The Pursuit of Mrs. Pennyworth by Callie Hutton – a Review
Description:
Recently widowed, Charlotte Pennyworth is relishing her independence and it rankles to have to rely on a man to help her with an increasingly sinister stalker. Former Yardman, Elliot Baker, is reluctant to take on Charlotte’s case but despite himself and his history with another woman, he is drawn to the bright, attractive widow.
Sparks smolder between the PI and his client but neither is looking to form an attachment. Elliot thinks Charlotte is hiding something. Charlotte has no desire to marry again, especially to a private investigator, no matter how handsome, brave and kind he is. The risk to his life and her heart is too great. But more dangerous than a menacing stalker is secrets and when Charlotte’s come to light, even the passion between them might not douse the flames of Elliot’s distrust.
Review:
When a woman’s word is often overlooked, if not blatantly dismissed, few options are available when threatened with Scotland Yard. Charlotte was poor and struggling to make ends meet, but she did not steal her employer’s jewelry. Be that as it may, Charlotte flees, desperate to avoid repercussions (and the unwanted advances of her employer). Callie Hutton tells a tale of wicked torments, overcoming adversity, and embracing second chances in The Pursuit of Mrs. Pennyworth.
Elliot and Charlotte are at odds in terms of relationships. She hires him to investigate a series of disturbing gifts arriving anonymously on her doorstep, but such proximity blossoms into business of a personal nature. Problem is, Elliott was humiliated by a former lover and now views every woman with a scrutinizing eye; suspicious of her character. Charlotte could break the mold, but he won’t pursue her. *Let’s just put a pin in it for now, shall we?* Charlotte is a widow after the briefest of marriages. She’s out of the mourning phase and is experiencing personal growth, but she does miss the intimacy of marriage. The attraction is a slow burn. Both anxious to explore, both reluctant to succumb.
This was an up and down read. I got caught up in several scenarios, frightened by the heightened aggression in the “gifts”, and ecstatic when a subtle touch lingered past propriety. It just seemed to drag on for too long; same dilemma, different scenario. Charlotte should have trusted her gut. While her escape might have extracted her from the hands of a lothario, she didn’t seriously connect her past to her present. Elliott would have considered the nasty character; if his grudge was capable of such pursuits. I ended up frustrated by recurring scenes that didn’t advance the plot. A good 50 pages less might have made the book more enticing to finish.
I enjoyed Charlotte’s new found independence. She wasn’t miserable in her first marriage, but there seemed an air of deprivation. Widowhood was desolate, but running her own home and answering only to herself was rather life affirming. Reading the newspaper while she drank her tea, instead of waiting until her husband was done, was a tiny, but fulfilling victory. Seemingly innocuous duties reinvigorated Charlotte’s self-esteem.
There was potential to devour this book had an editor curbed the redundancy and augmented the whodunit aspect. For all the buildup and drama attached to the perpetrator, the resolution was too tidy an ending for this reader. Callie Hutton is a seasoned writer, the love story is both endearing and sexy, but I wished to be swept up on all levels.
Reviewed by Carmen
Copy provided by Publisher
