Not too far into Drawn by the Current I flipped to the back to read the Author's Note. I wanted to understand to what degree the main historical event was based on fact. Discovering the truth of what took place on July 24, 1915 ramped up the emotional factor of an already emotionally charged story. It is shocking that this event from our country's history has been largely forgotten.

Author Jocelyn Green is a master storyteller. Research has shown that readers as a group have a greater degree of empathy than non-readers. It is within the tales of writers such as Jocelyn Green that that deeper empathy is developed. She creates characters that readers care about, and draws readers into the depths of emotion her characters experience.

I highly recommend Green's Windy City Saga series, of which Drawn by the Current is book three. The books can be enjoyed as stand-alone reads, but I am glad to have read them in order, getting to know the characters and their back stories. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of this most recent release from Bethany House by NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.

A compelling conclusion to the Windy City Saga by Jocelyn Green. Drawn by the Current did indeed draw me from the beginning and carry me through to the end. Brimming with rich, historical details, the story of the SS Eastland accident is told through the lens of Olive. Reading this story is the first I remember hearing about this tragic capsize that really occurred in Chicago. Olive works at an insurance agency and the claims start rolling in. There are multiple interwoven stories throughout that show what the experience might have looked like for those who actually lived during this tragedy. Olive is determined to find truth and justice for those lost and the ones they left behind. I love how her integrity drives her to do the right thing and not turn a blind eye. Erik has a story of his own that blends so well with Olive’s. I enjoyed how well they fit together and brought to life other dynamics of this story. It was nice to catch up on some other characters from previous books, but you can easily read this one on its own and still fully enjoy without feeling lost. Once again, Jocelyn Green has done a phenomenal job with accurate research and even includes many of the real names throughout the story. I highly recommend this book for all lovers of historical fiction with a touch of romance.

I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

One family, three pivotal moments of Chicago’s history.

Family sagas can be powerful reads. Once you’ve completed one, you may well find yourself wanting to read them all. Jocelyn Green’s Windy City Saga has featured the Townsend family, from the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 to the SS Eastland maritime disaster 44 years later. During that time span, readers have seen sisters Meg and Sylvie Townsend come of age and have families of their own.

The last book in the trilogy, Drawn by the Current, features Meg’s daughter, Olive. Jocelyn Green has done an amazing job at capturing the emotions of the day of the Eastland disaster: from the air of excitement as passengers boarded, to the fear and panic they experienced as the vessel capsized. Readers then get to share in the confusion and grief of the family members trying to find loved ones, as well as the post-traumatic stress of the survivors. Green also weaves in the difficult topic of spousal abuse, which becomes the main reason for the suspense element of the novel.

I’m usually about the journey rather than the ending, especially when it comes to novels involving romance. But while there is suspense in Drawn by the Current, it is the epilogue in this case that spoke loudest to me. Firstly, it meant saying goodbye not only to a family, but also to a fictional bookstore that had become a living, breathing character in its own right. There was also my desire that Jocelyn Green would write a series of suspense novels based on Olive’s life after the conclusion of The Windy City Saga. Above all, however, it is about remembering an historical tragedy, seeing the names of some of the deceased – including entire families – and wishing there had been space to include all eight hundred and forty-four souls who lost their lives that day on the Chicago River.

(Disclaimer: although I received an electronic copy via NetGalley, my review is based on the paperback copy I purchased via Baker Book House)

I really enjoyed reading the third book in The Windy City Saga series by Jocelyn Green. The author is a master storyteller and has a unique ability to paint a story where the words jump off the page. An emotional story filled with hope and strength. We are introduced to Olive and her best friend Claire who were aboard the SS Eastland when the ship goes down. Olive goes above and beyond to help those she cares about as she processes claims at her insurance job. I have not heard of the SS Eastland disaster the story has piqued my interest to find out more about it.
The author outdid herself once again and exceeded all expectations where she focused on the tragedy of the 1915 Eastland steamship disaster. I highly recommend the book.

I was delighted when I saw this book was coming out! And even more delighted when I started reading. What a gripping story! I’d never heard of this tragedy before, and seeing it through the eyes of those who experienced it…wow. Green’s history delivery is somewhat harrowing, but enthralling. Mixed with her masterful way of delivering strong characters and mysteries, I had a hard time putting this book down, and I confess to several days’ work wasted when I chose to read instead. A highly recommended book!

I was given a review copy of this book, and this is my honest opinion of it.

