The Angel of Second Street - (Enduring Hope) by Barbara Tifft Blakey (Paperback)

The Angel of Second Street by Barbara Tifft Blakely has a good premise, but I found the story to be lackluster. The story lacked depth. he characters are not developed, and they are overly sweet. Ida Dempsey and Blaine Prescott have good motives. Of course, they also have the money and social status to accomplish their goals. Ida is extremely naïve, but she has a good heart. I felt that she was immature and lacked common sense. Ida is one of those characters who manages to get herself into one scrape after another (and needs to be rescued). The romance between Ida and Blaine is love at first sight (I found it a tad too sweet like a coffee with sugar, sweetened milk, caramel drizzle plus whipped cream with sprinkles on top). I did not feel any chemistry between Ida and Blaine (we know that Ida found Blaine to be handsome because she mentions it often). The story moved at a slow pace, and the ending was rushed. Faith was a strong element in the story (it was too much for me). The author did add in some historical characters and incidents. I liked the author’s note at the end. I found myself skimming in the latter half of the book to read the end. I was not keen on The Angel of Second Street.

The Angel of Second Street by Barbara Tifft Blakey tells the thrilling tale of Ida Dempsey and her kind, caring and exciting passion to share Jesus with those around her. Ida feels restless in her soul as she has such a passion for others. Ida searches for creative ways to share the gospel with those around who, despite societal norms. Enter Blaine Prescott, who has returned to his home town after being away for some time. Blaine is restless as well and isn't sure that his father and mother's plans for marriage will align with his. Blaine seeks to honor his parents but also desires to honor Christ and his heart. I could not put this book down and absolutely loved it. Barbara tells the story in such a way that draws the reader in and keeps the reader engaged. It was an enjoyable read. I was excited to read this book and can't wait to read more in the series. The Angel of Second Street is book one. I highly recommend.

I was torn on how many stars to rate this book as I really wanted to love it and my expectations were high, but I found connecting with the characters was a bit difficult. Ida is young and naive whose heart is in the right place but doesn’t use sound judgement in her quest to help the Chinese and women of ill repute. I admire her gumption and how she wants others to be saved but her tactics of lying and sneaking spoke of immaturity. I loved that Blaine had prayed about his wife and didn’t let his family determine his choice. I loved the historical aspects and enjoyed the author’s notes at the end. That being said I will sum it up as a love dislike relationship between myself and the story as I loved certain aspects but found it rushed at the end. I would recommend to others as they might enjoy it. This is a new author to me and I would read more of her books. I received a complimentary copy from CelebrateLit/ Barbour Publishing. The honest review and opinions are my own and were not required.

The Angel of Second Street is set in Eureka, California, in 1884, when influential people often had Chinese servants, and social class distinction was very real! Ida Dempsey was determined to share friendship with her uncle's Chinese maid and also change the lives of the 'ladies of the night' who worked on Second Street. Could a seventeen-year-old girl hope to make a difference? What would people think when they saw her frequenting this area? I enjoyed this novel by a 'new-to-me' author, Barbara Tifft Blakey. The Angel of Second Street has suspense, adventure, and some clean romance, but I was especially drawn to the faith thread and the historical details woven into the plot. In her author's note, Blakey reveals fact versus fiction surrounding the Second Street brothels and the efforts of a committee chosen to rid Eureka and Humboldt County of its Chinese residents. These were unknown facts until I read this book! I recommend this book to all who enjoy historical Christian fiction. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

Ida is a naive young woman who loves Jesus, and wants to tell the world about Him. She wants to convert the women of the red-light district, along with the members of Chinatown. But the way she goes about it, opens a hornet's nest. The time is 1884 California, and she has grown up knowing there are certain ways to stay in good standing in society. Despite that, she innocently does things that could ruin her position. Blaine is home from college, and ready to take his place in his father's business. His parents push him to find a girl, and get married. When he picks Ida, his family does everything possible to break them up. When they follow their hearts, both Ida and Blaine face criticism from those they love. This is a great story that will clue you in on what life was like at that time. Both Ida and Blaine have a strong faith, and that directs their decisions. This is a five-star book, but it ended suddenly with a cliff hanger, leaving unanswered questions. Since this is a new series, answers should be found in upcoming installments. Thank you, Barbour Books, for providing Tickmenot with a book to review. Opinions are my own.

This story is set in 1884 California, largely in the city of Eureka. The female protagonist is a young woman who is determined to share Jesus with two of the city's marginalized populations. The male protagonist is a slightly older man who is determined to follow the path God wants for his life, but must learn to accept that may not be what he had always thought it was. While these two seem perfect for one another, life seems set on keeping them apart. That causes the reader much angst as they can see what's coming next when the characters can't. Isn't that the way it is sometimes in our own lives, those around us can often see where our path is leading even when we can't? That is when we, too, must truly surrender our plans to God. Blakey has written a story that includes a sweet romance as well as lots of family drama that revolves around opposing priorities and allegiances. We understand how her characters think and feel, but we don't know a lot about what life events brought most of them to being the person they have become. The dialogue flows smoothly. The mental images the author creates are visually and emotionally vivid. The story comes to a satisfactory ending even though not everything is tied up neatly with a bow. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of The Angel of Second Street from Barbour Publishing via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.