"The world was a good place. She needed to look for it, even when life was full of pain."1900 Washington DC. Christian Historical. I was all in on the first page.Annabelle is from a farming family in Kansas. Her father was able to put her and her sister through college, which is quite a thing now, even more so back then. She and Elaine move to Washington, DC, she at the Smithsonian (later Department of Agriculture), her sister at the Library of Congress. Elaine is blind, and this seemed to be a great opportunity for her to learn and to grow, so despite the financial strain on the family, off they went.Annabelle is a botanist (something I very much had wanted to be so I can relate). Her boss wanted a rare plant that Gray Delacroix was rumored to have, and told her that a permanent position depended on her getting in to Gray's property to see if it was there. She is pleasantly pushy (I pictured June Allison) and actually manages to get in to see him. Gray is from a wealthy family, built on hard work, and it takes more hard work to keep the fortunes going. Their family has earned their reputation by providing the best quality products. Not every company was that way. These were the early days when there was a lack of safety standards in the food industry, so companies could get away with putting out a product that was not what it seems. (Doesn't seem possible now, does it?) The story unfolds interesting information about Good Housekeeping in it's early days - what they did and why - and how important to our country it was. The story takes off from there, seeming to put Annabelle on one side of things and Gray on the other. Gray's brother never really wanted to work for the family - or so it seemed. Politics, secrets, money, mystery and life all play a part in this book. Choices made, right from wrong, scruples and personal standards are reviewed and explored. Integrity - or lack of it. Nothing boring here - all together an excellent read! Don't you just love that cover? Can't wait for the next in the series."The world was a huge, wide-ope landscape bursting with opportunity, and it was up to her to choose how she would live in it."Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”