Faithful

Faithful is a story that combines history, romance, and a bit of mystery. Set in the summer of 1904 and told in first person by 16-year-old Margaret “Maggie” Bennet. Maggie is looking forward to her Newport season debut, but her father surprises her with a trip to Yellowstone National Park in Montana. Her father gives her the idea that they may be able to find her mother, who has disappeared and is believed to be dead, in Yellowstone. Maggie is upset about leaving during Newport’s season, but she wants to find her mother and agrees to go. In Montana, Maggie meets the handsome Tom Rowland, who she starts to crush on. When they arrive at Yellowstone, Maggie learns that her father has tricked her and they will not be returning to Newport. At first, Maggie hates Yellowstone and wants to leave, but warms up to beauty of the geysers and woods as she realizes that her mother painted landscapes of the Park. She spends more time with Tom and meets Mrs. Gale, a photographer, who lets Maggie work with her and teaches her about photography, which Maggie likes. The longer she stays in Yellowstone, she feels closer to her mother and tries to figure out the mystery behind her mother leaving. Before she can uncover the truth, her father engages her to a terrible snobby rich man, George Graybull, who will save them from financial ruin and give everything her everything she wanted, except love. Tom can give her love, but not the financial security she has been accustomed to. Through her adventures in Yellowstone has Maggie understanding her mother more and discovering who she wants to be and what she really wants.
This story has excellent characters, the setting is well described, and keeps you interested. Maggie was an excellent character, she was stubborn and independent, yet loyal and caring. She was a realistic teenage girl in the early 20th century, she was figuring out who she wants to be and dealing with the loss of her mother. Tom was nice and enthusiastic, but he overreacted to some of silly things Maggie said. Graybull was positively unlikable, which fit with Maggie’s opinion of him. The romance between Maggie and Tom was sweet. The author description really depicts Yellowstone and the time period thoroughly, making you feel as if you were there. You will want to go visit Yellowstone after reading the book. The story keeps you wanting more following Maggie on her travels and searching for answers. The story has no violent scenes and no racy scenes. Perfect read for fans of the Luxe series, the Gemma Doyle trilogy, and historical romances or historical fiction. I really liked this book and would read other books by the author. I received my copy from a giveaway, which did not affect my opinion.