Abbie's Reading Corner: Love on a Dime by Cara Lynn James

Published: 2010

Goodreads Summery:

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?

Lilly and Jackson fell in love and planned to marry when they where young adults but Jackson ended up breaking the engagement off and leaving Lilly with a broken heart. Six years later Jackson returns to win Lilly back but is it to late?

The story line of this book sounded interesting to me. Lilly writes dime novels that have a bad reputation among the upper class that she is a part of. So she writes in secret. The difference is her books have a good message with Christian principles. She feels God is calling her to spread his good news through her books and she also helps supports a Christian ran woman’s home with her books income.

Jackson has spent the last six years trying to make enough money so that he can come back and finally ask Lilly to be his wife. The problem is when he shows up she is almost pledged to be married to another. To make matters more interesting he also purchases the publishing house that sells Lilly's books.

The story line was interesting but for me I started to have trouble staying focused about half way through it just seemed to drag on some. Lilly had to deal with her pen name and whether to tell her family and Jackson. Jackson seemed to already know so when she finally told him it seemed almost like a mute point. Also her engagement to another guy was a really week story line. One minute her family was so excited and then they seemed indifferent when it was over.

Over all I did enjoy reading it and look forward to reading the 2nd book in the series.

Book Rating