Review: Good historical American Romance
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 15, 2014
I enjoyed this story set in Seattle at the time of Washington's statehood and the great fire of that city.The story was well written and well edited with an interesting plot and complex characters. The H/h have a complicated relationship and watching them work it out is very entertaining, especially since they get most of their relationship advice from the madam of the high class brothel down the block. In an interesting history note, the prostitutes of Seattle were euphemistically referred to as "seamstressess". When Fayth, who actually IS a seamstress and tailor moves from Boston to Seattle to relocate and set up a clothing shop, she has no idea how she will be perceived when she identifies herself as a seamstress.Fayth's former fiance deserted her when her parents died and took up with another woman, so she is very wary of trusting anyone. When the banks won't deal with her as a single woman, she proposes a business arrangement / marriage of convenience to a handsome ship's captain who comes to her for custom made shirts. Captain Con really is in love with Fayth, but he knows that she's leery of men, so he agrees with her proposal, hoping to change her mind over time.After the fire that consumed most of downtown Seattle, the banks were very fussy about who they loaned money to and how much they loaned. Con had to borrow money from a less traditional source, the wealthy madam of the high class brothel several blocks from Fayth's shop. His visits there, and her making clothing for the "girls" who worked there caused some tension between them. Can she learn to trust someone? Will he tell her the truth about his loans, about why he married her?Overall this was an enjoyable read. I liked the leading characters, though I had to warm up to Fayth at first. The madam was quite a complicated character, and certainly one of influence in the city and the story. I also liked the history of the city's rebuilding as it was portrayed in the story, the author created a real sense of place. The real villains, though, didn't get what they deserved, they got off much too lightly IMHO. There are several brief sexual scenes in this book, but no violence or profanity.Heat factor moderate.