What an annoying and arrogant hero! He spends his time moaning about how the heroine doesn't love him because he's not rich enough even though she repeatedly shows through words and actions that she doesn't care for wealth. Then he moans that she is trying to move on with her life without him though he won't even give her a hint that he is interested in seriously courting her. The novel takes place more than 100 years ago so of course, being a proper lady she won't go after him. Ugh, I hate wasting my time on books where I have no respect for the main characters. Bleck... ( )

great Christian fiction romance novel. was so hard to put this book down. evjoyed to very much looking forward to reading the others in the series ( )

Lot of potential with very little follow through. Disappointing leads, predictable story, a lot of the convenience fairy. ( )

As a new author to me Cara Lynn James is definitely an author that I will look for in the future. This fun first in a series is new from Thomas Nelson and is a very romantic historical fiction read. It takes place in Rhode Island and New York during a Golden Era and reading about the clothing and summer houses like Summerhill are quite enchanting. Even my mother had to borrow this one. I fully enjoyed both of our main characters and the book as a whole. Although, I did feel like in the second third of the book there were a few chapters that seemed to be rehashing out the same thing time and again and that got a little dull. Overall I was enchanted and entertained I look forward to more books including the Ladies of Summerhill series.

*Thanks to Thomas Nelson through FIRST Wild Card Tours for providing a copy for review.* ( )

This story takes place in Newport, Rhode Island in the year 1899. It is a time when society had strict thoughts on what a lady did and did not do and how a lady acted in society. The class disctinctions between the rich and those not rich were quite obvious. So when Lily Westbrook, a lady of the social set of Newport, starts writing and getting published "dime novels" she must do it under a pen name so no one will know who the real "Fannie Cole" is.
Lily is in Newport for the summer with her family, has a wealthy beau, and discovers her brother George has brought his longtime friend Jackson Grail to be part of the summer group. The problem is Lily and Jackson were once very much in love and Jackson was to ask for Lily's hand in marriage. But things didn't work out back then and Jackson left to get wealth and a name for himself so he had a chance to be "suitable" for Lily. Jackson also has bought out the publishing house that Lily has been selling her dime novels too. So there are a lot of secrets, social expectations and long lost love feelings to deal with in this story. I enjoyed the way the author wrote this story, although at times I just wanted to scream at Lily to let go and let Jackson help you!!! She can be a very stubborn woman. I look forward to book two in this series. A special thanks to BookSneeze for sending me this book for review. ( )