While I finished this book and give it 4 stars, I had a hard time reading the first quarter of the book. The story seemed to drag on but eventually it gained steam and finished out wonderfully. A wonderful fiction story about HH Homes and Chicago's World's Fair.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 STARS

The White City by Grace Hitchcock is an EPIC read that will join the ranks of the BIBLIO-ARISTOCRACY!!!

Thanks to Barbour for the free book.
Finally getting to this series in my NetGalley backlist, and I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I liked the mystery, the love triangle, and the backdrop of the World's Fair. Winnifred was such a fun woman to spend time with. Her character was persistent, which I enjoyed. I also liked the side plot of the romance novels and the romance present. I did want a bit more from the ending, but I understand keeping the content tame. I can't wait to get through the next one soon.

An interesting tale of mystery and romance. I enjoyed Jude and Winifred and especially Winnifred's bookish personality. The mystery was good and kept me interested. The ending was exciting and romantic and really good. A fun read!

Once again I was duped into thinking I would be reading a historical fiction novel. However, this ended up being a Christian romance book. As I’ve said in many reviews, that genre does not appeal to me. But if that is your cup of tea, then you may enjoy this book. I appreciated the historical descriptions of the Chicago World Fair. Because this is a Christian romance, the characters demonstrated their faith … for example, the fact that Winnie and Jude prayed when they were in a dangerous situation. That was a plus for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Barbour Books for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

A rich and intriguing historical wrapped in deft research and lush descriptions. The suspense was well-paced and Hitchcock's readable prose kept the pages turning. A worthy and exciting new addition to Barbour's fascinating series.

A lovely romance between 2 characters with a thread of danger woven throughout. I would read author again.

While attending the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893, Winnefred believes she witnessed a woman being kidnapped. She tries to convince her father, an inspector with the Chicago police to look into reports of mysterious disappearances in the area and finds herself on the trail of the serial killer H.H. Holmes.

Unfortunately, the mystery/true crime aspect of this book seemed to take second stage to the the romance aspect of the storyline for me. This was a disappointment because I would have loved to seen Winnifred’s character fleshed out more fully in her detecting skills.

I also struggled with the fact that Winnefred carries a gun and is encouraged to be anywhere near a serial killer, both of which are condoned by her Chicago police father - it seemed so unbelievable to me for the culture and time period. H. H. Holmes appears only as a cartoonishly bad character and historically he was anything but.

The storyline has a great female protagonist and the setting is definitely interesting, but the plot seemed unbelievable at many points. At its heart it is a clean romance that is sweet, though predictable. The historical fiction/mystery/crime novel aspects fall short for me.

If the reader is looking for a nice clean historical romance with a sprinkling of intrigue, then this book might be what their looking for. Just didn’t work for me.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This series has been one of my favorites this past year, and I couldn't wait to read The White City, especially since I have a fascination with the World's Columbian Exposition, or the Chicago World's Fair, and one of the first serial killers, H.H. Holmes. I will admit that I could've gotten my hopes up about reading a fictional account of the notorious serial killer because, though I loved this story as a whole, I was very disappointed that Holmes didn't have more of a role in this novel. He felt more like an afterthought, and was not a key player, so if you're wanting a good historical fiction featuring Holmes, this is no it.

What is highlighted is The White City, the World's Fair in Chicago in 1893, an incredible setting, and the author does an incredible job of describing this historical event. Winnie Wylde has such a refreshingly imaginative personality, and the supporting characters were all wonderful. It was so easy to get lost in the narrative, enjoying the little plot twists, the banter between the characters, and the moments where I seriously got the creeps. The end was surprising, both in a delightful way, while at the same time in a horrifying way.

Though The White City was not exactly what I was expecting, I relished my time reading this novel, getting to experience the Chicago World's Fair through Winnie's eyes, while also experiencing a good mystery. Grace Hitchcock's writing is impeccable, as always and though this is not a heart pounding suspense, but a clean mystery with suspense and sweet romance mixed in, there is an overhanding air of menace the entire time you're reading, making it incredibly easy to get lost in this unique world.

The White City is another rich installment in one of the best series currently out on the market, and a read that I know will not disappoint, and once again proving that you can still have a good mystery, with creepiness, without being vulgar or graphic.

I have really been enjoying these True Colors books and as the librarian for my small town church I appreciate a good mystery series. The White City is a fictional telling of the serial killer on the loose during the World's Fair in Chicago.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

This is part of the True Colors series. Can be read as a stand-alone or part of the series. Mysterious Disappearances Taint the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893 during this book.

Winnifred Wylde believes she witnessed a woman being kidnapped but her father, a police inspector, doesn’t believe her. Eventually he gives in and let’s her try to figure out what she saw as long as she takes another cop with her as protection. Will she uncover the truth or become the next victim?

This was my first historical fiction based on real life novel and I LOVED IT!