What an incredible depth there is to this story. First off, the history is so captivating and vivid, I felt as though I was watching a documentary. Then you have the mystery which I thoroughly enjoyed. The way that Olive searches out the truth was entrancing. And finally you have the beautiful relationships. Friends, coworkers, neighbors, family, and romantic. Each one is unique and lovely. Each one was well developed and well written. Each one had me rooting for the good guys! I really enjoyed this story as well as the entire series!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Ladies and gentlemen today is the release day for Drawn by the Current and you’re in for a big treat. This historical fiction takes place in Chicago in 1915 and I really knew nothing about the tragedy that happened that year. JG does a fantastic job telling the story with likable characters. I loved Eric. We have friendships, marriages, and other families all struggling. What was really great about the novel was how JG portrayed our humanity when we have to decide what’s right and what’s wrong. Is it ok to tell a white lie? What does God call us to do? This is a stand-alone, if you’re wondering. There was mystery and injustice to keep you clinging to the novel.
I’m so glad I wasn’t a women trying to work back then. I felt like women in the work force were invisible.
Thanks Jocelyn Green for writing this great book.
Thanks Bethany House Publishers via NetGalley.

Drawn by the Current is a fabulous addition to Jocelyn Green's The Windy City Saga. It is by far my favorite of the series. I am going to give it five plus stars.

I REALLY enjoyed this book! I had previously read Shadows of the White City and enjoyed that one as well. I’m planning to buy the set of three for our church library.

This book was hard to put aside….the story kept you absorbed and wanting to find out what came next! I think the author did a great job drawing the characters, some of whom you rooted for and some of whom you wanted to get caught. I enjoyed the family relationships and the newer relationships introduced in this book. I had not heard of the Eastland disaster and found that truly tragic. The romance was well done as was the faith element.

I received this book from the publisher via net galley in exchange for an honest review. Five stars!

Thank you, NetGalley, Jocelyn Green, and Bethany House Publishers for the opportunity to read this book. It releases on February 1st, 2022.

“Olive felt a quickening inside, one that grew the longer she regarded this man who believed in the importance of her work. Who believed, it seemed…in her.”

DRAWN BY THE CURRENT
It brought so much joy when I got the notification that I would be receiving Drawn by the Current by Jocelyn Green. This book is the 3rd book in the Windy City Saga. The first book told the story of the Great Chicago Fire. The second book took us on a journey to the dark corners of the World’s Fair of Chicago. And finally, we enter the year 1915 and we meet Olive Pearce, an insurance agent who is determined to become an insurance detective. When she notices her best friend, Claire is having trouble in her marriage, they manage to get out for the day for a ride on the SS Eastland. This would change their lives forever. The SS Eastland capsizes, killing 844 people. Olive manages to survive and is separated from Claire. Claire has used this opportunity to escape her husband, but this only forces Olive into danger. Olive will need the help of photographer, Erik Magnussen to help Claire stay hidden, but also close all the cases for the families who lost loved ones on that tragic day.

Trigger Warnings: Abuse, Mass Death, Miscarriage

One of the things that I absolutely adore about Jocelyn Green is that she draws from true historical events and does an amazing job at honoring those who were affected by those events. There is one moment where the characters honor the victims of that tragic event, and Jocelyn Green uses the real names of those victims. I had never heard of the capsizing of the SS Eastland and it ripped my heart out. So much loss of life in the blink of an eye. But Jocelyn Green made sure she imagined the perfect advocate for the victim’s families.

The other thing that I love about Jocelyn Green is her fabulous characters. Claire and Olive have flaws and they must face those flaws. This leads to fabulous character development. I would be overjoyed with a series about Olive and Erik just solving mysteries. Throughout the novel, they often refer to each other as Sherlock and Watson. Their relationship is delightful and readers will be rooting for them from the get-go.

I was pleasantly surprised at the few plot twists in this book. Once a reader picks up this book, it will be impossible to put it down. There will be no time for dishes or laundry—only discovering answers along with Olive and Erik. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars!

Drawn by the Current by Jocelyn Green is a gripping account of tragedy, mystery and even romance. This third book in the Windy City Saga series entertains and educates.

I had never heard of the S.S. Eastland disaster, and Ms. Green did an incredible job of describing the horror of the day and the aftermath as well. I love historical fiction that teaches me something new and brings it to life simultaneously with a story that keeps you glued to the pages.

​I loved Olive. She was brave, curious and kind-hearted. The growth she shows in the end and how she realizes what she wants in life and who she is were touching. She has more than one mystery to solve as an insurance investigator. And she gets some help from Erik Magnussen, a photographer who rescues her more than once.

I loved the added mysteries and the situation with Claire. The author touched on domestic abuse and did so in a sensitive way. And there is a surprise that I wasn't expecting at all. I was as shocked as Olive. This one kept me up all night. I highly recommend it!

What a fantastic story Ms. Green has penned! I have loved this series, but I will say this was my absolute favorite, the storyline was gripping, the characters were incredible, and the writing was top-notch. I was unfamiliar with the history of the SS Eastland, the fact that more passengers died than on the Titanic making this an emotional read for me, but so worth it.

