A Talent for Trouble
This inspirational romance takes place in New York City in 1881. Felicia Murdock has spent the last four years suppressing her natural taste for adventure to act the demure maiden in the hope of snaring the affections of the minister at her church. When he marries someone else, Felicia rediscovers her old self; she also discovers Grayson Sumner, a British aristocrat with a murky past.
This fast-paced story could be best described as a cheerful romp with a side helping of high-stakes adventure. Grayson’s past is murky indeed, and the New York underworld intrudes satisfactorily into a society setting that Felicia is clearly trying to make more exciting. At first Felicia comes across as closer to fourteen than twenty-four, but as the novel proceeds she settles down into a feisty, appealing heroine who accepts her own flaws and prefers other people to see the reality behind her well-bred beauty.
There are times at which the dialogue seems a little too twenty-first century, with phrases such as “I must be up-front with you” and “come again?” pulling the reader out of the nineteenth-century environment. Yet the overall quality of the writing, the author’s ability to spring surprises on the reader and her easy, non-intrusive handling of the characters’ spiritual journey make for a pleasant read which should delight fans of lighthearted romance.
