We'll Find a Way

by Tia Lee

Serena Johannes is a determined woman. With a father as a drunkard and a mother who is watching after her siblings, Serena takes it upon herself to keep her family off the streets. She had just landed a second job and with her work schedule, she is too busy to be thinking about anything else. It’s not easy being a working woman in 1867.

Everett Peterson is a student at Yale College. The mechanical sciences are what interests him most, but his mother has other plans for him. Mrs. Peterson is invested to find a wife for him when he graduates. Not just any wife though, one who has been brought up properly and fits into their circle flawlessly.

When Everett sees Serena, sparks fly. When she takes a liking to him too it seems as though everything should fall into place. They don’t. Things become messy, but they will try to find a way to make it work because love is worth fighting for.

Genres: Historical Fiction

142 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 31, 2019

Reviews

[Elissa Matthews · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a charming romance, with characters that are appealing and have chemistry between them. You can see why they fall in love, and you're routing for them to win the day. The story is told from alternating points of view of the two main characters, and that is particularly well done - you never get confused about whose story you're reading, the narratives have clear and distinct points of view.

All that goodness, then why only three stars? I just couldn't get past the historical misplacement that intruded into every scene. This was more than just inaccuracies and anachronisms, this was a modern romance with modern sensibilities jammed into a time period where it didn't belong. For example, in 1868 the country was still recovering from the Civil War, whole towns of young men had been wiped out, and Pesident Lincoln had been assasinated. None of this mentioned, even in passing. People didn't go out to enjoy French food - the French were on the Confederate side during the war, so in Boston (where this story is set) they would have been considered the enemy. (In fact, in 1868, even the French didn't go to restaurants to enjoy French food - La Gastronome hadn't been published yet.) One of the characters is a germ phobe - but in 1868 miasma was stil believed to be the cause of disease, bacteria was just making it's appearance as unaccepted scientific hokum. Intercollegiate baseball didn't have 9 innings yet, pubs weren't open on Sunday, and good girls didn't consort with prostitutes, even childhood friends, without life-altering repercussion.

Ms Lee clearly doesn’t revel in the research the way historical novelist do; she should move up her timeline to present day - then we'd really have a wonderful new romance writer in our midst.

[S.D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

We'll find a Way

3.5 rating

This is a light and predictable romance story that should appeal to the escape-readers of this genre. The story is set in 1867 and told from the viewpoints of the two main characters. Serena comes from a poor family and has to work two jobs to support her family. Everett is a student and about to graduate from Yale. They meet and are instantly drawn to one another even though they're from totally different social classes. As soon as his wealthy parents realize he's in love with a poor girl, they do everything in their power to split the two apart. This is the crux of the story and yet did not feel like a real threat to their relationship.
While it was an easy read, the author did not make full use of the time period or the opportunity to add more tension to the story. The romantic attraction of the two young people is pretty straightforward. At no point in the story did I feel that either had doubts of the other or were mislead by misplaced assumptions of the other's attraction. (Which is common in most romance novels.) Also, there were several interesting characters like Sarah the streetwalker and Tess the barmaid, who were introduced, used and then dropped from the story without any real satisfactory resolution. I give this a 3.5 and round it up to a 4.

[Mary Elizabeth Hughes · Rating 3 out of 5]

We'll find a Way is essentially a romance and a nicely structured short novel. Lightly set in 1867 in New Haven, Connecticut, the story is told by the two main characters in alternating chapters. I enjoyed this approach as it's always fun to be privy to two sides to a story as it unfolds.

Serena is 17 and a factory worker from a poor family. Everett is an upper class college student, about to graduate from Yale, a young man with a flair for invention. Naturally, they are both very good-looking. When they meet, sparks fly, but Everett's hyper-snobbish parents object. Serena is hard-working and resourceful. Everett is mildly ambitious but a product of his upbringing. The class difference is at the root of this novel.

Plot is not the driver of this romance, character is, and the first person narrative does limit character development. However, there are delightful scenes, as when Everett deliberately disrupts his mother's dance party by dancing with an inappropriate partner.

In future, Tia Lee should invest in a good copy editor. There are numerous typos and errors throughout. She tends to over use certain words, like “smitten” and “smirk”, which pop up altogether too frequently. "Smirk" or a variation occurs at least fifteen times. And there is too much anachronistic language. I don't mind that she hasn't made any particular effort at period language, but no one, in 1867, “grabbed a knife” to simply cut the cheese. Similarly, people did not “meet up” at that time. They simply met.

The five day work week and the two day weekend did not exist in 1867 and were not common until the mid 20th century. The event held after the wedding ceremony was called the wedding breakfast, not the wedding reception, no matter what the time of day. And a young lady of any class would never have referred to her beau's parents by their Christian names, even in her own mind. With the exception of effective descriptions of various lavish homes, there was almost no sense of place. New Haven could have been Anytown. USA.

