Book review: Banking on Temperance by Becky Lower

Blurb:

When beautiful Temperance Jones and her mother enter Basil Fitzpatrick’s St. Louis bank, the handsome ladies’ man believes he’ll only be conducting a monetary transaction for the down-on-their-luck Jones family.  But Fate intervenes, and that first meeting becomes so much more to both Temperance and Basil.

 Dying of consumption, Preacher Jones extracts a promise from his daughter Temperance that she will do whatever it takes to get the rest of the large family to Oregon. With the threat of civil war looming, he wants to see his sons safely away from conflict.

With Basil’s help, the Jones family begins to put down roots, and the faraway dream of traveling on to Oregon loses its luster for everyone but Temperance.  She knows she must go on, no matter what—if not for her promise to her father, then to protect her own heart from Basil—for she has loved him since the moment they met.

Is Basil ready for a permanent commitment? To love Temperance would mean taking on the burden of providing for her mother and siblings, as well—a tall order for a man who, up to now, has only looked out for himself. Drawn to the tiny spitfire like a magnet, Basil must decide if he’ll let Temperance travel the Oregon Trail with another man, or will he gladly spend the rest of his life BANKING ON TEMPERANCE?

My Review:

Basil and Temperance have one of the most stubborn-filled claim-your-person-already stories I've read in a long time!  So much so, there for a minute I was almost ready to start rootin' for the other man in Temperance's life.  hahaha!

While stubbornness and determination can serve you well, such blind devotion can definitely cause heartache - which, of course since this is a romance story, we know the heartache will be overcome... eventually.

I adored Temperance's devotion to her family and how she remained true to herself.  Watching her fall in love with Basil and work through those emotions was a sight to see.... even if I wanted to shake her sometimes.  I appreciated how even though most of these feelings were new to her, she owned up pretty quickly that Basil was hers, even if she didn't know what to do with that knowledge.  As the eldest child, Temperance was a strong leader in her family, however she had some growing up to do and lessons to learn.

Same for Basil - that man had some heart-wounds in his past to process, but then despite being a successful business owner and a leader in the community, he also had alot of growing up to do and needed his own wake up call (or two... or three.... or....).  He needed someone like Temperance in his life who would make him work for and earn the good stuff, not just keep coasting on surface level deepness and having things handed to him without much effort.  Some of the road-blocks for him, while I could understand it, it also hurt me to feel that pain for Temperance.

I loved the small side story we got with Temperance's mom (actually, I'd really like to read a book from her pov from when they first set out from PA and then what happened in St. Louis during this story) and getting to know Ginger (Basil's sister) and Joseph (from an earlier book in this series).  Ginger was a hoot and I had to agree with her opinion of her brother on several occasions! lol

If you enjoy a slow burn with lots of heated attraction kinda story, this is a good one to pick up.


Purchase Links:

     

New Release — A Widow’s Salvation (Cotillion Ball Saga Book 8) by Becky Lower

New York City, 1862—

Beautiful Pepper Fitzpatrick Brown’s heart is broken when her husband, Michael, is killed on the bloody battlefield at Manassas. One of the first casualties of the Civil War, Michael’s death has left Pepper raising three small boys on her own—and trying to live without the man she believed she’d grow old with. Honoring Michael’s memory, she volunteers at the MacDougall Army Hospital in the Bronx, doing whatever she can to help the wounded.

The drab existence of handsome Colonel Elijah Williams, head surgeon at the Army hospital, has narrowed to nothing but the bloody war and the horrendous wounds he treats day after day. He carries a secret—a nightmare that holds him in its gory grip each time he falls asleep, reminding him of what awaits him in his waking hours. But when Pepper Brown walks into his life, everything changes—for both of them. 

Is Elijah ready to take on a ready-made family and the responsibilities that come with it? Can Pepper let go of her grief and embrace love once again? In a war-torn country that has suffered so much loss, Elijah and Pepper might stand a fighting chance at finding happiness together if they can save what’s left of their hearts!

EXCERPT

     Hours later, Elijah shrugged his shoulders and stretched his back. The last of this batch of men was done. They’d all come through surgery. Now if infection stayed away, and the flies, they might have a chance. He washed his hands, cleaning the remaining blood from them, and splashed water on his face. He finally left the operating room, hoping to spend a few moments in his office.

     He immediately ran into the lovely countenance of Mrs. Brown. She waited outside the operating room, seemingly for him. But her dress was lavender, not green-sprigged.

