Summary
Imogene Chively knew her father had invited Ernest Steeple and his brother Ben for a visit. Mr. Chively was eager to set Imogene and Ernest together, and Imogene was willing to give the match a try. But she wasn’t at all prepared for their next meeting to occur right after her dog, Jasper, jumped off a high crumbling wall as Ben dove to save the reckless canine. And almost immediately after that, Jasper was trapped in a dreadful, life threatening situation. Once again, Ben to the rescue! It was good fortune to have him around.
As Imogene and Ernest tested the waters of a possible match, and Imogene’s best friend Emily spent time with Ben, it soon became clear that Ben was in trouble. Either he was the unluckiest man alive, or someone had it out for him!
It’s hard enough to entertain a new suitor and wait for feelings to warm. But it’s doubly hard when his brother’s frequent peril leads Imogene and Ben to spend more time together than they probably should. Her feelings are starting to warm, but maybe for the wrong brother.
Review
I picked this up because I so enjoyed another book by this author, Duels and Deception. This one was a little slow for my taste. Historical fiction is a stretch for me as a reader in the first place. I gravitate more to fantasy and science fiction instead. Readers who enjoy historical fiction (this takes place in 1817) and the customs and intricacies of the times might have a stronger connection to this than I did. The mystery element – who was targeting Ben and why – propelled me to keep reading until the end. I was thrilled to discover I was right about the mystery elements in the end.
I enjoyed the characters in this, although I didn’t really have a favorite. The four main characters were good, and by the end I had a great appreciation for Emily and her family.
The author works hard to cover the relationship pieces of the story with the four main characters while also spacing out the mystery sections. Early on the spacing lent to questions of whether the incidents were bad luck or deliberate. Then she also filled in details about the supporting cast, a thread about art, and some architecture and travels for the characters. For me, this moved the story slowly along where I tend to prefer a faster pace. Readers who enjoy the time period or a slower pace in their reading material may be a better audience for this than I was.
Rating: ♥♥♥½