I read historical fiction by preference, and expect to learn something about a place and time in the past. As a piece of historical fiction, We'll Find a Way disappointed. Still, there's plenty to enjoy in the book and any fan of romance who is less persnickety about the English language and historical accuracy will enjoy We'll Find a Way.

[G.J. Griffiths · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fairly typical rags to ‘probable’ riches romantic story, set in 1860s Boston, USA. I say ‘probable’ because we are left wondering, at the rather abrupt end of the book, whether the young couple concerned are ever going to drag themselves out of the mire in which they find themselves. While it has some intriguing historical points, that occur throughout the story, much of the plot could have been told in almost any more contemporary timeline. I have three main criticisms of this book: the first concerns the somewhat naïve style of writing used because it does not feel like a book aimed at an adult reader; the second is that many of the expressions used are too idiomatic of the modern world and felt out of place in the society of the late 19th century; and my third most important point is the glaring lack of editing all the way through the book. A simple word processor spell/grammar check could have solved many of the typos, lack of punctuation and editing problems. Plus, maybe a friendly beta reader for proof-reading later could have saved the day here?
A few examples are needed to illustrate my critique: the confusion between the words ‘were’ and ‘where’; the use of contemporary slang terms like ‘gussy up’, ‘scooted’, and ‘fancy’ felt out of place in a so-called historical novel; some words like ‘ahold’ cannot be found in a dictionary; a ‘pub’ would probably have been a tavern or inn or even a bar back then; and there were several examples of verbosity which left a wry smile on this particular reader’s face.
However, all of this criticism does not mean that I did not like the story, which says a lot as I usually avoid romantic novels of any genre or time period! Many of the exchanges between Serena and Everett, the main protagonists, are charming and clutch at the heart strings. You want them to succeed in their life together, with impoverished Serena coming across as the stronger of the two, while the rather hapless Everett has to learn some important lessons in the ‘real life out there’ away from the rich and privileged family he chooses to leave for true love, his heart’s desire. ‘We’ll Find A Way’ seems to be aimed at the very young adult but with a lot of tidying up there are many fans of romantic historical fiction who would enjoy this charming tale of young love.

[Ramona Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

The chapters in this book are written for the character of the chapter the odd-numbered chapters are Serena Johannes’s chapters, the even-numbered chapters are Everett Peterson's chapters. Serena works in a manufacturing factory stamping circles all day and she's now gone to work in a pub as an assistant cook on the weekends. Her friend Sarah who is a lady of the night walks her home when she gets through with work at the pub. Her work in the pub is to fix easy meals and to prep for the more elaborate meals that her boss books. Tess who is a barmaid and waitress also has her help serve large meals. Everett comes from what would be considered a good family he is attending Yale and he will graduate soon. He meets Serena at the pub and nearly gets her fired playing a prank on one of his friends. He explains to Iggy her boss that it was his fault and not hers that there was hair in the soup. He comes to the pub one Saturday afternoon and asks Serena to join him for a meal. Serena says yes and she would like to order the duck but orders leek soup and roles instead while Everett orders the duck. Then Everett asks to court her and she says yes if she can have the rest of the duck and he gives her the duck. He walked her home from the pub that night and plays a prank on her with the Bush and then promises not to do it again and to find out all the other trials and tribulations that they have you have to read the book. It's a good book...

[Jamie Bee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Serena is working two jobs to help her family. Her father is a drunk, and her mother watches over the other children. At her job as a cook's assistant at a pub specializing in French food, she meets a Yale student who has an interest in mechanical engineering. They are from different social strata, but they have attraction and agree to court. What will his family think of this?

I will admit to being surprised at the storyline somewhat. The blurb didn't tell the extent how much worse off Serena's family was compared to Everett’s. The book cover suggests a romance of equals; by the way, Serena would never have such a dress. It also suggests a lightness and frivolity that this book doesn't have. Unfortunately, this book was riddled with many errors in grammar, punctuation, and usage. Sometimes very long sentences that required commas had none or not enough; commas were missing all over the place. Words that sounded closed were mistakenly used, like ridged for rigid. I felt like the narrative was too focused on what precisely everybody was saying and doing rather than occasional commentary that added to the general feel and description of emotions and surroundings. We are often told rather than shown.

I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.

Read my other reviews at https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com

[Jayne Butcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is told by Serena and Everett in alternating chapters. It is a story where the power of privilege and social ranking is used to manipulate, and the struggle when ultimatums are not heeded. Serena and Everett fall in love despite the difference in their social standings requiring them to forge their own way. It is well written and the characters are strongly depicted.。