t mean the unreal romance accounts told in most Victorian historical romance. Only by understanding the difficulties faced by women such as the heroine of Hooks & Eyes can modern readers appreciate the freedoms they have today, and right to ensure me don’t lose those rights. This promises to be a fantastic family saga series.

[J.B. Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Hooks & Eyes” is a period piece that true romance lovers will completely enjoy, filled with characters whose larger-than-life personalities range from the wicked and the scheming, to the lovelorn and sublime. From the callous and domineering Mister Wetherby, to the cool and calculated Sally Anne, McBeath arranges a chessboard of characters who each have hidden agendas and aspirations that will impact the future of everyone around them, including the oldest of men to the most innocent of young women and children. As plots and plans are unveiled and come to full fruition, the naïve and forgiving Mary—a poor widowed mother of two children who is seemingly destined to living a life of restriction and hardship—slowly succumbs and submits to everyone else’s will, even as her own life is imperiled. In this time when manners, propriety, and status rule the day, her options for upward mobility are quite limited, and when she is offered a way out of her desperate situation, she finds herself opting for the lesser of two evils.

McBeath’s “Hooks & Eyes” clearly demonstrates the struggle of women living in a time when they were set aside as arm ornaments and housewives by the male relatives who lorded over them. The fact that a woman—Queen Victoria—sat as Monarch during the period involved, had no influence on the status of a woman in the eyes of her husband, for she was allowed no right to claim or keep her own property, she was not a primary determinant on the course of her children’s lives and education, nor did she have any right at all to refuse her husband’s orders or sexual advances … allowing her absolutely no control over her own body—a concept that is unimaginable to today’s woman! Each one of these issues is expertly addressed in McBeath’s novel, where experiences such as abject poverty, widowhood, rape, and mental illness are dealt with in a tasteful and dignified manner while showing the reader why women’s equality was such an important movement in our own time.

This historical romance novel is well-researched and brilliantly told, showing the impact of Britain’s oncoming Industrial Revolution on common folk Englishmen as the efficiency and speed of the machine begins to replace man. “Hooks & Eyes” quite competently reflects the era in which it is set, featuring UK English to enhance the dialogue of its complex characters, while the narrative fluently and timelessly describes the everyday setting of the working class in 19th century Birmingham and Handsworth. For those unfamiliar with the mores of the day, the author thoughtfully guides the reader with reference guides on currency standards as well as proper etiquette and the conformities of everyday life in special sections in the opening of the novel.

While “Hooks & Eyes” is a reflection of one woman’s struggle to provide for herself and her children during a time when the entire world turned its back on her, it is also universal tribute to the enormous struggles past generations of women had to overcome in order to find a better life for themselves, their children, and their progeny. McBeath’s glorious main protagonist, Mary, is an unforgettable character who shows that—when her and her family’s survival depends on it—she is a lioness who will not hesitate to bare her teeth and claws to protect and fight for her dependents. She is a testament to all women—past, present, and future.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Victorian soap opera

It’s hard to know what to say about a book when the author creates well developed characters that fall on the scale from unlikable to loathsome. Such is the case with Hooks & Eyes set in mid-Victorian era England, where women are little more than chattel to be acquired, ordered about, used to whatever advantage, and then alternately adored or ignored as the father, brother, or husband sees fit.

Such is the case with the female protagonist, Mary. I can honestly say that I have seldom disliked a female main character as much as Mary. To me, she seems very weak of character with ideas of what she wants but clueless about how her actions sabotage her own happiness. There were a couple of times that she developed a backbone but those were fleeting. Indeed, with the exception of a couple of spinster aunts, all the female characters are much like Mary.

Mary’s husband William Weathers is also a piece of work as the stereotypical Victorian husband. He is controlling, conniving, unfaithful, and manipulative. His wife, as with all women, are there to cater to his needs. However, the author also has him engage in periodic self-reflection and symbolic self-flagellation. This seems to have little overall effect because he very soon goes back to being an ass. I got whiplash from it.

