Friday, June 7, 2013

A Gem of a Book


Diamond in the Rough
By Jennifer AlLee 
and Lisa Karon Richardson

Take one gracious but not graceful young woman, one Pinkerton agent trying to sniff out a murderer, and a gambler pretending to be – of all things – a preacher, and you’ve got enough plot twists and turns to keep you reading all night.


Lily Gardenia Rose
While her mother is the picture of grace and gentility, Lily never will be. At least, not in her own eyes – nor in her mother’s! But Lily and her hoop skirts grabbed me from the beginning of the book, and drew me deeper into the book with each page.

Grant Diamond
When this man on the run decides to assume the identity of a preacher, he hasn’t a clue what awaits him in Eureka, California. And it’s not just the beautiful Miss Rose. Before he knows what’s hit him, he’s agreeing to preach a sermon and help build a school. Is there a way out for Grant? And if there is, will he take it?

Carter Forbes
Pinkerton agent, extraordinaire. But is he really? One thing is for sure, he’s intent on ferreting out a murderer and his eyes go naturally to the good Reverend Crew who seems shifty and full of secrets. But before long, he’ll learn that Eureka, California has secrets of its own – secrets that are rife with danger.

These three characters are thrown together in the interest of building a school for the Wiyot Indian children. With Carter’s suspicions, Grant’s secrets, and Lily’s self-doubts, the authors have served up a page-turner that will delight as well as touch on deeper emotions.   

Jennifer AlLee and Lisa Karon Richardson have so seamlessly woven this story together, that one would never know it has two authors if their names weren’t on the cover. The tone of this historical novel, the setting, and the characters all blend together to leave readers eagerly awaiting the next novel by this talented duo.

If this isn't enough to convince you, here's what fellow Inky Susanne Dietze has to say: "The book's unique premise and quick-paced plot invited me in, but the interesting characters and their journeys kept me hooked. I love how the story blends smile-cracking humor with challenging observations about redemption, prejudice, and love." ~~ Susanne Dietze

Please be sure to leave your email address to be entered in the drawing for this awesome book.

10 comments:

  1. Awesome review Suzie. Thanks so much! We're so proud of Lisa and Jen and thrilled to have this week to celebrate and share their new story.

    I hope our readers remember to comment and leave an email address to be in the drawing for it.

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  2. Thank you, Deb. I did go back and add the reminder for the drawing. :)

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  3. Thanks so much for your kind words, Suzie. You do such great reviews, never revealing too much of the plot while still being able to give readers a sense of the story and characters. Very glad you enjoyed the story. Oh, and thanks to Susie too!

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  4. Easy to do when it's such an awesome story, Lisa. Oh, I forgot, (slapping myself in the head), the pacing in this book is perfect. And I loved all the wonderful turns of phrase.

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  5. Nice review, Suzie. Lisa is right: you always manage to capture the tone and plot of a story without giving too much away. That's no easy feat!

    It's a great book. And it's been a great week of celebration around here, too!

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  6. Thank you, Susie. You are so sweet. I think your quote is far better than any review I could do. :)

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  7. Great review, Suzie! Thanks so much for writing this up.

    This book is going to the top of my tbr pile to be sure.

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  8. Aw, Anita Mae, I immediately thought of you when I started reading. You will love it! :-)

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  9. I hope you're right Suzie. And that Anita does love the story!

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  10. a wonderful posting...looking forward to reading this novel :)

    karenk
    kmkuka at yahoo dot com

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We, the ladies of Inkwell Inspirations, would love to give free stuff to everybody. Since we can't, we will often have a giveaway in conjunction with a specific post. Unless otherwise stated, one winner will be drawn from comments left on that post between the date it was published and the end of the giveaway as determined in the post. Entries must be accompanied by a valid email address. This address is used only to contact the commenter in the event that he/she is the winner, and will not be sold, distributed, or used in any other fashion. The odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. NO PURCHASE, PLEDGE, OR DONATION NECESSARY TO ENTER OR TO WIN. ALL FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL AND MUNICIPAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS APPLY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.

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