Line by Line (2020)

About the Book

Book: Line by Line

Author: Jennifer Delamere

Publisher: Bethany House Publishers

Release Date: June 30, 2020

Genre: Historical Romance

Alice McNeil resolved at a young age to travel through life unencumbered by love or marriage, free to make her own decisions. A seasoned telegrapher, she’s recently acquired a coveted position at an important trading firm, but when the company’s ambitious junior director returns to London, things begin to change in ways Alice could never have imagined.

For Douglas Shaw, years of hard work and ingenuity enabled him to escape a life of grinding poverty. He’s also determined to marry into high society–a step that will ensure he never returns to the conditions of his past.

He and Alice form a friendly relationship based on mutual respect, but anything deeper is not in their plans. However, when Alice accidentally raises the ire of a jealous and vindictive coworker who’s intent on ruining her life, Alice and Douglas are forced to confront what is truly important in their lives. Will their growing bond give them the courage to risk finding a better way?

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My Thoughts

Line by Line by Jennifer Delamere was exactly the story I needed. I enjoyed this book SO much that I hated putting it down the few times I had to. The storyline is highly engaging and captivating. The characters are unique and endearing, and I found them to be well-crafted and highly relatable. The romance that blooms between Alice and Douglas is wonderful and hilarious and realistic. This story includes wonderful discussions on very timely themes, but what I really appreciated the most in this book is the wit. It’s subtle, but it’s there and it made me laugh out loud. Several times I read whole passages to my husband because the sense of humor needed to be shared. Truly, Line by Line is a really great read. If Line by Line is an indication of what is to come in the Love Along the Wires series then we, readers, are in for a real treat!

Motivation — why do we do the things that we do? What drives us? These are questions that Douglas Shaw will be forced to answer in Line by Line. Shaw is one seriously motivated man. He has a plan and he will do whatever it takes to fulfill his dreams. Douglas comes from a VERY poor background and he wants nothing to do with the life he left behind. It’s taken a decade, but he is finally beginning to see some wealthy fruit from all his dogged determination and hard work. The problem with Douglas’s plan, though, is that it’s HIS plan. His myopic obsession with leaving his past behind and joining the ranks of millionaires in high society has made him unable to see the real paths and gifts God has in store for him. It actually takes one very unique and special telegrapher and one American billionaire to help Douglas reevaluate his motivations and help him get back on track — God’s track. I really love Douglas’s character and found his motivation issue to be very relatable. I, personally, have never had dreams of becoming a billionaire, but I have struggled with the why questions that Douglas wrestles within Line by Line. There have been moments in my life where I realized that I had fallen from God’s path for me and was doing things that only benefited myself. Like Douglas, it took the advice and constructive criticism of some very wise people in my life to help me see how self-focused I was and how badly I needed to get back onto the path God had for me. I love it when I can relate so well to a character!

Line by Line by Jennifer Delamere is a must-read story that I highly recommend. It is a well-researched, very well-written historical romance that swept me off my feet and left me wanting more. If you are looking for a sweet historical romance to escape into today, Line by Line is the book for you!

I received a copy of this novel in eBook form from Bethany House Publishers via NetGalley in order to review. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.