The author touches on the subject of domestic abuse which was sad however it was an important part of the storyline, especially given the strong friendship between Olive and Claire. There is much sadness but there is also so much gratitude and happiness. This is one of those novels that will keep the reader engaged and is one you will remember for a very long time.

I received a copy from the publisher through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Drawn by the Current
by Jocelyn Green
Pub Date: February 1, 2022
Bethany House
* Historical Fiction
* Romance

A Most exciting read. This is a story about the sinking of the SS Eastland passenger ship on July 24, 1915, in the Chicago River. A total of 844 passengers and crew were lost. This is a fictional story written around that event.
This is a well-written, researched, and enjoyable book.
Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for allowing me to read the book early. I am happy to recommend it.
I have also purchased a copy for our library patrons to enjoy.
5 stars

It’s 1915 in Chicago, the Windy City, and Olive Pierce lives in an apartment over her aunt’s bookstore and walks two blocks to work at the MetLife Insurance Agency. Although she’s worked there for eight years, her new boss doesn’t think women can do the same jobs as men, nor with the same efficiency.

After surviving the most tragic boat accident in the history of the United States, Olive convinces her boss to let her investigate the hundreds of death benefit claims. As she searches for survivors and comforts the grieving, Olive holds on to a secret that may jeopardize her friend’s life and may even cost Olive the job she loves.

As she unravels the tangled web of a body no one claims and a missing woman, Olive enlists the help of the handsome newspaper photographer Erik Magnussen. Their friendship sparks feelings Olive thought would pass her by.

Both Olive and Erik search for answers, but neither one understands what’s at risk until it’s almost too late.

Why I Loved This Book

Green takes a little-known naval disaster, a social issue, a sweet romance, and intrigue and whips them together into a hearty entrée. Readers will come away with a deeper understanding of friendship, consequences, honesty, and history—and enjoy every moment of the journey.

Fans of Roseanna M. White and Julie Klassen will love this book.

This was absolutely wonderful! I think one of the things I love the most about this author is her ability to paint a story with her words. The people and the situations become so real!

This story is the third in the series but can completely be read as a standalone. The story introduces us to two friends who take a day trip on the SS Eastland on July 24, 1915 when the boat flips and over 800 people die.

Such an emotional story, and yet it was also filled with hope and strength. The story focuses on the accident as well as the aftermath as Olive works her insurance claim job trying to find missing people from the accident. A mystery emerges amid the chaos and loss, and Olive must work with Erik, a photographer to solve it.

I loved the twists that were added to the story, and I found myself completely immersed in the pages. The historical details were wonderful, and it is clear that Green does immense research to create a true-to-life story. This was beautifully written, and it perfect for historical fiction fans!

This is one of my favorite authors and I also love historical fiction. This book centers around the Eastland disaster of 1915, which was a part of history I had never heard about. The characters are believable and well developed. There is mystery and several storylines to follow. I thoroughly enjoyed this ending to the trilogy around Chicago history.

You Will Live

A Most exciting read. This is a story about the sinking of the SS Eastland passenger ship on July 24, 1915 in the Chicago River. A total of 844 passengers and crew were lost. This is a fictional story written around that event.

Olive and Claire have been friends since they were children. Claire is having a rough time with her abusive husband Warren and Olive wants to take her on a birthday cruise to celebrate her birthday. As they board the S.S. Eastland with many other passengers they notice it tilting to one side. It becomes a disaster and although Olive survives her friend is a victim, at least that is how is seems.

Throwing herself into her work as an insurance agent she has no time to grieve for losses as she works to find the bodies and the living to process insurance claims for the victims. As she searches the hospitals and morgues for the missing spouses, she soon finds out her work has been sabotaged and that there is a bigger mystery at foot than she thought.

She meets a photographer named Erik who helps her investigate the mysterious instances she has uncovered. She must uncover the secrets and solve the mysteries, but her life is threatened by Warren who blames her for Claire's demise.

I really liked that Olive stood on her two feet and didn't let the male insurance investigator and her boss intimidate her. That she was courageous enough to help a friend even at the cost of her career. She did not give up ever and that was very commendable. I loved that she had such a great family backing to help her in her time of trial.

I can only imagine the nightmares that the survivors had after the accident. It sounds like a very horrific accident and would probably leave inside wounds for a long time. The horrors of the families claiming their dead, those that survived when others did no, and to go on living, this would seen to be a superhuman task.

I think her job as an insurance agent investigating those deaths, writing the letters, talking to the people and identifying the victims would be very stressful. I do know it is fiction but since the event really happened, someone probably did have to do that job.

The books was exciting and interesting. It has mystery, secrets, drama and a bit of romance. I enjoyed reading it and I think you will as well.

