LOVE ON A DIME by Cara Lynn James

Lilly Westbrook and Jack Grail were young, in love and planning to marry. Her family was wealthy and Jack was not. When Lilly convinces Jack to go and talk to her father, Jack overhears her parents talking about how unsuitable he was for Lilly. Feeling like he would never have their approval, he leaves without saying goodbye.

6 years have passed and Lilly fills the void in her heart by writing dime romance novels under the pen name of Fanny Cole. Nobody knows except her good friend Miranda. It's not fashionable for a lady to do that sort of thing. While Lilly and her family are summering in Newport, Rhode Island she runs into Jack again. The feelings are strong but she won't make the mistake of trusting him again. A complication comes to light when she finds out that Jack has purchased the publishing company that prints the Fanny Cole novels. What will happen when Jack finds out Fanny Cole is really Lilly? Let's not forget The Colonel who threatens to expose Lilly if she doesn't pay him money. And what about her sister-in-law? Humm...

This was a fun story set in the gilded age. Where money was everything and if you didn't have it you weren't suitable. A women was a kind of ornament that a man would where on his arm to a party. She had a certain image to live up to. It was a time when one family member doing something wrong would disgrace the entire family. It was also a time when a father had the final say in who his daughter would marry. We see Lilly struggle with several of these issues. Although she wants to please, she is a very independent type girl. I liked the character of Lilly but there were times in the story when I just wanted to shake some sense into her. I enjoyed the character of Jack. He was very good for Lilly and patient in ways she needed it. The author does a great job with the underlying spiritual message of "Are you trusting the Lord or trying to do it on your own" and "Is this what the Lord wants or what you want"? Along the way we also see what real love is and what it is not. I recommend this story and look forward to reading Love on Assignment! Thank you to Thomas Nelson who provided me with this complimentary copy for review.