     “Why are you still here?” He smiled at her. “Not that I’m complaining, but you’ve been here for hours.”

     “I’m not still here. I went home yesterday, took care of my children, slept, and now I’m back again.”

     He blinked and raised a suspicious eyebrow. “You mean it’s been more than twenty-four hours since we last spoke?” At her nod, he continued. “I confess I lose all track of time when I’m in the operating room. Well, welcome back, Mrs. Brown. That explains the change in your dress. As I remember, you had on a green-sprigged gown when I last was in your presence.”

     She ran her hands over her gown and glanced at the floor before lifting her eyes again. She seemed surprised by the comment. Even though she was a widow, had no one told her recently she was lovely?

      

Book Review: Blinded by Grace by Becky Lower

Blurb:

New York City, 1858

Halwyn Fitzpatrick thinks he's off the hook for attendance at the annual Cotillion Ball. He has no sister to shepherd down the grand staircase this year, and no real desire to go through the rituals of courtship and betrothal himself. Besides, he'll know the right girl when he sees her—especially now that he has new spectacles. But his mother has other plans for him. At twenty-seven years of age, her son is in dire need of a wife.

Grace Wagner needs a husband by July in order to inherit the trust her father has left for her. Her stepfather, though, has plans for the money that don't include Grace, and the last thing he wants is for her to find a husband before she turns twenty-one, thereby fulfilling the terms of the trust. She's been in love with Halwyn since she was thirteen, but he hasn't noticed her at any of the balls they've been at over the years.

With the aid of his new glasses, he spies Grace from across the room and they share a dance. Grace decides to present him with a business proposition that will satisfy them both. But can a clueless knight in shining armor and a desperate damsel in distress find a way to turn this marriage of convenience into something more?

My Review:

What happens when the best laid plans to give you what you want, ends up not really being exactly what you want after all? For Grace, that's a hard thing to figure out. Good thing she had some Fitzpatricks at her back to meddle... er... help things along.

I adored Grace, even though at times I so wanted to shake her out of her martyr-like thoughts. She was determined to protect those around her and was willing to risk her heart being trampled on to accomplish it. And her sweetness and humbleness made her all the more charming.

Halwyn proved himself to be a worthy hero for Grace. While he may have been a little slow in realizing how much he was drawn to Grace and why he was drawn to her, his actions proved early on that he was all in for claiming Grace for his own. And when circumstances allowed him to act, he shone brightly - whether in pursuing Grace's heart or rescuing his damsel from her distresses.

This was a fun change-of-pace setting for me, going back in time to Eastern society protocol. It's so easy when reading historical stories to forget about the specifics of "back in Eastern society", where rules of the strictest nature condemn more quickly than forgive, but where heroes (and heroines) can emerge as gallant and strong as anyone else.

I truly enjoyed my time with Grace and Halwyn and look forward to discovering more of the Fitzpatrick siblings' stories.

Purchase Links:

      

The Female Author and the Dime Novel by Becky Lower

Do you remember how you reacted when you found out that poet George Sand was a woman? You were probably in high school and astounded by the revelation. I certainly was. I then decided to name my first girl George. Fortunately, I never had a girl child, but the father of my Cotillion Ball siblings is named George. 

How about Harper Lee? Come on, show of hands. How many of you were misguided into believing the author of To Kill A Mockingbird was a man? Or, more recently, do you remember when J.K. Rowling morphed into Robert Galbraith in a reverse of the phenomenon?

Women in the publishing world have been attempting to level the playing field for hundreds of years by creating ambiguous or misleading pen names. When dime novels—the first form of mass marketed books—came into existence in the 1800s, the odds were stacked even higher, as the topics in these books normally contained tales of swashbuckling heroes, gunslingers, gold miners or explorers, and generally harsh surroundings. Things that refined ladies would never know of, or ever experience, much less be able to write about.

The Dime Novel, or the Penny Dreadful, as these books were referred to in England, were the precursor to today’s paperbacks and e-books. Although these dime novels didn’t have as their primary focus the world of romance, they did set the stage for the romance industry, as they were responsible for introducing reading for pleasure to the masses. These books were printed in a four by six inch format, and were about a hundred pages in length, with a die-cut cover image that usually contained a spot of color. And thanks to the advancement of the printing industry at the same time the growth of education in America was happening, the dime novel was able to take advantage of both and become a major force in publishing. They filled a void in American literature for several decades, as the education of the working class created a need for reading material. They were published as frequently as every two weeks, and the characters developed in them often went from one tale to the next.

