The Mistress of Pennington's: Can a woman succeed in a man's world?

by Rachel Brimble

• ASIN: B07C8FZK6C
• Publish Date: 2018
• Publish Status: Unknown
• Format: eBook (Kindle)
• Pages: 296
• Language: English

Reviews

[Heather]

This book takes place in 1910 in Bath.  I read a lot of historical fiction but I don't see many books set in this time period.  I was interested to read about a woman who is trying to take over her family business at a time when this was not an acceptable thing to do.  This is also a time of great changes in retail.  Ready to wear clothing is becoming more popular.  Being able to touch the merchandise without a clerk helping you is a new idea.

I had a bit of a hard time getting into this book.  In the beginning the writing was a bit clunky.  There was a whole lot more description of what people were thinking than showing their actions on the page.  I set the book aside for a while because of this.  I don't know if I would have picked it back up if it wasn't a review book for me and if I wasn't really interested in the premise.

I'm not sure if the writing improved as I got into the story or if I just accepted it as I went along but it didn't bother me as much as I got deeper into the book.  There are several conflicts here:

1. The heroine who wants to run the store versus her father who wants her to marry and live the life of a rich housewife.


2. The hero who wants to expand from a small family store to selling their merchandise in department stores over his father's objections.


3. There was conflict between the heroine and hero's families in the past.


4. Should department stores continue to cater to the wealthy or should they bring in lower price clothing for the new middle class customers?  Would the wealthy continue to shop there if you let lower classes in the same stores?

 

It was interesting to see the ideas that were considered so progressive (and potentially alarming) that are commonplace now. The anti-woman rhetoric was as expected. Women aren't smart enough to be in business. Suffragettes are just rabble-rousers causing the downfall of society.

This is a good book for anyone who loves historical fiction where you learn a lot about a topic.

This review was originally posted on Based On A True Story

[Lynn]

Edwardian Britain isn't an era I'm too familiar with especially the history surrounding the women's suffrage movement and the rise in popularity of socialist politics. My only recollection of any reference to suffragettes featuring in a book or film I've seen or read is Mrs Banks in Mary Poppins! As I've not seen either of the dramas mentioned in the blurb, I began this novel with great expectations and happily the narrative not only kept my attention, but the setting inspired me to read more about this pivotal time in history.

Elizabeth Pennington is eager to make Pennington's the premier department store in south-west England. The only person standing in her way is Edward Pennington; her father. At a time when women are seeking change, Elizabeth knows she is more than capable of running the store but has to be content with overseeing the ladies' department. When Joseph Carter makes enquires about supplying Pennington's with his gloves, he knows its the right place to help fulfil his late wife's dreams. Only working alongside Elisabeth, they discover a link between their families which could destroy both of their plans for the future.

I found the narrative engaging and enlightening. Both Elizabeth and Joseph are likeable and relatable. Elizabeth is slightly aloof when dealing with people new to her, but manages to express her passion for her work to the delight of customers and staff alike. Joseph is charming and polite, a gentleman struggling to atone for the past to pave way for the future. He's the opposite of the controlling Edward Pennington, who has the power to ruin everything they strive to achieve. The secondary characters are fascinating, adding to the overall ambience of the novel.

The different elements within this first instalment of Pennington's of Bath will delight many readers. The tentative attraction and romance between Elizabeth and Joseph as well as an insightful look at the day to day happenings of an Edwardian department store. Lastly, the history of its time and how it shaped the attitudes of the people. I wonder if in a future book in the series we learn if Joseph finds the killer of his wife. Both he and Elizabeth declared they would strive to gain justice for her death, but as yet we don't know if this happened.

I've previously read a contemporary novel by this author, however, I'm definitely a fan of her historical works and look forward to continuing with the Pennington's.

***review copy generously received courtesy of Aria Publishing***