A Rebel at Pennington's by Rachel Brimble
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A Rebel at Pennington's is an historical true to life story of women's empowerment, suffrage and of falling in love.
Esther is on her way to work one day at Pennington's where she is the head window dresser, when she happens upon a chance meeting with Lawrence Culford the local hotelier and his children. They quickly form a friendship that soon becomes so much more once they both realise that the attraction between them cannot be denied.
Esther is estranged from her father as he does not condone her views on women's suffrage and of her being part of the cause. She is a strong willed modern thinking woman of her time, that feels that she can't let anything distract her from the cause and that by falling in love she would lose her true self and be controlled by a man which she cannot allow to ever happen. Lawrence is like a breath of fresh air for a man of his time. He is a very forward thinking man that supports the cause and is a great father to his two young children. He arrives like a knight in shining armour to rescue Esther from her loneliness and gives her help and support her in whatever she craves and needs.
Lawrence and Esther have a wonderful connection and a deep understanding of both love, pain and suffering, and they both help each other overcome their pasts by being there for each other when the going gets tough.
The characters are so very well developed and easy to connect with, the writing is also very good, so much that the story consumed me. The historical fact and content of this story is quite an eye opener and truly a lesson learnt that the life and times of the women fighting for the rights we take for granted today was a desperate one. They truly were formidable women and Rachel Brimble has brilliantly captured the very essence and emotions of the time so accurately. This is a wonderful read with plenty of angst to keep you turning the pages and a romance to make you swoon!

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