Tarnished origins, bright future – #HistoricalRomance #ReviewTuesday #Giveaway

Blurb

Lizzie Finn grew up in a brothel, and she’s reminded of that fact every day. She dreams of finding a job and becoming independent. Only then can she be free of her aunt’s disdain. First, she must find an employer who won’t turn her away because of her past.

Byron Greeley is determined to save his family’s business after Lizzie’s uncle falsifies the amount Byron owes on a loan from the bank. Determined to find proof of Teague’s perfidy, Byron slips into the banker’s house and rummages through the study only to be discovered by Lizzie, a red-haired beauty who utterly captivates him.

Byron offers Lizzie a job in exchange for information about her uncle, and because she believes her uncle is innocent, she agrees. When Teague discovers Lizzie and Byron’s growing affection, he threatens to destroy Byron and his family, insisting Byron is exploiting her. Is Teague’s warning well-founded? Are Byron’s feelings for Lizzie true, or is Byron using her for his own gain?

Excerpt

A spring in her step, Emma placed the rose gown on the bed and returned to the wardrobe. “I saw the most handsome man last night.”

Lizzie’s pulse leaped. “You did?” Had Emma seen the drunken stranger in Uncle’s study? The handsome intruder had occupied Lizzie’s thoughts all night long.

“Of course I did. He is a sight for sore eyes.” Emma returned with the green skirt and carefully lowed it over Lizzie’s head. “Dark eyes, almost black in color, with a gaze so intense he nearly stole my breath.”

Yes. Exactly. As much as she’d tried, she couldn’t get the memory of those eyes out of her head.

Emma secured the skirt and grabbed the bodice. “And his hair, the same as his eyes, black as night.”

Slipping her arms into the sleeves, Lizzie disagreed, “I would hardly call it black, more a dark brown, the color of chestnuts. Which suits him quite well.” With strong, bold features, and a lean frame … She smiled a little when she thought of him. A handsome devil to be sure.

Emma came around to face Lizzie and began to button the gown’s front. “No. I’m quite sure Felix has darker hair than that.”

“Felix?” Had that been his name?

“Yes, our new footman.”

Footman? Lizzie’s cheeks flamed, and her smile dissipated. The man she’d met last night was no footman. He’d spoken of running his family’s business. How embarrassing to be caught admiring a complete stranger. What was wrong with her?

Review by Lisabet Sarai

Lizzie Finn was born in a brothel to a woman fleeing an abusive relationship and raised in that dubious environment until her mid-teens. After her mother’s death, her mother’s sister offers her shelter in the prosperous Boston home of her banker uncle, but Lizzie pays dearly for that material comfort. Aunt Margaret constantly criticizes and belittles Lizzie, never allowing her to forget her tarnished origins and her mother’s shameful profession. Though her Uncle Eldon treats her more kindly, Lizzie longs for personal and financial independence.

Byron Greeley is struggling to keep his father’s business afloat. With his father ill, the responsibilities of the family clothing and notions factory have fallen on his young shoulders. To make things worse, a debt incurred by his father has been mysteriously inflated by the bank, with the original loan agreement somehow lost. Byron suspects the bank president, Eldon Teague, of dirty dealing and breaks into his house in the middle of the night to look for evidence. There he is caught and confronted by Lizzie. Despite the compromising circumstances, he’s enchanted by the brave, spirited redhead. Meanwhile, even though Lizzie knows she should turn him in to the police, something about the earnest young man persuades her to protect him.

Loving Lizzie Finn offers a satisfying love story with appealing and moderately complex characters. Growing up in a brothel might not have been ideal, but the experience has imbued the heroine with courage and fostered her self-reliance. Lizzie’s determination to make her own way in life clashes with her profound attraction to Byron. Meanwhile, Byron never wavers in his devotion to his “angel”, though circumstances sometimes lead Lizzie to doubt him.

As the book progresses, secrets surrounding Lizzie’s history come to light, gradually enough that the revelations don’t seem contrived. I also liked the fact that the resolution of the primary conflict was the consequence of a character’s growth and change rather than some external agency. Several of the characters must adapt in order for Byron and Lizzie to reach their happy ending. I felt that most of these changes were quite convincing.

The book’s most significant weakness is its very thin veneer of history. It is supposedly set in mid-Victorian-era Boston, a setting and period I know quite well. (I lived in a Victorian-era building in Beacon Hill for more than a year, and I’ve written many stories set in the late nineteenth century.) However, there are few details or descriptions that bring the setting to life. I had no real sense of place or time, which I view as a problem given the supposed genre of historical romance.

In fact I wonder if the relative freedom Lizzie enjoys is consistent with the social conventions of the time. She comes and goes as she pleases, without a chaperone. She works in a public factory, among strangers. She surrenders to her passion for Byron with little or no hesitation, though realistically she does worry about pregnancy afterward.

The book would have benefited from a firmer historical grounding. At present it is a somewhat generic romance that could have unfolded almost anywhere.

Still, this wasn’t enough to stop me from enjoying Loving Lizzie Finn. If you like romance with bold, capable heroines, you’ll probably enjoy it too.

About the Author

A small-town girl with a big imagination, Tamara Hughes had no idea what to do with her life. After graduating from college, she moved to a big city, started a family and a job, and still struggled to find that creative outlet she craved. An avid reader of romance, she gave writing a try and became hooked on the power of exploring characters, envisioning adventures, and creating worlds. She enjoys stories with interesting twists and heroines who have the grit to surmount any obstacle, all without losing the ability to laugh. To learn more, stop by her website: www.tamarahughes.com.

You can also find her on:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tamarahughesauth

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Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/tamarahughes

Buy link for Loving Lizzie Finn: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DFMQ4X1H

The author will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

 

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