Monday, July 12, 2010

Love on a Dime by Cara Lynn James ~ 4 stars

Love on a Dime
Cara Lynn James
Ladies of Summerhill series #1
Thomas Nelson Publishing
About the book:
In age of elegance and excess, Lilly Westbrook longs for a love both true and eternal.

Newport, Rhode Island, 1899, is a place of shimmering waves, sleek yachts, and ladies of leisure. Of opulent mansions that serve as summer cottages for the rich and famous. Home of railroad magnates and banking tycoons--dashing young men and the women who aspire to marry them.

But it's not the place for lady novelists. Especially not those who pen disreputable dime novels. This poses a problem for Lilly Westbrook, because that's exactly what she does.

No one in Lilly's social set knows she pens fiction under the nom de plume Fannie Cole. Not her family or the wealthy young man about to propose to her. And especially not Jackson Grail, the long-lost beau who just bought her publishing company...and who stirs her heart more than she cares to admit.

But Lilly must put aside her feelings and follow the path that will maintain her family's social stature and provide the financial security that everyone is depending on.

Now Lilly faces a double dilemma. Can she continue to protect her secret identity? And will she have the courage to choose the man who will risk it all just to win her heart?

My review:
I loved the storyline of this book. I loved the whole idea and the characters and the plot. However, the writing style left a little wanting, to me. For example, there were a few instances in the book where I thought the author could have taken advantage of the situation to evoke more emotion in the reader than she did. I did see great potential though, and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson for my review copy of this book.

9 comments:

collettakay said...

That is exactly what I thought of the book also. It left me wanting more. I still enjoyed it though.

Carman said...

Colletta~ Yeah. :/ But, I'm sure that the more Cara writes, the better she will get. :)

rbooth43 said...

This part of the review hooked me (a place of shimmering waves, sleek yachts, and ladies of leisure. Of opulent mansions that serve as summer cottages for the rich and famous.) I am putting this book on my TBR list.
Thanks!

Carman said...

rbooth43~ lol. ACTUALLY, that isn't part of my review, that's part of the back cover blurb. But, I'm flattered that you think I could write anything that pretty. ;) (I'm not much of a writer.)

Bluerose said...

I didn't write this in my review, but I completely agree about the emotions. I would have loved more detail. I enjoyed this one otherwise, though. :)

Carman said...

bluerose~ I'm glad to hear that other people felt the same way. I never like writing anything negative in my reviews, so it's good to hear that I'm "on the mark". ;)

misskallie2000 said...

I just won Love On a Dime and can't wait to read. It is on my TRS and will be read very soon. I have read great review including yours and know it is a great book.

misskallie2000 at yahoo dot com

Unknown said...

I'm drawn to this story. Thank you for the opportunity to win. I very much like the cover...the character appears as though she is hiding a secret...with a bit of a "I know a secret look." Good cover because it draws you to the story with the desire to begin reading immediately!

Blessed Be in Christ,
Barb Shelton
barbjan10@tx.rr.com

Carman said...

misskallie~ Cool! I hope you enjopy it. :)

barb~ I feel the same way about the cover. :) Btw, this isn't a giveaway of Love on a Dime, it's only my review.