Bottom line, this book reminds me of a sudsy, soap opera version of Andrew Wareham’s beautifully researched Poor Man at the Gate series. The difference? Wareham’s characters though flawed, are much more driven and relatable as they deal with the pitfalls of changing life and society beginning in the late 1700s. Author McBeath’s characters are almost cartoonish in their deviousness and I had great difficulty whipping up much in the way of sympathy for any of them. To reiterate, this is a Victorian era soap opera and like modern televised soap operas, I frequently find myself wanting to ask the characters, “What the hell is wrong with you?”

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charming and live full story. It a time travel to Victorian era. Beautiful

[Rebecca Anderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Got through a fifth of it before setting aside. Amateurish attempt.

[Lihsa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Goofy and soapy

I've never read such a weird book. A historical romance, it was a bizarre combination of soap opera and baby mama drama combined with a creepy Snidley Whiplash main character cast as the romantic lead. Every chapter was full of stupid intrigue and in the end there was no resolution. DONE.

[ABesse · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author starts out the book by intimating that its based on their own family history. Thus I went into it expecting a happy heartfelt lovey story. Holy hell was that misleading.

There’s this hints thing that maybe she had an affair with her brother in law, but she’s kinda religious, but not. The boss man says women shouldn’t work, yet he hires only women. A woman who has had a husband and maybe even an affair with her brother in law proceeds to be violently confused and mentally disturbed when a man looks at her funny. That same woman, for no real reason at all rather quickly becomes a ok with being wooed as long as it gets her out of the hot sun sooner. Madam is so proud and wants to do it on her own while at the same time taking money from her aunts to start “their” business, she lets the man buy all this stuff from her at a premium. It just goes on and on.

A lot of things just don’t make sense. In chapter one he’s working in his own kitchen then by chapter four he’s rented a warehouse and had twenty employees then two more chapters later he’s handing her money like it’s water. Some things in this book progress too quickly while other things plod along like an old nag. How many times can one kid need new freakin clothes? Why is she always worried about clothes? Why not better food or an alternate beverage to gin? Why did they get a wet nurse right fast for one kid but only think to drop cows milk into a different baby?

I would have enjoyed this book more if the dialog didn’t seem so forced and un-natural. I wish the author had worked harder to make the characters more human, more likable. Also, there are a crap ton of family members here and it would behoove the author to either slim them down or make them bigger characters so the reader isn’t forever thinking to herself “wait, who now? which sister? Where did that cousin come from? Who had what illegitimate daughter?!?

There are a few typos, but overall it’s much more well edited than a lot of books over read these days. And the author seems to have put in a good amount of effort to research the timeframe and make things accurate.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boy, can this lady write! The saga continues with Mary after Charles dies and she is left with her two young children and not a lot of choices in how she lives her life. Most women in that era re-marry so that there is someone to provide for them, but Charles' aunts, are both Quakers, brought up to believe that women are as capable as men and can hold their own in society. They take Mary in, give her somewhere to live and help her find work. When the boss, Mr Wetherby starts having designs on Mary and she has to leave, they help her try to make a living for herself, but Mr Wetherby is in love with Mary and is determined to win her hand.

It is sad to see that even with the support of such strong and independent women like the aunts, it is understandable why Mary would find it tempting to accept a man who she grows to rather like, a man who will look after her, provide for her and her children and who is so much in love with her. Sometimes, one has so settle for second best and sometimes, love is not everything.....but choices also have consequences

This book ends on a cliff hanger. Another painful, poignant, heart wrenching story that you just cannot put down.

[Patsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an outstanding historical fiction series of five books. Based on true stories about the authors ancestors. I enjoyed this book it was well written and easy to follow. There were many characters to follow but back in the 1800's each family had numerous children and large families, some families had relatives living with them during this time period.

The plot was good describing the lifetime during the era. The characters were vividly described and interesting. I am excited to start the next book the author suggested that these books should be read in order, they do have cliff-hangers. This was an excellent book that was emotional and entertaining. I recommend this book to everyone interested in England during the Victorian Era.

[Hope Gerhardstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

A historical romance based on true facts. Takes place in Birmingham, England during the Victorian era when machines are coming into vogue and deals with middle class women and what they had to do to survive in a man’s world. Mary is a strong willed women who is a widow and marries Mr Wetherby for the sake of her 2 children. Family relationships and disowning and love triangles abound. I did have some problem with Mary being married to Mr Wetherby for many years and he is still referred to as Mr Wetherby!