Dime novels in America were rough-and-tumble books, mostly about the Wild West. The plots were sensational and melodramatic, making for great reading among the streets of relatively tame east coast cities.

The first known dime novel in America was written by a woman—Mrs. Ann Stephens—and was entitled “Malaeska, the Indian Wife of the White Hunter.” Risque, tantalizing reading in 1839, to be sure.

With millions of dime novels being printed each year, the search for quality authors and stories grew. The fertile imaginations of women molded from the same cloth as Mrs. Stephens led to the formation of many memorable characters, such as Harry Hawk, the hero in the dime novel I created for my book, The Duplicitous Debutante. The author of the Harry Hawk series is a well-bred young lady, Rosemary Fitzpatrick, who invents the name, F.P. Elliott, to disguise her true identity.

The Duplicitous Debutante is the sixth book in the Amazon best-selling Cotillion Ball series, and was re-released in a new format on March 28, 2019. 

New Release -- Blinded by Grace (Cotillion Ball Saga Book 5) by Becky Lower

New York City, 1858

Halwyn Fitzpatrick thinks he's off the hook for attendance at the annual Cotillion Ball. He has no sister to shepherd down the grand staircase this year, and no real desire to go through the rituals of courtship and betrothal himself. Besides, he'll know the right girl when he sees her—especially now that he has new spectacles. But his mother has other plans for him. At twenty-seven years of age, her son is in dire need of a wife.

Grace Wagner needs a husband by July in order to inherit the trust her father has left for her. Her stepfather, though, has plans for the money that don't include Grace, and the last thing he wants is for her to find a husband before she turns twenty-one, thereby fulfilling the terms of the trust. She's been in love with Halwyn since she was thirteen, but he hasn't noticed her at any of the balls they've been at over the years. 

With the aid of his new glasses, he spies Grace from across the room and they share a dance. Grace decides to present him with a business proposition that will satisfy them both. But can a clueless knight in shining armor and a desperate damsel in distress find a way to turn this marriage of convenience into something more?

EXCERPT

     Grace rose from her seat and smoothed the skirt of her lilac gown. The dress was several years old, but she was still fond of its tiered skirt with bands of deep purple satin ribbon at the edge of each tier, and the beadwork of the bodice. Her mother gave her a sidelong glance as she lazily fanned herself.

     “And where do you think you’re going, dear? The waltz has already begun and you have no partner. Sit back down before you cause a scene.”

     This was the year, and Halwyn was her target. She would not sit quietly on the sidelines any longer.

     “No, Mother, I won’t sit. I’m tired of sitting. I want to dance. I suggest you go find your husband and do the same.”

     She took a deep breath, and began to walk toward Halwyn. It may be a presumptuous act on her part, but she had no more time to waste. She wove her way through the dancers and the onlookers, stopping to say hello when she passed an acquaintance so it wouldn’t seem as though she was making a mad dash in his direction. She’d just casually stroll around the room and run into him. Her plan was in place.

     When Grace finally made it to the side of the ballroom where Halwyn had been, he was no longer there. She scanned the room quickly, to see where he had gone. Now he was over on the side where she had just come from! Blast and damn! Should she return to her lowly chair and to her mother, or wait where she was in hopes he’d return? She chewed her lower lip and toyed with the pearls around her neck as she pondered what move to make next. This was turning into a silly parlor game of musical chairs.

     At that precise moment, they locked eyes across the room. She put the fingers of one hand to her stomach to stop its sudden fluttering. His smile flew across the room to her, evoking warmth and excitement in her at the same time. He gave her a small wave and began to walk with purpose toward her.

      

New Release -- Banking on Temperance (Cotillion Ball Saga Book 3) by Becky Lower

When beautiful Temperance Jones and her mother enter Basil Fitzpatrick’s St. Louis bank, the handsome ladies’ man believes he’ll only be conducting a monetary transaction for the down-on-their-luck Jones family.  But Fate intervenes, and that first meeting becomes so much more to both Temperance and Basil.

 Dying of consumption, Preacher Jones extracts a promise from his daughter Temperance that she will do whatever it takes to get the rest of the large family to Oregon. With the threat of civil war looming, he wants to see his sons safely away from conflict.

With Basil’s help, the Jones family begins to put down roots, and the faraway dream of traveling on to Oregon loses its luster for everyone but Temperance.  She knows she must go on, no matter what—if not for her promise to her father, then to protect her own heart from Basil—for she has loved him since the moment they met.

