 Author: Jennifer Delamere Genre: Historical Romance Series: Love Along the Wires #3 Release Date: December 6, 2022 Publisher: Bethany House Can she find the strength to heal the wounds of her past--and open her heart again? A widow at just thirty years of age, Rose Finlay is determined to put all ideas of marriage and family behind her and pursue an independent life. But when she notices a young woman about to be led astray by a roguish aristocrat, bitter memories from her past arise, and she feels compelled to intervene. The unintended consequences of her efforts will ultimately force Rose to re-examine her life in a new light. As the guardian of his two widowed sisters' financial and domestic affairs, John Milburn carries heavy responsibilities for a single man. But he's faced with his biggest challenge when his headstrong niece falls prey to the attentions of a powerful man who could ruin both her and her family. When Rose and John join forces to protect his niece, they put everything they hold dear--including their growing attraction--in jeopardy.
 Reviewer: Susan Poll This was an entertaining read for me mostly because of the different plotline than normal for this era, a widow with a jaded view on love and not a single young woman. John and Rose’s relationship was a sweetly written, slow-building, beautiful ending. This is the third in the series, including the other couples you may have previously met. I love when series do that. It was hair-raising to see Sophie be so naïve and enjoyable to read how John and Rose tried to stop and protect her. The family relationships and problems were real, and I felt I was in that time while reading! Thanks to Bethany House and Interviews and Reviews for the chance to read this story. Reviewer: Rebecca Maney " I was . . . . . able to overhear snippets of their conversation while they were at the tea shop." Rose Finlay's decision to enjoy a cup of hot tea after a long day at work set into motion a series of both fortunate and unfortunate events. Widowed at a young age, she was proud of her independence, maintaining a reputable position as the assistant manager of a London post office. It was the conversation going on beside her that had her nerves on edge, a lovely young woman was being way too familiar with a man that Rose knew had quite the reputation. . . . and a poor one at that. When John Milburn inadvertently meets his niece hurriedly exiting a local tea ship, he is obviously concerned for her reputation. Observing the other customers through the windows, he's sees nothing amiss but allows his gaze to linger on an attractive woman sitting alone reading a book. What were the chances that they would soon run into each other again . . . following the same couple enjoying a cleverly arranged clandestine meeting? As John and Rose form an unusual alliance on his niece's behalf, Rose is forced to face the unpleasantness of her past, while John begins to wonder how different his future could be with a woman of Rose's caliber by his side. Regrettably there are forces outside of his control that threaten to send those aspirations into a downward spiral, causing Rose to become pretty certain that she wants nothing else to do with his family. What an enjoyable novel with its seamless word flow and interesting characters, there's just enough romantic tension to make page turning "a must", and the supporting cast plays their part extremely well. "I just wanted to say that if you should ever want to borrow another book from my library, you have only to ask." That's practically a proposal, isn't it? Reviewer: Winnie Thomas Holding the Line is book 3 in the Love Along the Wires series by Jennifer Delamere. Although it is part of a series, it can be read and enjoyed as a stand-alone story. Set in London in 1881, this story stars widowed Rose Finlay who is determined to stay single, and John Milburn, who enlists Rose’s help to protect his niece. Since Rose’s marriage was an unhappy one, she knows the pitfalls that can befall a besotted girl by an unscrupulous man, so she agrees to help. As they work together, their friendship begins to evolve. I enjoyed learning a little about telegraphy while reading this story. Historical fiction is a favorite genre of mine, as I can learn about little slices of history while enjoying a fictional tale. This one felt like it dragged a little in a couple of places, but it was an enjoyable conclusion to the series. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from Bethany House. All opinions are my own. Reviewer: Nancy J. Brown Holding the Line shows us a good example of this verse in Romans 8:28, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." The main character, Rose Finlay, suffers an almost insurmountably crushing hit to her marriage, and through that, the Lord gives her the need to help other young women sidestep the trap she fell into. The other significant characters in this story are Sophie, an impetuous and spoiled debutante who finally shows some maturity thanks to Rose's guidance, and John Millburn, who has taken on the responsibility of his widowed sister's financial and family situation. Jennifer Delamere is gifted by God with her skill of writing engaging stories and relatable characters. The romance in Holding the Line is demure and prudent, you know it's happening, but she doesn't repeatedly remind you of it with ridiculous phrases that would be more appropriate in a teen novel. So many authors today belabor the obvious, but Mrs. Delamere is more refined in her approach to Christian romance. I enjoyed looking at high society but enjoyed even more how she slyly pointed out the ludicrousness of many of the attitudes and goals of the wealthy, high society set. Keep up the excellent work, Jennifer. Holding the Line kept my interest, and I looked forward to reading the next chapter and the next. I'm hoping to read more of her books, her writing style is quite good, and I hope she publishes more high-quality Christian fiction books such as this one. Such a good book and I highly recommend it. Bethany House gave me a copy of this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review.  