Henry Howard Holmes (among other aliases) was an actual serial killer believed to be running around the Chicago’s World Fair, establishing relationships with women and then murdering them in his “Murder Castle”. I ended up doing a little bit of research online before jumping into the book, which made it that much more interesting.

This book starts out with 19-year old Winnie Wylde witnessing a tall man holding a revolver to a woman’s side and rushing her through the crowd at the fair. Because she is the daughter of an investigator, she is intrigued and begins to follow this man to a building nearby. Against her father’s wishes, she gets his permission to investigate, but only as long as she will take an escort for protection. She is assigned a new detective, Jude Thorpe, who recently moved to Chicago to secretly investigate the death of his brother-in-law.

Winnie’s being raised in a well-off home, by her aunt, as her mother passed away when she was younger. Her aunt is intending to help her become a bride, so she is setting up men to “call” on Winnie. She is briefly courted by Percival who happens to be the author of the romance novels she loves to “escape in” and though he is handsome and charming, she also begins to have feelings for Jude.

Winnie also establishes a relationship with H. H. Holmes and obtains an interview, as well as a job at his building, where she does odd jobs and only goes through files he allows her access. When in the building, she explores and finds certain items that lead her to believe that there is indeed some nefarious happenings in the “castle”.

The element of faith in this novel was endearing. Jude is forbidden to have a relationship with Winnie, primarily because he is her escort and protection, but also because Winnie’s dad knows the pain he caused Winnie’s mother by being gone long hours as an investigator, and doesn’t want his daughter to endure the same loneliness and heartache. Jude demonstrates his faith, as does Winnie, by offering prayers up throughout the story. Their inner desire for each other, among the focus of the investigation and the danger they ultimately enter, tries their faith and boundaries of love.

I thoroughly enjoyed this light romance novel, with faith and plot twists. It was easy to read, a great pace, humor was peppered in, and also suspense and terror. I would definitely read another book by Grace Hitchcock and enjoyed this genre debut! I’ve got a few more TRUE COLORS novels on my TBR list with reviews coming soon, so stay tuned!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Barbour Publishing and NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Winnifred (Winnie) was a "tough cookie", no simpering little flower that would wilt at the slightest hint of danger. Why shouldn't she be tough, she was raised by her father, the local city inspector. It's in her blood. She is also a great fan of mysteries, and so all us book-philes rejoice to read about someone like us. The problem though, she wasn't taken very seriously when she said she saw a woman being kidnapped at the World's Fair. People thought it was just her over imagination, from reading all those stories she loved so much. But not being put off by naysayers, she pressed on. Her dad assigned someone to her, to watch her and be sure she didn't dig herself into any trouble. And the story got more and more exciting, as she got more involved in the mystery. And that's all I'm going to say about that.

The writing style was very good, enough details to keep you interested and not too much to bog you down. I felt some parts dragged a little longer than they had to. But the writing was a pleasure to read too, so that helped a lot at those moments. I liked seeing Winnie grow in her faith, which surely paid off at the end, because she dealt with some super scary stuff
I received this book as a gift last year.

DNF

I did not read this book and I know longer have any interest in reading it. This was during the beginning of my NetGalley “everything looks great so I am going to request it without looking into the book. I have definitely become more selective in choosing what books I want to request and read.

Thank you to Barbour Books and Net Galley for the chance to read and review this book. It was so well-written, and I liked the fact it was based on a real crime. It kept my attention and I couldn't wait to read and find out how this story ended. Highly recommend!

I have loved the True Colors series but had missed this one. World’s Fair history is intriguing to me. This story had little more romance with the page turning suspense than the others in the series. I liked it.

This was a highly anticipated read. It certainly did not disappoint! Anything to do with the Chicago's World Fair is going to be a hit with me!

Take a trip to the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893 with Grace Hitchcock’s debut novel The White City. Transporting and intriguing, it does not disappoint.

When the observant, headstrong daughter of a police inspector, Winnifred Wylde, notices a kidnapping, it is up to her to catch the culprit. Her pursuit of justice brings her into contact with dashing Detective Jude Thorpe and devilish H.H. Holmes. With suspense, romance, and drama amidst the fair atmosphere, the story unfolds excellently.

Both The Devil in the White City and Timeless peaked my interest in H.H. Holmes and his hotel, so I had high hopes for another suspenseful spin on his true crimes. Hitchcock’s story does justice to the history, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I was expecting the White City to be an suspense/thriller but it turned out to be more of a romance... This was a little disappointing and while the book was okay, I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would based on the description.

DNF @15%
2019; Barbour Books/Barbour Publishing, Inc.

The White City has a gorgeous cover, and when I saw that it was true crime, I decided to request it. I didn't realize that it was a fictionalized account of a true case. I was still interested in the historical fiction so I decided to try it. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into the story. It wasn't really focused on the murder case. I think I am going to pass on this series, though I do like the idea of this series.

***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***