Is Basil ready for a permanent commitment? To love Temperance would mean taking on the burden of providing for her mother and siblings, as well—a tall order for a man who, up to now, has only looked out for himself. Drawn to the tiny spitfire like a magnet, Basil must decide if he’ll let Temperance travel the Oregon Trail with another man, or will he gladly spend the rest of his life BANKING ON TEMPERANCE?

EXCERPT

     “I may have a solution, at least temporarily.” He placed a hand on her shoulder. “My brother-in-law, Joseph, has an old soddy house on his family’s property and he’s willing to let you use it at no cost. It’s very crude and small, and needs some repair, but it will at least provide some shelter for your husband. Would you care to see it?”

     Martha’s eyes filled with tears. “It would be a god-send, however crude. Of course, I want to see it.”

     “All right, then. After the bank closes today, I’ll take you there. Joseph’s family has a horse farm and it so happens several of his stock are in the livery right now. We can borrow one of them and ride out together. There’s no sense in moving the wagon until you make certain you can live there.”

     Basil and Martha strode back to the wagon where the children were standing. Martha stood in front of them as she addressed Basil. “Blessings upon you, sir. Our family is sure fortunate we met you the minute we pulled into town. I’ll see you this afternoon.”

     “For the sake of propriety, it may be best if Temperance joins us, too. I’ll bring an extra horse.”

     The stricken look on Temperance’s face brought a grin to Basil’s. This was going to be fun.

     

New Release -- The Abolitionist’s Secret (Cotillion Ball Saga Book 2) by Becky Lower

New York City debutante Heather Fitzpatrick leads a double life—one that could see her tossed in jail if her secret is exposed.  Though her mother is determined to see Heather land a husband during the society “season”, Heather has other things on her mind—such as her passion for abolishing slavery and her Underground Railroad activities. 

Handsome Army Lieutenant David Whitman arrives in New York City just in time for the whirlwind of activities that the season offers, but he has eyes for only one woman—Heather. When they dance at the Cotillion Ball, Heather loses her heart to him, as well, even knowing that his background as a Southern slave owner is something she can never accept. Yet, when he escorts her home, one kiss tells her she will forever be his—somehow.

Romance blossoms quickly and an engagement follows, and when David must return home for a family emergency, Heather and her maid accompany him. But David’s mother, Mrs. Whitman, has plans of her own for her son—and they don’t include Heather Fitzpatrick! When Heather’s twin sister writes a damning letter in a fit of jealousy, it could be the tool Mrs. Whitman needs to put her son’s relationship with Heather to an abrupt end. 

Can David and Heather create a future together in spite of THE ABOLITIONIST’S SECRET?

EXCERPT

     Charlotte suddenly stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and cocked her head. "Do you hear that?"

     Heather bumped into her mother’s backside. "Hear what? Why are you stopping? Didn’t Papa just tell you we should hurry away from Downing’s front door?”

     "No, wait. Just listen carefully. Don't you hear a baby crying?"

     Heather stood still and listened. At last, she made out a faint whimper. She pointed in the direction of the sound.

     "It’s coming from the alley."

     The three of them darted into the dark and narrow road, which smelled strongly of rotting oyster shells. About halfway down, they halted in their steps and looked around. A baby began crying again.

     "The sound is coming from over here," Heather said as she moved behind a pile of refuse. She gasped. "Oh, my word.”

     Charlotte and George rushed to her side, and spied a young, pretty Negro woman passed out and lying in the alley. A baby crawled through the nearby filth. Charlotte picked up the dirty child with ease and rocked it back and forth in her arms. Its whimpers became more hushed as she continued to soothe the child.

     "What in heaven's name happened to this poor woman?" Heather exclaimed while she investigated the young lady. Charlotte walked around the woman while the baby rode on her hip. "Do you think she’s a runaway slave?” Heather whispered. 

      

Recent Release -- The Reluctant Debutante (Cotillion Ball Saga Book 1) by Becky Lower

Book One of the Cotillion Ball Series

Beautiful Ginger Fitzpatrick wants nothing to do with New York City’s conventional society— after all, she is a bloomer-wearing suffragette who holds a position in her father’s bank! Her mother is determined her willful daughter must go to the popular Cotillion ball and look for a suitable husband during the “season”—and Ginger is given no choice.  But when she meets her brother’s best friend, handsome Joseph Lafontaine, the mysterious man sets Ginger ablaze with a mere glance—and gives her second thoughts about remaining single.

