Series Review: “Winds of Change” by Julie Lessman

Do you ever finish a series and you’re not sure what to read next because that series was SO good?!?! Well, the Winds of Change series by Julie Lessman was THAT good. So, read this review then head to your local library or bookstore to find your own copies. Prepare for an exciting time getting to know the O’Connor family and seeing how God can work in and through your life.

The Winds of Change series is composed of three books.  “A Hope Undaunted”, “A Heart Revealed”, and “A Love Surrendered”. Though each book could be a stand-alone read, the entire series is a continuation of her Daughters of Boston series featuring other members of the O’Connor family. I have not read the Daughters of Boston series, but I love this family so much I plan to pick them up and read them at some point.

Here’s the summary of the Winds of Change series according to Lessman’s website:

“A Hope Undaunted” 

What happens when the boy she loved to hate …

becomes the man she hates to love?

The 1920s are drawing to a close, and feisty Katie O’Connor is the epitome of the new woman–smart and sassy with goals for her future that include the perfect husband and a challenging career in law. Her boyfriend Jack fits all of her criteria for a husband–good-looking, well-connected, wealthy, and eating out of her hand. But when she is forced to spend the summer of 1929 with Cl

uny McGee, the bane of her childhood existence, Katie comes face to face with a choice. Will she follow her well-laid plans to marry Jack? Or will she fall for the man she swore to despise forever?

“A Heart Revealed”

The ring on her hand belongs to one man …

but her heart belongs to another.

As a battered woman, Emma Malloy fled Dublin for Boston ten years ago, seeking shelter for a heart badly bruised by both her husband and guilt. But when she falls in love with Sean O’Connor, a man who wrestles with demons of his own, fear and shame almost destroy her … until she is finally set free by a heart revealed.

“A Love Surrendered”

He broke her sister’s heart …

will she be next?

Orphaned in Iowa, Annie Kennedy moves to Boston to stay with her spinster aunt, longing for romance to fill the void of her parent’s death. But when she falls hard for Steven O’Connor, the man who broke an engagement to her sister, Annie is worried. Will he break her heart, too, when he discovers she’s Maggie’s sister?

Lessman is a skilled storyteller. She incorporates a touch of light humor in serious situations. By the end of the book, you feel like you are another member of the family. Best of all, she expresses our need for the presence of God in our lives, and a personal relationship with Jesus. Through the course of her books, you can see the characters grow and mature, and draw closer to God through their experiences. A common theme expressed in the series is that the characters love their families and spouses, but as deep as that love is, God loves all of them (and us!) more.

I really appreciate Lessman’s depiction of the Roaring ’20s and Great Depression era. This series is told from the individual characters’ points of view, switching the narrative by chapter or mid-chapter. She incorporates sub-plots involving other O’Connor family members in each book with the perfect consistency – not so much that it distracts from the main storyline, but just enough to paint a bigger picture and keep you up-to-date with your favorite characters from the previous books.

Have you read this series? What did you think? I’d love to hear your opinions in the comments!