Love on a Dime (Ladies of Summerhill)

by Cara Lynn James

Paperback, 2010

Status

Available

Call number

813.6

Publication

Thomas Nelson (2010), Edition: First Edition, 320 pages

Description

Fiction. Romance. Christian Fiction. Historical Fiction. HTML: 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 tycoonsâ??â??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 longâ??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 he… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member love2readnovels
Lilly Westbrook and Jack Grail were young, in love and planning to marry. Her family was wealthy and Jack was not. When Lilly convinces Jack to go and talk to her father, Jack overhears her parents talking about how unsuitable he was for Lilly. Feeling like he would never have their approval, he
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leaves without saying goodbye.

6 years have passed and Lilly fills the void in her heart by writing dime romance novels under the pen name of Fanny Cole. Nobody knows except her good friend Miranda. It's not fashionable for a lady to do that sort of thing. While Lilly and her family are summering in Newport, Rhode Island she runs into Jack again. The feelings are strong but she won't make the mistake of trusting him again. A complication comes to light when she finds out that Jack has purchased the publishing company that prints the Fanny Cole novels. What will happen when Jack finds out Fanny Cole is really Lilly? Let's not forget The Colonel who threatens to expose Lilly if she doesn't pay him money. And what about her sister-in-law? Humm...

This was a fun story set in the gilded age. Where money was everything and if you didn't have it you weren't suitable. A women was a kind of ornament that a man would where on his arm to a party. She had a certain image to live up to. It was a time when one family member doing something wrong would disgrace the entire family. It was also a time when a father had the final say in who his daughter would marry. We see Lilly struggle with several of these issues. Although she wants to please, she is a very independent type girl. I liked the character of Lilly but there were times in the story when I just wanted to shake some sense into her. I enjoyed the character of Jack. He was very good for Lilly and patient in ways she needed it. The author does a great job with the underlying spiritual message of "Are you trusting the Lord or trying to do it on your own" and "Is this what the Lord wants or what you want"? Along the way we also see what real love is and what it is not. I recommend this story and look forward to reading Love on Assignment! Thank you to Thomas Nelson who provided me with this complimentary copy for review.
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LibraryThing member judyg54
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
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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 alot 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.
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LibraryThing member cherryblossommj
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
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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.*
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LibraryThing member dlozada
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
LibraryThing member wrightja2000
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
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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...
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Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

2010-06-01

Physical description

8.39 inches

ISBN

9781595546791
Page: 0.3074 seconds