Joseph knows he can never have Ginger. He’s totally unsuitable as a husband for this spirited, cultured woman, for many reasons. He’s from the rough-and-ready Western city of St. Louis, and he’s her brother’s best friend. But there’s one thing he can never overcome: he’s a half-breed Ojibwa, forever tainted in the eyes of these high-society whites from the East. Despite the budding love between them, her family will never accept him.

Joseph returns to St. Louis, and months later, Ginger follows with her father to attend to banking business there. Through a twist of Fate, a deadly accident brings Joseph and Ginger together once more, and this time, neither will allow another separation. Can they find happiness together despite their different backgrounds? It’s all or nothing for THE RELUCTANT DEBUTANTE…

EXCERPT


     Ginger Fitzpatrick was in a pickle, that much was certain.
     Her mother took her by surprise at breakfast by announcing to the family that Ginger would participate in the Cotillion ball two months hence. While her younger sisters squealed in excitement, Ginger couldn’t find her voice to object to her mother’s idea. She knew she must, considering that her father was known to grant every wish his wife had, but Ginger could only stare in confusion. And that wasn’t the worst of it. 
     “George,” her mother stated calmly to her father, “you must relieve Ginger of her duties at the bank so I have time to teach her the rules of etiquette she’ll need for a full season of events. Dear Lord, I have only a couple months to cram in everything.”
     Astonished and stunned, Ginger turned to her father, hanging onto a thread of hope that her valued involvement at the bank would save her. 
     “Let me think about the best way to handle the shift in responsibility, darling. I’ll make sure Ginger is free by the end of the week.” He glanced at Ginger’s stupefied expression and reached across the table for her hand. “Perhaps we could also offer a reward of some kind. Possibly a trip to St. Louis if she gets through the season without incident?”
     He had actually smiled over the breakfast table at her. As if the allure of a trip would make everything all right. 

We had a little problem with getting the Kindle edition published.  It is now available. 

       

New Release -- THE RELUCTANT DEBUTANTE by Becky Lower

Book One of the Cotillion Ball Series

Beautiful Ginger Fitzpatrick wants nothing to do with New York City’s conventional society— after all, she is a bloomer-wearing suffragette who holds a position in her father’s bank! Her mother is determined her willful daughter must go to the popular Cotillion ball and look for a suitable husband during the “season”—and Ginger is given no choice.  But when she meets her brother’s best friend, handsome Joseph Lafontaine, the mysterious man sets Ginger ablaze with a mere glance—and gives her second thoughts about remaining single.

Joseph knows he can never have Ginger. He’s totally unsuitable as a husband for this spirited, cultured woman, for many reasons. He’s from the rough-and-ready Western city of St. Louis, and he’s her brother’s best friend. But there’s one thing he can never overcome: he’s a half-breed Ojibwa, forever tainted in the eyes of these high-society whites from the East. Despite the budding love between them, her family will never accept him.

Joseph returns to St. Louis, and months later, Ginger follows with her father to attend to banking business there. Through a twist of Fate, a deadly accident brings Joseph and Ginger together once more, and this time, neither will allow another separation. Can they find happiness together despite their different backgrounds? It’s all or nothing for THE RELUCTANT DEBUTANTE…

EXCERPT


     Ginger Fitzpatrick was in a pickle, that much was certain.
     Her mother took her by surprise at breakfast by announcing to the family that Ginger would participate in the Cotillion ball two months hence. While her younger sisters squealed in excitement, Ginger couldn’t find her voice to object to her mother’s idea. She knew she must, considering that her father was known to grant every wish his wife had, but Ginger could only stare in confusion. And that wasn’t the worst of it. 
     “George,” her mother stated calmly to her father, “you must relieve Ginger of her duties at the bank so I have time to teach her the rules of etiquette she’ll need for a full season of events. Dear Lord, I have only a couple months to cram in everything.”
     Astonished and stunned, Ginger turned to her father, hanging onto a thread of hope that her valued involvement at the bank would save her. 
     “Let me think about the best way to handle the shift in responsibility, darling. I’ll make sure Ginger is free by the end of the week.” He glanced at Ginger’s stupefied expression and reached across the table for her hand. “Perhaps we could also offer a reward of some kind. Possibly a trip to St. Louis if she gets through the season without incident?”
     He had actually smiled over the breakfast table at her. As if the allure of a trip would make everything all right. 

Kindle edition coming soon.