Uncertain Alliance (Washington State Historical Series #1) (Heartsong Presents #788) [Mass Market Paperback]

Mary Eileen Davis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 6, 2008

Alice can't trust another man. Alice Dempsey's husband squandered the family's money. When he died, he left her destitute and solely responsible for her aging grandfather, younger brother, and toddler son. Debt forces the family to move to a Seattle tenement. When Alice is fired from her job, she becomes desperate. Will she and her family end up on the streets? Ian MacGregor has loved Alice from afar for months, but he can't get past the wall of formality she has built around herself. When he learns of her job loss, he offers her employment in his pharmacy. She turns him down, suspicious of his motives. But when her younger brother gets into serious trouble and Ian is the only one who can help, Alice warily

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc (February 6, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1597899011
• ISBN-13: 978-1597899017
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,064,830 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars pleasant but with faults, February 2, 2011

By 

Bull Frog "author" (Pensacola FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Uncertain Alliance (Washington State Historical Series #1) (Heartsong Presents #788) (Mass Market Paperback)

This is a historical novel about Alice Dempsey, a widow with a young son, who lives with Grandpa and her brother, Burl. After losing her job as a seamstress, Ian MacGregor offers her a job cleaning his pharmacy. Ian has had a crush on her for some time, but Ellen can't trust her judgment when it comes to men because her first husband was a drunk and cheat.
The main problem with this story is that the author doesn't tell you enough information soon enough. She never tells what year it takes place, and waits until page 135 to let the reader in on the location, Seattle. Because the characters speak Irish, refer to shoes and other objects by their Irish names, I assumed that the story took place somewhere in Europe. Then, half way through, I find that my assumptions are wrong, and it takes place in America.
The setting involves streets that are 15 feet above the sidewalk. I've never seen a city arranged this way, and the description was hard to imagine. I could have used a picture, perhaps on the cover if not inside, to help me understand this structure.
Grandpa lost one arm, and the author waits until halfway through the book to tell the reader it was due to a factory accident. Had this secret been divulged earlier, it would have supported Alice's insistence that her brother finish school, and would have presented her as more practical and common sensed.
Had the author given more information about the setting, time, and history of the family, it would have been easier to place myself into the story and picture the events in my mind. After a few chapters, I decided for myself what the setting, date, clothing styles, etc. were and ignored the lack of information. Then, it became an enjoyable story of a not-so-handsome man winning the hand of a lovely angel because he has a kind heart and honorable character.
I also recommend Stars Shine After Dark, available as both paperback and Kindle.