THE LAWYER AND THE LAUNDRESS, by Christine Hill Suntz, Tyndale Fiction, June 10, 2025, Paperback, $18.99 (young adult/ new adult/ adult fiction)
A duo hiding from their own separate demons agree to a marriage of convenience in The Lawyer and the Laundress, by Christine Hill Suntz.
Canada, 1837. Widower James Kinney knows his precocious daughter, Evie, needs more than his lessons on law and logic, but Toronto offers few options. Classes with the neighbor children seem ideal until James discovers Evie is secretly spending her time with Sara O’Connor, a kind and mysteriously educated servant. For propriety’s sake, James forbids their friendship. But then Evie falls victim to the illness ravaging the city, and James must call upon Sara’s medical knowledge and her special bond with Evie to save his daughter’s life.
When Sara’s presence in his household threatens scandal, however, James offers an unexpected solution: become his wife, in name only, and help him raise Evie to be a proper young lady.
If Sara can ignore the sparks she feels when they’re together, his logical proposal could keep her secret secure forever. But soon, the forces of rebellion unravel their tidy arrangement. When James is accused of treason, Sara must find the courage to face a past that could save her husband’s life. —Synopsis provided by Tyndale Fiction
The lawyer and the Laundress is a slow-burn romance that explores the divide between social classes in the 1800s.
The book is set against the backdrop of the 1837 rebellion in Upper Canada over frustrations with colonial rule and the lack of political reform. These tensions come to a head with the book’s climax, but the best bits are the interactions.
James is — by all accounts — a good lawyer and a loving father. But he struggles to keep all the balls in the air. Enter Sara, a laundress that is clearly hiding her past. The interplay between the two of them is strong and is even more enjoyable when children Evie and Henry are in the mix.
The Lawyer and the Laundress is published by Tyndale Fiction, a Christian publisher, and does feature some religious under tones. That said, it’s not heavy handed, making the book accessible for readers who come to it looking for a chaste historical romance.
*Editor’s note: Cracking the Cover does include reviews of books that are marketed for adults but may be enjoyed by younger readers. Though the characters are in their 20s, their story isn’t out of touch for older young adults.
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