Echoes of Mercy by Kim Vogel Sawyer

About the Book
Sometimes a secret must be kept for the truth to be revealed. 
When a suspicious accident occurs at the famous Dinsmore Chocolate Factory in Sinclair, Kansas, Caroline Lang goes undercover as a factory worker to investigate the circumstances surrounding the event and how the factory treats its youngest employees—the child workers. Caroline’s fervent faith, her difficult childhood, and compassionate heart drove her to her job as an investigator for the Labor Commission and she is compelled to see children freed from such heavy adult responsibilities, to allow them to pursue an education.
Oliver Dinsmore, heir to the Dinsmore candy dynasty, has his own investigation to conduct. Posing as a common worker known as “Ollie Moore,” he aims to find out all he can about the family business before he takes over for his father. Caroline and Oliver become fast friends, but tension mounts when the two find themselves at odds about the roles of child workers. Hiding their identities becomes even more difficult when fate brings them together over three children in desperate need. When all is revealed, will the truth destroy the love starting to grow between them?

My Thoughts
This is the second book of this author's that I've read and I'm happy to say that I liked this one more than the first I read! I had read another book that involved candy making that fell a little short of my expectations so I was quite interested to see how this one turn out!
This wasn't a fast-paced read or one that made me long to pick it up, but it was very well-written and I always enjoyed it whenever I sat down for a bit of reading!
One thing I really like was the fact that both of the main characters were "undercover" and they both kinda guessed that the other wasn't telling them the whole story, and thus the annoying you-lied-to-me-how-can-I-ever-trust-you-oh-wait-I-really-do-love-you scenario that usually accompanies undercover stories was avoided!
I really liked both Caroline and Oliver! Caroline had such a passion to help the unfortunate and I loved how she didn't just say the words but carried it out in her actions, from giving a homeless man her lunch, to giving of her time and money to help the Holcomb children. I really admired how Oliver chose to work in his father's factory as just an ordinary worker so that he could have a better understanding of the working conditions and thus be a better leader. It's not often that a man born into privilege is willing to stoop that low just so that he can help those in him employ. I also really liked how generous he was with his resources!
The other characters were pretty great too! I especially liked Noble and his wife Annamarie, who took care of Caroline when she was young, Kesia, the cafe owner with a big heart, and the three Holcomb children.
This was a great story that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a sweet historical romance with a little bit of mystery!

Meet the Author
Kim Vogel Sawyer is a best-selling, award-winning author with more than one million copies of her books currently in print. Awards include the ACFW Carol Award, the Inspirational Readers Choice Award, and the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence. Sawyer lives in central Kansas, where she and her retired military husband, Don, run a bed-and-breakfast inn with the help of their feline companions. She savors time with her daughters and grandchildren.

I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for my review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.