Book Review: Unrivaled

Unrivaled: A Novel
By Siri Mitchell
Bethany House, 2013
English, 400 pgs

Description:

From the Back Cover

Lucy Kendall returns from a tour of the Continent, her luggage filled with the latest fashions and a mind fired by inspiration. After tasting Europe's best confections, she's sure she'll come up with a recipe that will save her father's struggling candy business and reverse their fortunes. But she soon discovers that their biggest competitor, the cheat who swindled her father out of his prize recipe, has now hired a promotions manager--a cocky, handsome out-of-towner who gets under Lucy's skin.

Charlie Clarke's new role at Standard Manufacturing is the chance of a lifetime. He can put some rough times behind him and reconnect with the father he's never known. The one thing he never counted on, however, was tenacious Lucy Kendall. She's making his work life miserable...and making herself impossible for him to forget.

About the Author

Siri Mitchell has written nearly a dozen novels, three of which were named Christy Award finalists. A graduate of the University of Washington with a business degree, she has worked in many levels of government and lived on three continents. She and her family currently reside in the D.C. metro area. Learn more at www.sirimitchell.com.

Review:
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was well researched for the candy making scenes and the characters were pretty well developed.

 I'm a huge fan of the TV show Unwrapped and the scenes with the factory and kitchen really made me think of the show! It was fun reading about how the candy makers tried recipes to find the right one!

 The relationship between Lucy and Charlie is really fun to read. She seems like a handful! Some of the things they do to each other's businesses during the novel are funny, yet there is never anywhere (that I remember) where they say they're sorry or where they come to terms with the havoc they cause. The only spot that Lucy shows some remorse is when she realizes how she has hurt the workers.

 There were lots of really fun minor characters too. Sam, Alfred, Evelyn and Winnie are lots of fun. I think it was pretty interesting that a "Christian" fiction book only had one character talking about God and that the major characters don't come to some sort of decision about God.

 I received a copy of the book from Bethany House for the purpose of a review. No additional compensation has been received and I was not required to write a positive review.