Her undercover life…
Her secret child
Dancing in speakeasies at night is dutiful heiress Betty Dryer's only escape from her father's tyrannical control and marriage plans. There she meets mysterious FBI agent Henry Randall. Drawn into his investigation -- and to emotionally scarred, lone-wolf Henry himself -- Betty gives in to her desire, believing this could be her only chance at love before she's forced to wed. Until she discovers she's pregnant with Henry's baby!
This was a terrific combination of romance, history, and mystery during the Roaring Twenties. The author does a fantastic job of bringing the period alive with vivid use of fashion, language, prohibition and speakeasies, along with mobsters and federal agents.
The events of this book partially overlap with the first book in the series, The Flapper's Fake Fiancé. This time the story is told from Betty's point of view. She is the oldest of the three sisters and has always felt the need to protect them. When they first started sneaking out at night to escape their overbearing father's control, Betty was the one who set the rules to keep them safe. On one of their clandestine outings, Betty reunited with Henry Randall, a man she briefly met during a trip to Seattle.
Henry is an agent with the Justice Department (pre-FBI), in town to find and apprehend a suspected mole in the department. He knows he should avoid Betty, but convinces himself that she may be linked to his current case. Though he quickly realizes that she is innocent of any wrongdoing, by that time, she has become involved enough to help him.
I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Henry and Betty develop. Henry is a loner whose early life has caused him to reject the idea of love. Betty is at the mercy of her father, who has arranged a marriage for her. But the more time that Henry and Betty spend together, the deeper their attraction grows. Both of them try to fight it. Henry believes that he is incapable of love. The Bureau is his life, and there is no room for anything else. Betty knows that Henry's life as an agent makes a relationship impossible. She doesn't like it, but she accepts it. When they are apart, both see the impossibility of the situation, but as soon as they are together, they forget the problems.
That forgetfulness has unexpected consequences that complicate Betty's life further. I ached for her as she put Henry's happiness ahead of her own and made plans to marry her father's choice. I was on the edge of my seat, hoping Henry would come to his senses before it was too late. The scene at the church was fantastic. There was an interesting twist involving the plans Henry made and Betty's reaction to that twist. I liked the confidence that Betty gained from Henry's love and how that confidence changed their lives.
I enjoyed the mystery part of the book also. The overlap with the first book then continued by delving into the world of mobsters and racketeering, and an agent gone bad. There were some tense moments involving Henry being shanghaied and having to get back to California from Hawaii. It was amusing to see Henry's disbelief that he, the agent known for working alone, had suddenly acquired three flappers and a newspaper reporter as partners. I loved watching Betty at work, getting the information he needed. The final confrontation was intense, especially when Henry discovered that the three women were tricked into a dangerous situation. The takedown was impressive, as was Henry's unique way of getting the evidence he needed. The trouble at the end was handled efficiently by Henry and opened up new possibilities for his future.
I liked the inclusion of Henry's adoptive parents and
uncle in the story. I especially liked how Betty's love for Henry made him
re-examine his memories of his youth and reach out to his family. Their
presence at the end was especially heartwarming.
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