An inconvenient attraction…
To her convenient fiancé!
Patsy Dryer may be a biddable heiress by day, but nothing
will stop her from dancing all night in Hollywood's speakeasies -- or
fulfilling her dream of becoming a reporter. She's investigating the mystery of
an escaped convict with brooding, handsome newspaper editor Lane Cox…until they
must pretend to be engaged! With their scoop linked to Lane's tragic past, dare
Patsy hope for a happy ending for their own story, too?
Fun story set in the rarely used Roaring Twenties. Patsy
and her two sisters, Betty and Jane, are the daughters of William Dryer, a
wealthy builder. He is determined to find wealthy men to marry them. Tired of
being sequestered in the name of "protection," the girls frequently
sneak out at night to visit a local speakeasy, The Rooster's Nest. Patsy also
has another motive. She dreams of becoming a reporter and will do anything to
make that dream come true. Investigating the escape of a dangerous convict should
give her the scoop she needs to get her foot in the door of the local paper.
Marriage is not in her plan.
Lane Cox owns the LA Gazette. After his wife and daughter
were killed during a train robbery, he made the newspaper his life. When the
man responsible for the death of his family escapes from prison, Lane uses his
skills as an investigative reporter to search for him.
I liked both Patsy and Lane. Patsy is the youngest of the
three girls and seems to have the most ambitious goal for herself. Despite
having every story she has submitted to the paper rejected, she refuses to give
up. I loved her ability to transform herself from the obedient daughter her
father demanded to the intrepid reporter masquerading as a vivacious flapper. She
has an amazing eye and memory for detail and a talent for getting people to
talk to her. Lane is a man who has made the newspaper his life. He has turned
his paper into a respected source of news by refusing to print anything that
can't be confirmed. He still grieves for his wife and daughter and doesn't see
that ever changing.
I loved the first meeting between Patsy and Lane. She has
just gotten a lead on the escaped convict when she recognizes Lane. Determined
to find out what he knows, she shanghais him into participating in a dance
contest with her. Lane is suspicious when she mentions Gaynor's name, thinking
that she might be one of his relatives. It was fun watching them spar at the
same time they danced. I especially enjoyed seeing the effect that Patsy had on
him, stirring up emotions that had been locked away for seven years. He wasn't
happy when she disappeared before he finished talking to her. Patsy was equally
affected by Lane. Neither was able to stop thinking about the other all the
next day. By the time they'd met for a second time, Lane was thoroughly
entranced and intrigued, and impressed by the potential he sensed in her.
It didn't take too long for them to decide to cooperate in
their investigations. Their investigative techniques complemented each other.
The drawback was that Patsy still had to hide the truth of who she was, which
limited the time they could spend together. Lane didn't understand the fear
that he saw in her eyes when circumstances revealed her secret. I loved the
protectiveness he felt toward her and his use of her father's insistence on an
engagement when he found out about them. The tension increased as Lane and Patsy
drew closer to finding the truth about the train robbery. I had to laugh a
little bit at Lane, whose protective instincts were aroused because Patsy
wasn't at all cooperative with his attempts to keep her safe.
At the same time, sparks of another sort continued to
grow between them. Both Lane and Patsy fought their feelings, trying to hold on
to their reluctance to marry. Patsy was the first to realize the strength of
her feelings but hid them because she knew of Lane's refusal to consider
marrying again. Lane was a harder nut to crack. I loved watching the changes in
him as Patsy filled the empty spot left by his family's deaths. By the time he
admitted his feelings to himself, he also knew he would have to convince Patsy
that his feelings for her were real. He almost didn't get that chance when
their investigation took a dangerous turn. I was on the edge of my seat when
Patsy ended up in the hands of the bad guy, wondering how she was going to get
out of it. The resolution was exciting and satisfying in how it went down. I
loved Lane's big moment when it was all over, as he found the right words to convince
Patsy of his love.
One of the things I enjoyed most about the book was the
way it pulled me into life in the Roaring Twenties. The descriptions of the
clothing, locations, and attitudes were so vivid that I felt as though I was
there. That feeling was enhanced by the liberal use of the slang of the period.
I also enjoyed the tie-in of the bootleggers to the author's Daughters of the Roaring Twenties series. Now I can't wait to read Betty and Jane's stories.
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