A Socialite in Disguise Seeks Truth and Justice
Collect a new series of six historical romances. When life seems weighed down by challenges, there are always pillars of enduring hope and love to be discovered.
Henrietta “Etta” Maxwell, heiress to the Maxwell fortune, is a hard-hitting investigative reporter for The Enterprise Daily. The catch? Etta must pen her columns under the nom de plume, Henry Mason—a fact that routinely puts a knot in her knickerbockers.
Leo Eriksson is a second-generation firefighter with a passion for rendering aid to those in need. When Leo discovers that Henry Mason is really Henrietta Maxwell, the fire department’s wealthy benefactress, he agrees to keep her identity secret.
After a sudden blast rocks the Grover Shoe Factory, Leo and Etta team up to determine if the explosion is related to a series of suspicious fires in the area. But sparks fly when Leo accuses Etta of negating the human side of the disaster in her determination to get a good story.
When an unnamed source reveals Etta’s secret identity to a rival reporter, she falsely accuses Leo of being the informant. As the truth comes to light, Etta must persuade Leo to give her a second chance or lose the only man she’s ever loved.
My Review:
This has been my introduction to Kelly J. Goshorn’s writing and I am definitely a fan. I especially love the way she develops her characters. Etta is such an intriguing contradiction, from disguising herself as a man in order to fulfill her investigative reporter dreams to meeting her commitments as a prominent young socialite to keep her family happy. She’s leading two very different lives and it’s paramount that they stay separate which, of course, means she’s on a collision course with disaster!
Leo is as charming and dashing as you’d expect a firefighter hero to be. His occupation is also his family legacy and I loved the camaraderie he had with his brother and Fire Chief father. It was also interesting to view the fire fighting profession from a historical aspect, complete with the station house Dalmatian!
Leo and Etta’s meet-cute provides a bright light of humour right before the tension ramps up with page-turning drama and intrigue. There’s an arson investigation as well as an actual explosion and subsequent fire straight out of the history books to contend with. The details are fascinating and the author did an incredible job of conveying a whole gamut of emotions in the chaotic aftermath of the explosion.
Etta and Leo’s unorthodox ‘courtship’ is full of sizzle and spark (see what I did there?) right from the start. Their admiration for each other equals their attraction and I enjoyed the watching their relationship develop during such a complicated time for them both.
Goshorn has created a swoonable romance in the midst of real-life tragedy that includes her own unique twist of intrigue with touches of faith to pull everything together into a cohesive whole. Makes for an exceptional reading experience.
GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:
US – paperback or ebook copy – winner’s choice
Canada – paperback, ebook or audible copy – winner’s choice
International – ebook if you have a US Kindle account
If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Undercover Heiress of Brockton, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday June 6 2026
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