Maid to Match: A Novel

I have to say I loved this one and I think it boils down to location for me. I'm a huge fan of Asheville, NC and the Biltmore. I have been many times and I love the estate and the history. Gist did a great job of staying true to the history while also writing a good story. I loved the characters and the great writing.Content: There are some heavy things here - physical and sexual abuse of kids, murder, and loss of parents. There is nothing descriptive and there's a fade to black romance scene at the end. Just know there are heavy topics but you don't get all the descriptionsLanguage: CleanReligious: This is Christian fiction. It's not overly apparent until about the halfway point and then you get to some scripture and life lessons. I didn't find this preachy.Happy reading!!

Cute story. I like Gilded Age-based stories and this one was interesting because it wasn't based in a big city of the Gilded Age, and instead told the story from the servants' point of views.Tillie Reese, 18-years-old, is hindered by the extreme poverty in the mountains of North Carolina, and feels obligated to help her family put food on the table. She gets the job of her dreams (or her mother's dreams)--a position as a housemaid in George Vanderbilt's Biltmore Estate. Tillie actually likes her duties and she becomes head parlormaid at the house, which is (apparently) quite an honor. When the book starts, she's in the running to become Mrs. Vanderbilt's lady's maid -- but as a lady's maid you don't get to marry, and the best years of your life are given to the service of another. This has been Tillie's mother's dream -- she has trained Tillie since she was a young girl to be a lady's maid (and the positions are few and far between).While at the Biltmore, she meets Mack Danver twin brother of Earl (a footman). Mack is more level-headed of the Danver boys and will do anything to save money so he can get his sister out of the abusive orphanage and his family back together. He's hired when Mrs. Vanderbilt sees him and Earl together - she wants a "matched set" of footmen for her house. (apparently they are all the rage.) Mack is more of an outdoors guy, and resents the thought of working for the rich. But the wages at the Biltmore can't be beat, so he takes the job -- but just until he can save enough money to get his sister.The attraction between Mack and Tillie is explored right away, as is her reluctance to acknowledge it and his inability to understand why she'd rather be a lady's maid then have her own life of happiness.I actually learned a lot from this book -- about the Biltmore, about what kind of people the Vanderbilt's were, and about how the service industry for the rich worked back then (you couldn't pay me to be a lady's maid). I was surprised to learn that if you were a worker at the Biltmore you couldn't be married, but that makes sense because if you're devoting your life to serving others, you won't really have time to have a life of your own. The story made me sad for those in the service industry -- did they chose that? Sure, it's fun when you're young, especially if you have great employers like the Vanderbilt's, but what about when you're 25 or 30 and you want a family of your own?I liked seeing the servants interact and how they spent their (very sparse) free time and their fun barn dances, parlor games and such. A lot had to go into keeping a house like the Biltmore - it had 250 rooms!This was enjoyable, despite being a little predictable. Also, towards the end of the novel all of a sudden God starts popping up. I thought it was odd because in the first half, He wasn't mentioned very much. He kind of came out of left fiend. Either He should have been woven in a bit more or He should have been left out. When Mack said he was leaving Tillie in His hands (to show her the way) instead of forcing the issue, it just seemed a bit forced. Nowhere in the first 60% of the novel did Mack or Tillie pray to Him for guidance.Minus that, it's a good read.

Deanne hits another home run with Maid to Match. I was glad to receive a review copy. I loved the first line, "Like a butterfly breaking free from its confining cocoon, Tillie Reese emerged from the barren, tan-colored servants' hall into the opulence of Biltmore's main level."This author quickly whisked me into the Biltmore, where I wanted to know more about the Vanderbilts, their amazing home and what was required to become a lady's maid. My favorite thing about Deanne's books is the fact that they are educational and captivating. This author goes to great lengths to masterfully craft historical details in every book she writes. I was immediately drawn into the unfamiliar world of 1898 with its class struggles, and was mesmerized by how a Mansion is run. It only took a few minutes to feel compassion for the hopes and dreams of her believable characters.Deanne writes about strong women with conviction. Tillie is no exception; she has a deep faith in God and has her focus on the purpose for her life. She's been groomed to be a lady's maid and she will stop at nothing to achieve it. Tillie falters a little when she meets Mack and the chemistry between them unnerves her. Tillie's mother has prayed hard for this opportunity. Could Tillie be seeking money and status over achieving the call God has for her life? Everything has lined up perfectly, hasn't it? People were depending on her; she had to get this job to provide. So, why did she have this nagging unrest in her heart?God has worked everything out--hasn't he? She wonders and prays a hard prayer, "I'm listening, Lord. Call to me. Just like the sheep. Just like these animals that you called to the ark. Call to me and I will follow."I felt like I was actually there when Mack, a big, strong manly man, dressed in proper attire, tries to serve his first formal dinner with its many courses. I felt myself praying he didn't spill anything or break a dish. I couldn't believe how much food they ate and the manner in which it was supposed to be served and eaten.I was amazed how the Vanderbilts lived and how they cared for their servants. I couldn't believe what a lady's maid was required to do for Mrs. Vanderbilt and her guests. It seemed too intimate to let someone else do these things for you. It definitely went against the "personal space" rule we have today. This book is going on my list of favorite picks for book club.Nora St. LaurentThe Book Club Network [...].

This is a fictional story of a young woman working as a maid to one of the wealthiest families in the USA; and of her desire to improve her lot. It also shows how hard life could be for those at the lower end of the social scale, especially for those that had nothing.The Vanderbilt family are well known for their wealth; what is less well known is that unlike a lot of people of their time (end of the 19th century), they were deeply concerned with social issues. They treated their staff with dignity and compassion, and endowed many different charities. At a time when it was not fashionable, they set a much higher moral standard than many others would achieve.The plot itself is perhaps a little predictable; but that does not take anything away from the storyline. There are some extremely good descriptive passages, particularly of the home for orphans, and the conditions that the children lived in, and what they had to endure.The story tries to be uplifting and generally is quite successful; despite some sad and rather depressing sections. I feel that it is a well written story, that manages to show that things can be changed if the desire is there to do it; and I found it a very enjoyable read.

This was a slow burner that built up heat gradually. There is a religious element to the book that might not suit everyone's taste, but there is light romance and a little history too. The heroine was likeable, and unlike many romantic heroines, her stance on romance vs career was believable. The subplot with the orphanage could have been developed in greater detail, particularly with regard to the leading 'baddies'. In many respects, it would have been more interesting to have the couple make a decision sooner so that the author could then focus the last third of the book on some of the detailed stories of the orphans, alongside the hero and heroine's stories. It has the potential for a sequel as there is much that remains untold.

D. Gist never disappoints. I thoroughly enjoyed this from start to finish. A simple read, not convoluted. I love a good convoluted book, too, but this was refreshing. Considering she is a Christian writer, it was actually not Christiany in the least--for anyone out there that wants a beautiful clean book that isn't all spiritual. I have no problem with that, but i know others don't like things to be over-spiritual.

I agree with the other reviewers that this is a pleasant read, I feel that I know Mack and Tillie the two main characters and I looked forward to my commute so that I could continue their story. Granted once you are around three quarters of the way through the book, the story is predicatable but it does not make you want to finish any less.As has already been mentioned, the story is not very convuluted and I do feel it would have benefited more from details and some social context of the time period and place in which it is based to add further depth to the narrative.All in all a wonderful easy read!

I wanted something light to read and was reeled in by the descriptive reality of life in service and delightful storytelling - I read the book in one go staying up til 3am to finish if. Highly recommended if you like period drama's