Semi Finalist

Assessment:

Plot: The storyline here is very solid. While the bones of the story may feel familiar, the author skillfully enhances the plot line to make it feel fresh. Small details, like the distance between sisters and the lecherous family friend with her eye on the widower, add depth to an already strong plot. The reader will have no choice but to read until the story's inevitable conclusion.

Prose/Style: The author has a clear talent for writing and equally excels with grammar, description, action, and dialogue. Her story engages and entertains the reader's heart and mind, compelling them to read until the very end. The writing here is top notch, and this author and her work deserve a wide audience.

Originality: While there are flickers of plot lines right out of the “Sound of Music” (in-over-his-head widower, angry/resentful oldest child who doesn't want a nanny, reluctant-love-interest nanny, on-the-prowl single woman competing for widower), the author differentiates her story sufficiently to make it feel unique.

Character Development: The characters here are believable and distinct. The author is able to develop interesting and sympathetic players, from the angry teen who can't deal with her loss to the sheltered/dominated heroine who has lost her place in the world to the overwhelmed widower who can't deal with his own grief, run a household full of daughters, and keep up with the demands of his business. Readers will relate to many of the challenges these characters face and will identify with their struggles.

Blurb: Living, breathing characters engage from the first page, and readers can't help but feel for their plight and root for them until the very end.

Date Submitted: May 23, 2019