Thanks to Jocelyn Green for writing another great book, to Bethany House for publishing it, and to NetGalley for making it available to me.

I've loved the history of my hometown in this series, and Drawn by the Current was no exception. The attention to detail was astounding, and I get such a kick out of reading about the sights and sounds in a place I love.

Jocelyn Green writes heavy subject matter, and this book dealt with domestic abuse. Unfortunately, plots about abusive men lying in wait for innocent women rank extremely low on the list of books I enjoy, so that whole plotline sullied the story for me. The double whammy was another personal preference item, being the portrayal of Olive as a "do it myself, don't accept help, therefore make blatantly poor choices out of my need to prove myself" character. I know a lot of people are like this and she was written correctly, but this personality is like the polar opposite of me and drives me crazy. So banging my head constantly did diminish my enjoyment of the story.
But, I recognize that these are personal preference items and don't speak to the quality of the story or writing. The mystery was engaging, the family relationships inspiring (I love Meg, Sylvie, and Kristof and am grieved that Nate has passed 😭), and I liked Erik except for his plot twist and Olive's overly dramatic reaction to it. Everyone shows growth and has a HEA at the end. The message was about relying too heavily on people, including oneself, and not God, and also references our identity beyond our jobs.

For me, definitely my favorite thing about this book is that it's a love letter to Chicago and highlights little known history about it. I'm pleased to have the Windy City series on my shelves.

I received a copy of Drawn by the Current from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review, and all opinions are my own.

I have always enjoyed Jocelyn Green as a storyteller. The publisher and Net Galley allowed me the privilege to read an advance copy of Drawn by the Current. It was historical, mystery with romance as well. The lead characters were female best friends. I read and enjoyed the first two in this windy city series and I was delighted to see a carry-over of characters from Jocelyn's story about the world's fair and then the great Chicago fire. This story begins with a tragic historical event, and then presents a good dose of dramatic mystery, but made lighter by the thread of romance. There were some surprises along the way, and the romance was tender but not sappy. I appreciate that Jocelyn writes a book that is hard to put down. I also like the author's notes that completes my questions about where fact and fiction blend. Write on Jocelyn and thank you Net Galley.

Drawn by the Current

The Windy City Saga

by Jocelyn Green

Bethany House Publishers

Rated: 5

Back of the Book: “Lives depend on the truth she uncovers.
She can't give up her search.
A birthday excursion turns deadly when the SS Eastland capsizes with Olive Pierce and her best friend on board. Hundreds perish during the accident, and it's only when Olive herself barely escapes that she discovers her friend is among the victims.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, Olive returns to her work at a Chicago insurance agency and is immersed in the countless investigations related to the accident. But with so many missing, there are few open-and-shut cases, and she tries to balance her grief with the hard work of finding the truth.
While someone sabotages her progress, Olive accepts the help of newspaper photographer Erik Magnussen. As they unravel secrets, the truths they discover impact those closest to Olive. How long will the disaster haunt her--and how can she help the others find the peace they deserve?”

Impressions: What a wild ride this book was. I enjoyed reading the saga of Olive's life. The suspense was fun and engaging. I am sure my face was full of all the emotions while I read this book. That’s full disclosure if you read this in public. I was happy, sad, angry, and all the in-between. This was a great addition to this series and I’m glad I was able to read it.

Quotes: “’ If friends can’t be honest with each other, that friendship isn’t worth much.’”

“’ Ask the right questions of the right people. Do not rush to unproven conclusions. Do not settle for half-truths but pursue the whole truth instead.’”

“’ Where we came from matters less than the dream we all shared and the hard work we’re willing to put into it.’” -In context, the speaker is referring to immigration. I appreciated this imagery of immigration and the energy built up in this thought. It was no small move to immigrate to another country and I admire those who were brave enough and fought to have that opportunity.

“...think we’d find that much of what we love has a lot to do with the memories we’ve attached to it.’” -Isn’t it funny sometimes the small things that bring joy because of its attachment to a memory.

“’ I told you it was a long story. Not so much in the telling of it, I suppose but in the living it.’”

“’ What we do is not the sum of who we are. Is your identity as a human being tied completely to your job?” -I struggle with this idea. Our purpose, our hope is found in Jesus. It is easy to get caught up in what the world provides us concerning our purpose or hope but ultimately, I can find no peace apart from God’s intervention. My identity as a child of God brings a universal peace in all areas of my life.

“She couldn’t remember a time when she hadn’t measured her worth by what she did, first with her role in her family and then in her career.”

“’ Have you considered that growing tired in service to the ones I love is far preferable to- to growing weary with idleness?’”

“’ A promise to keep me safe wasn’t yours to make. Ultimately, my life is in God’s hands, not yours.’”

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review shared here.