Customer Reviews

The Maiden of Mayfair (Tales of London Series #1)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this book because someone told me that Lawana Blackwell is a great author of inspirational/historical novels. Judging by The Maiden of Mayfair, I'd say my friend is right on the money. The Maiden of Mayfair is the first book in a Victorian series called Tales of London and it tells the story of a little orphan girl with a deformed hand and her sudden move from a seedy orphanage to a prestigious house in the Mayfair district. Dorothea Blake wants to mend her past mistakes by becoming her late son's daughter's guardian. Sarah is the product of her rogue son's indiscretion with a scullery maid. The woman was forced to abandon the baby in front of a church. Dorothea takes her in when she is thirteen and has no idea what to make of the girl at first, but it doesn't take much time to grow to love her. It matters little to her if the people in society shun her for taking in a grandchild who was born out of wedlock. The happiness that she gains with the presence of her granddaughter makes up for everything. However, there are secrets and deceptions that will come to light as the story progresses, things that could jeopardize Sarah's stability and happiness in her new home. There are various twists throughout the novel.

This is one of the most beautiful inspirational novels I have read. I love this story and the heartwarming and palatable way it's developed. And I love the characters! Naomi, Sarah, William, Stanley, Marie, Daniel and Dorothea are such wonderful, three-dimensional characters with flaws as well as virtues and I loved the warmth and familiarity between all of them. The servants are treated as family and you can feel the love come out of the pages. I wish I could read more about these characters, but I think the next installment will focus on a completely different story with its own characters. Ah, well. One of the things I enjoyed most about this novel is the subplot centered on the curator Ethan and his corrupt, conning ways. I like how everyone assumes he is a good man because he is training to become a vicar. What a realistic storyline! I loved the whole story and I couldn't put this book down. Lawana Blackwell is a wonderful storyteller and I look forward to reading more of her inspirational historicals. In the meantime, I recommend The Maiden of Mayfair and I cannot wait to give Catherine's Heart, the second book in the Tales of London series a whirl.

I never thought Lawana Blackwell could top the Gresham Chronicles, but she pulls it off with this beautifully written novel of God's abundant grace and forgiveness. The characters are more than just realistic: they tiptoe into your heart, and then refuse to leave.The setting, though not the bucolic countryside of Gresham, is nevertheless exciting and evocative. I cannot recommend this book strongly enough! The only downside is this: we probably have a year to wait for the next installment of "Tales of London." Superb!

I loved this book!! It is heartwarming!!! I couldn't get over how good it was. Great romance, characters, plot everything!!! I couldn't put it down. I can understand how Sarah felt as she learns how to live in the wealthier and sophisticated part in the city of London. I was not disappointed in this book!! I'm soo glad that I've read it!!! Lawana Blackwell gives a great demonstration about the society of London in the 1870s and how wealthy people treat other people who were not as blessed as they are. I recommend to mature readers only since it contains "adult" situations. It also has mystery and intrigue. I can't wait for the next one!!! God bless, Mrs. Blackwell!

I've admired Lawana Blackwell's writing since picking up her first book. Not being able to put it down was a sure sign I'd be reading more by her. Lawana Blackwell knows how to keep a reader's attention. Not only does she have real and believable characters, she places them in well-researched settings - so much so, I feel as though I've been there.
Sarah Matthews has been at St. Matthew Methodist Foundling Home for Girls since she was very young. Having no hope of being adopted because of her deformed left hand, Sarah is quite happy and grateful to have a home where she is loved.
All that changed the day Mr. Swan, a solicitor for Mrs. Blake, a well to do widow from Mayfair, came to St. Matthews. His search for his employer's long-lost granddaughter ended the day he walked through their doors. He was delighted when Mrs. Forsyth, the headmistress, assured him Mrs. Blake's granddaughter was indeed a resident of St. Matthews, or was she?
What follows is a fascinating tale of lives intertwined by chance and circumstance. After a rocky start to her new life, Sarah discovers the love of a grandmother, who didn't know she had any love left. After getting to know her, Sarah couldn't think of living anywhere else. They, along with the servants of the house become a family, with everyone knowing their proper place of course.
When the secret of Sarah's true past is threaten, will the widow come clean? Will Sarah ever get to know her real father?
Over the years, Sarah falls in love with their cooks nephew, William, and he with her. When a new curate arrives on the scene, will he steal her affections? Or will he be found out as a fraud? This story has enough twists and turns to keep you wanting more, much more!
You'll not want to put this book down until the end. I'm pleased there is more in this series. This book is well worth your time!
Katharine Kroeker, Reviewer for ShortHand Publishing

I was very disappointed by this book. I think Lawanna Blackwell writes very well but the plot was, in my opinion, predictable and amateurish. The main characters were all very likable, but lacked depth. I kept waiting for something to catch my interest or surprise me but, as I said above, I found the entire plot to be totally predictable. I also found it to be somewhat unrealistic. I know that this story is fiction and that fiction doesn't have to be realistic. However, it should be entertaining but I just found it to be boring.

I am a bit surprised by the high marks the other reviewers gave this book. My reading group read it and most of them felt the same way I did.

I love this author and this book!! It is so well written and keeps you wanting to read until you finish the book. This was the first book that I read by Lawana Blackwell and I am now a fan.

I loved this book! So many characters, and all of them developed! I was left wanting to know all about Sarah's new life at the end. I sure hope it will be continued in the next novel. Sarah is too rich a character to end here!

Once again, Lawanna Blackwell transports you back to times past. Her characters become real - you can feel their joy, their pain, their struggles, their victories. The Maiden of Mayfair brings us a new family with all of the above. It is a wonderfully written tale of learning how to forgive, and how our selfish actions can affect the lives of others. Ms. Blackwell does an excellent job of teaching her characters about God's love and forgiveness by using their true to life circumstances. All of her books are believable, readable, and hard to put down! This one is no exception.

This book did not disappoint me! Lawana Blackwell is a talented writer, and I fell in love with her writings after the Gresham Chronicles. Unlike much of Christian fiction "fluff," her characters are believable, and the theme of this book is uplifting. I can't wait for the next in the series!

There are lots of twists and turns here to keep you guessing where Sarah's story will go from chapter to chapter. It begins with Sarah as a young orphen and how she finds herself living with a grandmother she never knew she had. The first half of the book is focused on her as a child as she adjusts to her new life. The second half of the book takes place when Sarah is about 19 years old and the rest of her history is revealed. The Maiden of Mayfair is so rich with details of the time period that you feel like you are there in the room with the characters. Some authors overdo the details and I find myself just skimming over a lot of paragraphs to get to the meat of the story but Lawana Blackwell writes so that I enjoy the details and don't feel bogged down by them. The romance is light and more of an undercurrant than the focus of the story but you know and connect with the characters so much that you smile at the happy ending.