Reviewer: Cheryl Wood I enjoyed the entire Love Along the Wires series. Holding the Line, the third book in the Love Along the Wires series, can be read as a stand-alone book, although I recommend reading the first two. We find the widow Rose Finley who did not have a happy marriage. Instead of looking to marry again, she decides to further her career at a post office as a telegrapher. When Rose overhears a conversation between a young lady and a known rake of the town, she can’t help but be involved. Sophie is too young to understand what men like Sandy are truly after. Rose hopes that history does not repeat itself as she reveals her life story. The author did a wonderful job capturing what it truly means to belong to a community of friends, along with the joys and struggles. If you love historical fiction, I highly recommend the book. A wonderful end to a series. Job well done, Jennifer. I received a copy courtesy of the author for my honest opinion. Reviewer: Mindy Houng This is a nice conclusion to the Love Along the Wires series. John and Rose are very down-to-earth and real characters living everyday lives. In the midst of the mundane, they find each other almost by chance and find love where neither expected it. John's commitment to his family and his steadfast loyalty are admirable traits as is Rose's independence and leadership skills. Their bonding over Dickens is fun and I found their friendship and romance endearing and tender. John's family's schemes to penetrate the aristocratic society and his niece's antics were quite over the top but they were necessary for the premise of the storyline. If you enjoy historical romance, you will enjoy this book and the series. I received the book from the publisher and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own. Reviewer: Lori Parrish At last!! Rose finally gets her own story. And what a journey it was. I loved every minute of it! The characters, Rose and John, were my favorite people. I appreciated that they cared enough for certain people in their lives. Rose and John also proved that love can happen anywhere, anytime, and at any age! I very much enjoyed the slow build-up to an awesome plot. It will make you keep turning the pages to see what would happen to Sophie, Rose, and John. Sophie's description of John as a stuffy old uncle made me laugh outright! I'm so glad I wasn't born an aristocrat. Yes, it'd be nice to have money but not if it means snootiness, meanness, and all sorts of things. The middle class is hard enough without all that. Wonderful Christian messages are woven in as a reminder to turn to God when we need a little help. Five stars for a job well done! I highly recommend it! My thanks to Bethany House Publishers for a copy of this book. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own. Reviewer: Deanne Patterson Holding The Line is the third book in the Love Along the Wires series and the final book in this series. While I have enjoyed them all, this one may be my favorite of them. I loved seeing Rose, a minor character in the other books, have her own story. While this can be read as a standalone, in my opinion, you'll enjoy it more if you read the series, as there is some character crossover from book to book. Rose and John are my favorite characters. Rose, a young widow has been hurt by her late husband, is not looking for any romantic entanglement and is happy to be an independent woman now. She works at the post office and is looking to progress with her job quickly. I enjoyed seeing how John helps his widowed sister and sisters-in-law's families. He feels responsible for them since his brother's death. We see a lot of twists and turns in the story as he and Rose work together to try to keep his niece from an aristocratic rake who sweet-talks her into believing he is interested in this sweet young, naïve miss when it's only her dowry he's interested in. A slow-burn romance may develop between Rose and John, but caution will not be thrown to the wind. The intriguing plot kept me reading. I received a copy of this book courtesy of Bethany House Publishers through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own. Reviewer: Paula Shreckhise Oh what trouble a little guide book about spinsters could cause. In this third book of Love Along the Wires series, we find a different kind of spinster.... widow Rose Finley. Her marriage was not a happy one, so Rose determines to further her career as a telegrapher in a post office instead of seeking to marry again. She is caring enough to want to intervene when she sees a respectable young lady meeting a man with a questionable reputation. When she encounters John Milburn, uncle of the girl, she agrees to chaperone Sophie to a ball. “Perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment.” Many of the characters have fears and learning to trust God for the outcome is a hard lesson. This story was about the up and coming class in Victorian England. A time when wealthy businessmen were *marrying up* in society. Ms. Delamere showed the pitfalls that were encountered. It was a time of change in attitude and expectations. Her characters found they could change their long-held opinions for something better. Great conclusion to an engaging series. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House on behalf of the author. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own. Reviewer: Laura J. Davis
I thoroughly enjoyed Holding the Line by Jennifer Delamere. So much so that I stayed up until 4:30 this morning to finish it! The third book in the Love Along the Wires series can be read as a standalone. I have not read the first two books, but I quickly picked up on what had gone on in the previous books. That said, I will definitely be going back to read the first two books! In Holding the Line, we are introduced to Rose Finlay. She is a widow whose deceased husband hurt her in the worst possible way. She is, therefore, wary of men in general and re-marrying. But then she meets John Milburn. As she agrees to help him steer his niece away from a known rake, her resolve to never re-marry begins to wobble in the face of her growing feelings for John. I quite enjoyed the will-she or won't-she vibe of this book. Rose was an independent, self-reliant woman who risked her career so that someone she didn't know wouldn't fall prey to a wily man. Rose is entirely selfless, and I like that about her. Her concern for a stranger starts her on a path she wasn't expecting to go down. John, for his part, is very astute and can see that something is keeping Rose at arm's length. His ability to draw her out as "just a friend" helped Rose grow to see that not all men are evil. I would love to see Sophie have her own book as she deals with the aftermath of her choices. She still has a lot of growing up to do. If you love historical romance, I highly recommend Holding the Line! I was provided with a review copy courtesy of Bethany House through NetGalley for my honest opinion. Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
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