"Love gives, not takes. It never forces another person to sacrifice but sacrifices itself for the other person."
Geneva Ashcroft had experienced very little true love in her life as the daughter of a New York elite, even her practically arranged marriage to a prominent newspaper titan was a calculated effort by her father to control publicity surrounding his upcoming senate campaign. Imagine her surprise when she actually liked Warren Hayes in all the little ways that had the potential to make her upcoming nuptials at least tolerable, hence making her grief nearly unbearable when Warren perished in a private plane crash just months after their wedding. The only thing Geneva has left are cryptic notes from her husband's private investigator, prompting Geneva to "take to the skies" as Stella Starling, the wing-walking barnstormer, following a path from small town to small town, never imagining what she would discover . . . or what it would mean.
An extraordinary story because? . . . all the necessary components . . . fascinating historical backdrop, flawless word flow, magnetic romanticism, a menagerie of secondary characters whose underlying motives were hidden in plain sight, cleverly constructed formatting . . . in fact, it was the brilliant use of "now and then" merging seamlessly into "now" that tipped the scales in the direction of a five star read . . . an outstanding book deserving of abundant attention.
*I purchased a copy and was under no obligation to provide a positive review. 4.5 stars
SEE REVIEWS BY KIM and PAULA, and WINNIE
Back Cover Blurb:
Geneva
Ashcroft Hayes's marriage to a newspaper mogul might have been
arranged, but the New York socialite is devastated when her husband's
plane crashes a few short months after their nuptials. When the
authorities suspect murder, Geneva sets out on a wild mission to find
his killer--and to prove it wasn't her!
When mysterious notes
surface pointing to Geneva's guilt in his death, they only strengthen
her resolve. She has little to go on except for a detective friend's
cryptic list of locations connected to her dead spouse. When the friend
also disappears, she trades her sparkling gowns for coveralls and pilot
goggles.
Armed with a new name and career as a wingwalker and
barnstormer, she travels from town to town in hopes of unearthing clues
and locating her missing friend. But Geneva discovers that her past may
not belong to her . . . what she once believed as truth may be nothing
more than lies and deception.
Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, Rebecca!
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