I need to start with a disclaimer about The Undercover Heiress of Brockton Hall. Kelly Goshorn is one of my closest friends and my writing partner. This means I saw this book when it was barely a couple of chapters written as a proof of concept.

The finished, published version is a long way from those fledgling first few chapters. But some things remain. I am blessed to have Kelly as my writing partner – she’s a beautiful writer. Her stories are carefully thought out and meticulously researched. She prays over the spiritual parts of the story and works extremely hard to encourage and point readers to God.

So if that sort of book is your thing, you’ll love this one. Set against the backdrop of a terrible industrial explosion, this story features society heiress Etta Maxwell. Ellas is hiding her identity to serve as an investigative reporter, a role not suited to a woman. When an explosive tragedy hits the Grover Shoe Factory and its impact affects most families in the town, Etta works with firefighter Leo Ericksson to uncover the truth.

As their cause intensifies, so do their feelings, but the two are from very different sides of the tracks and perhaps won’t ever fit in each other’s worlds. While Etta and Leo’s stories are fictional, the Grover Shoe Factory disaster is a real life event and is treated sensitively here. If you enjoy clever and moving historical romances, this one comes highly recommended.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley, and bought my own paperback, and the views are my own.