"Love on a Dime" Christian Romance Book Review

Love on a Dime by Cara Lynn James

Lilly Westbrook has a secret she’d do nearly anything to keep. It’s 1899 & “society,” with all its rules & regulations, is very present & alive. Lilly finds her writing to be a ministry, but if anyone ever knew she penned dime novels – often thought of as trashy & disreputable reading – Lilly’s family would be disgraced – a poisonous word indeed in high society. However, Lilly’s stories (smartly written under a different name), are full of spiritual & moral content – a great respite from the common sensational dime novel. If her novel secrecy wasn’t enough, the beau who jilted her six years prior returns on the scene. Jackson Grail had stolen her heart, but then he had broken it. Could Lilly trust him again, & what about the wealthy & prosperous gentleman who now courted her? Did she love him or was he merely a good match for her family? Can she trust Jack to help when a hungry extortionist comes searching to expose Lilly’s secret? Set against a posh New England summer spot, I found this Christian romance novel an interesting read. There was, however, so much deception & mistrust, I wanted to shout at the characters, “Just tell the truth…admit your feelings, admit your writing, admit you need help…” I did find that very tiring in the story, because it went on for such a long time…perhaps it could have been more interesting if some of the deception had been cut shorter. I also found it hard to believe that the ever smart Lilly would believe a match with the pompous Harlan (the wealthy suitor) would ever amount to true happiness, but perhaps it was a mere sign of the times.

I rate this 3 out of 5 stars.

*I received this book free from Thomas Nelson in exchange for an honest review through “Book Sneeze.”