Review: Engaging Deception
Today I’m participating in a book tour for Engaging Deception, a Gilded Age historical novel by Regina Jennings, Book 3 in The Joplin Chronicles series from Bethany House.
Disclosure: I voluntarily received a complimentary copy from the author as part of JustRead publicity tours. All views expressed are my own. This post includes Amazon affiliate links.
My Review
Jumping into the Gilded Age for a few hours was a fun diversion. I loved the characters in Engaging Deception–the minor ones as well as the main ones.
Olive is a talented, self-taught architect. (Side note: Would you like to know how she taught herself? With books. From the library. That’s what I’m talkin’ about!) She keeps her talent and interests a secret from everyone except her extended family. Which means it’s not all that much of a secret.
Olive’s nemesis is a renowned local architect who ends up unknowingly competing with Olive to build the “biggest house in Joplin” as the local mining tycoons vie for the privilege of bragging rights.
I was especially interested to read about some of the history of Joplin, Missouri, which is not far from here. Also, I love looking at the grand old houses as we drive through smallish towns throughout the country. I’ve wondered about the people who originally had them built. This gives me a glimpse into that time.
From the Publisher
A lively competition draws her into her rival’s blueprints–and maybe even his heart.
Olive Kentworth has spent her life hiding her interest in architecture, even though she pores over architectural books and sketches buildings. When she accepts a job on a home expansion, it’s only because her cousin Amos agrees to pose as the builder. To further hide her involvement, Olive takes a position as a nanny–not knowing that she’ll be working for her idol, Joplin’s leading architect, widower Maxfield Scott.
Maxfield is intrigued by his new nanny–she makes his home and his life bearable again. His work, on the other hand, is a disaster. An untrained builder is remodeling a completed project of his. What’s worse, Maxfield’s current client wants changes to his plans because of that builder’s work.
As the architectural one-upmanship heats up, Olive’s involvement becomes harder to hide. Will the relationship between her and Maxfield survive, or will they both miss out on building something for their future?
Giveaway
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