Book Review | Anchored at Mackinac by Carrie Fancett Pagels

Today for Fiction Friday I am reviewing Anchored at Mackinac by Carrie Fancett Pagels.

Gilded Age on Beautiful Mackinac Island, 1895

Two women, Sadie Duvall, a young maid, and Ada Fox, the mature Housekeeping Manager, at the Grand Hotel must make life-changing decisions involving their work and the men in their lives. As 1895 comes to a close, will hearts be broken when choices are made—or will all hoped-for wishes be fulfilled?

With her father missing and her mother dead, impoverished Sadie scrabbles to provide for her sisters. She has known wealthy bachelor Captain Robert Swaine most of her life–he’s her best friend’s young uncle. When he returns to the island, she doesn’t believe his interest in her is sincere, despite all the assistance he’s given her and her sisters because he’s frequently in the company of a beautiful actress staying at the hotel. Sadie wishes to pursue her own path–a position as a nursing student at a new asylum in the Eastern Upper Peninsula.

Having endured a traumatic early childhood, Ada Fox entered into marriages with very successful, wealthy, much older men after the mother of her first, and only true, love sends her away from the nearby Poor House and to a secretarial school. Secretly the wealthiest woman in the world, Ada Fox has taken on a Housekeeping Manager position so that she can be closer to her first love, widower and innkeeper Peter Welling.

My Review

Anchored in Mackinac is the second in a series. The first book is My Heart belongs on Mackinac Island: Maude’s Mooring. This book is set parallel to the first book and features Sadie Duvall and Robert Swaine. There is also a secondary story of Ada Fox and Peter Welling.

I enjoyed how both stories connected and were told. Sadie finds work at The Grand Hotel where Ada is the Housekeeping Manager so we see interaction with both ladies. Robert is Maude’s uncle and also Peter Wellings brother-in -law. Sadie and Robert have known each other for many years but now Sadie is a woman not just his niece’s best friend. He has come back to the Island after his sister had died and see what happens next.

Sadie’s mother has died and her father is missing and she is looking after her 2 youngest sisters. Her other sister is now working for Peter Welling as a maid. Due to circumstances they are struggling and you see how hard it was back then before welfare. On the other hand Robert is rich and could provide for the family but Sadie has her pride. I love seeing the story of how Sadie protects her sisters and does all she can for them with a dream to be a nurse. We also see how pride can also be a hinderance and sometimes we need to accept help.

I also loved learning Ada’s story which we learn over the course of the book. Its also interesting how she and Peter have known each other since kids and seeing the rekindling of friendship and love. We also see a glimpse of Lily who is the heroine of book 3 which I look forward to reading.

This is a book I didn’t want to put down. It flows so well and one of my top reads for the year.