[Carolyn Russett · Rating 2 out of 5]

unfortunately i'm going to be in the minority here I think. Not my favorite book. I do like historical fiction and had just finished reading the Phtographer's Saga, which i liked. This one not as much. I felt the writing was choppy -- story could go year by year, then suddenly skip a number of years and you had to figure that out. I didn't find the characters especially likable, specifically mary and mr weatherby. I did appreciate the insight into the time period and how life was like, but don't believe i'll be reading the subsequent installments. Sorry, just not for me

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mary is widowed with two children to support. Her husband's family is willing to help all they can but she is trying to support her family herself. She goes to work for Mr. Wetherby. This is Victorian era and though she rejects the advances of the man he does not give up. When he cannot work on her then he decides to work on becoming friends with the children to get to her.

[Derek Sanderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read!

I enjoyed this book very much. The plot captivated me enough to keep up with all the characters. There's a little bit of all things human --love, hate, revenge, passion, envy, time's enduring hope. No murders so far but who knows what the rest of the saga will bring? I'm moving on to Book II!

[J RUSSENBERGER · Rating 2 out of 5]

Incomplete

The story seemed so disconnected most of the time but I kept reading thinking it would tie everything together at some point. It didn't and then it just abruptly ended. I guess the intent is to sell the next book to see if it ties things together but I won't be buying it.

[Sharon Brown]

Couldn't wait to find out the next thing coming at Mary. A very strong willed woman who wanted the best for her children. Love the way she handled her problem with an overly-jealous and demanding man, and wished I had had her backbone in my day. Very good read.

[Delbert Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this historical book about the Victorian era. This time in history is very interesting and like reading about all the trials and dangers required to make a living back then. Can’t wait to read rest of seris.

[The Lit Beauty Chick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining and well-written. It was a book that I couldn’t put down. Liked it a lot. Read it quickly.

[Helen Hollick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has received a Discovering Diamonds Review:
Helen Hollick
founder #DDRevs

" an interesting novel for those readers interested in this period"

[Gloria Reeves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read.

Couldn't put this book down. Loved it. Now going to read part 2 and can't wait to get started. Housework can wait.

[Janine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the series of five books.

[Margaret Napalo · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ending was too abrupt. I guess to keep You guessing for next in the series. I enjoyed reading.

[Leslie Ellingson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Victorian era setting is fine, some aspect history less developed. The characters are most definitely Victorian the women and the men. However, some interactions between Mr. Wetherby and his wife's sister-in-law are a bit modern. Mary has some potential to stand up but never fully rises to that level. The Religious Society of Friends was an interesting aspect to include, just never really fully developed. So a reader who knows nothing about 1800's religious movements or religion would not understand the aunts.
The story line is solid and I really enjoyed the characters but just felt left unsatisfied. Mary seemed to have moments when she would really do something - don't know what - and then she would revert right and nothing would happen. Her in-laws and former sister-in-laws and brother-in-laws seemed remote and some of the connections were left out. Alice shows up in the story and then is never addressed again.
The book just ends - nearly mid-sentence. Since I had read each story was self-contained, I was surprised and left hanging with too many threads to wind together. Maybe the next book brings them to some closure, but the opening lines (preview at the end of this book) don't sound promising.
I really wanted to love this book, as a historian, I love historical fiction - but the characters just left me feeling like something was missing and the story covered so much time, it never really connected for me.

[AF Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a VERY well written book and well edited. I loved not tripping over spelling errors or incorrect word usage...making the reading much like riding in a well-maintained vehicle.

The characters are sometimes quirky and all too human. The story's women had a tough life and had to make hard choices. I hated to see the story end. I know I can go ahead and purchase the second book in the series, but to be honest, I'd really had enough of Mr. Weatherby - the pompous, ridiculous and duplicitous jerk. Grrr....if he had been killed off in this book, I probably would have gone ahead and purchased the second book. His character is no better than having rats in one's home. Begone, begone!

Thank you, Ms. McBeath for an interesting read. This is the start of one of those stories that if all the books in the series were to be combined, it would become an "epic" of the sort written by John Jakes, Collen McCullough, James Michner et al.