A Desperate Hope, by Elizabeth Camden

Publisher’s Overview:

Eloise Drake’s prim demeanor hides the turbulent past she believes is finally behind her. A mathematical genius, she’s now a successful accountant for the largest engineering project in 1908 New York. But to her dismay, her new position puts her back in the path of the man responsible for her deepest heartbreak.

Alex Duval is the mayor of a town about to be wiped off the map. The state plans to flood the entire valley where his town sits in order to build a new reservoir, and Alex is stunned to discover the woman he once loved on the team charged with the demolition. With his world crumbling around him, Alex devises a risky plan to save his town–but he needs Eloise’s help to succeed.

Alex is determined to win back the woman he thought he’d lost forever, but even their combined ingenuity may not be enough to overcome the odds against them.

First Thoughts:

This is the third in Elizabeth Camden’s Empire State series. It continues the story of the fortunes of various Drake family members.

A Daring Venture, by Elizabeth Camden

Publisher’s Overview:

As a biochemist in early 1900s New York, Doctor Rosalind Werner has dedicated her life to the crusade against waterborne diseases. She is at the forefront of a groundbreaking technology that will change the way water is delivered to every household in the city– but only if she can get people to believe in her work.

Newly appointed Commissioner of Water for New York Nicholas Drake is highly skeptical of Rosalind and her team’s techniques. When a brewing court case throws him into direct confrontation with her, he is surprised by his reaction to the lovely scientist.

While Rosalind and Nick wage a private war against their own attraction, they stand firmly on opposite sides of a battle that will impact far more than just their own lives. As the controversy grows more public and inflammatory and Rosalind becomes the target of an unknown enemy, these two rivals will face higher stakes than they ever could have known.

First Thoughts:

I had really enjoyed Elizabeth Camden’s previous book, A Dangerous Legacy. It’s great to know, therefore, that there’ll be at least one familiar figure in this new novel.

A Dangerous Legacy, by Elizabeth Camden

Publisher’s Overview:

Telegraph operator Lucy Drake is a master of Morse code and has made herself a valuable asset to the Associated Press news agency. But the sudden arrival of Sir Colin Beckwith at rival British news agency Reuters puts her hard-earned livelihood at risk. Colin is talented, handsome, insufferably charming–and keeping a secret that jeopardizes his reputation.

Despite their rivalry, Lucy can’t deny that Colin has the connections she needs to give her family an edge in the long legal battle they’ve been waging over their rightful inheritance. But when she negotiates an unlikely alliance with him, the web of treachery they dive into proves to be far more dangerous than they ever could have known.

First Thoughts:

Elizabeth Camden is one of the Christian fiction authors to whom I tend to gravitate.

My Take:

Do you like pertinent information in a novel being given to you gradually, or do you want to know it immediately? While I find it can be intriguing to put the pieces together, especially in a mystery novel, there are also times when I want to know NOW! I was in one of the latter moods during the opening pages of A Dangerous Legacy. I wanted to know what the legal issue was and I wanted it yesterday! Thankfully, I didn’t have to wait long to discover why Lucy and her brother didn’t have much of a life outside of their jobs and the courtroom. I was also charmed by the cricket reference in those early pages and the accuracy of the detail in it. Yes, Britain, my home country, known for tea (which I can’t stand) and cricket (which I adore).

Fans of shows such as Downton Abbey will enjoy this tale of those who have, those who don’t, and those who fall somewhere in between. Colin is one of those members of the British aristocracy who is land rich and cash poor. He’s looking to marry a wealthy American heiress so he can repair his ancestral home and provide not only for his family but also for those who live and work on the estate. The pretensions of the Gilded Age are fully displayed, with the newly wealthy flocking to him because of his title. Lucy and Nick show concern for the have-nots, while they themselves are in the in between crowd. Readers will also get an insight into the news wire rivalries, sewers, and insane asylums of the early twentieth century although, personally, I could’ve done without the sewer knowledge!

A Dangerous Legacy was a book I really enjoyed. I liked Colin and Lucy: they were down to earth, practical people who were honest with each other, although they did show their emotions. There were no contrived misunderstandings between them either. There were plenty of dramatic moments and some equally beautiful ones too. And, the nice things is, I didn’t have to say a complete goodbye to these characters as this is the first in a new series! The second book, featuring Lucy’s brother, is coming out in early 2018. Sounds like you’ll want to have read this one first though.

Thank you to Bethany House for my complimentary electronic copy of A Dangerous Legacy, which I downloaded from NetGalley. No review was required.

Have you read A Dangerous Legacy? Do you plan to read it? Let me know your thoughts.

Excerpt

Publisher: Bethany House (a division of Baker Publishing)

Publication Date: 03 October 2017

Page Count: 352

Read more on:   Bethany House’s Website   Elizabeth Camden’s Website   The Gilded Age’s real-life “Dollar Princesses”

Purchase on:   Amazon   Barnes & Noble   Books-a-million   Christianbook.com