Author Kelly Goshorn does a great job weaving a fictional tale into actual historic events, as I learned about a tragedy I had never heard of before, the explosion at the Grover Shoe Factory in Brockton, Massachusetts. The premise of a female journalist going undercover as a man along with an opposite-sides-of-the-track budding romance drew my attention right in as wealthy heiress Etta Maxwell and firefighter Leo Eriksson got reacquainted in a most unusual way. Etta’s personality added interest to the story with her drive to succeed in a male-dominated profession and how she looked upon her wealth not to flaunt social status but as a way to help others. Leo had suffered a major setback in his life yet displayed a strong character and loyalty to family and friends. I would love to see Leo’s brother Jens get his own story. This book provided a fascinating look into early 20th century U.S. history as well as the fire fighting industry of that time. Such an uplifting novel of hope and the human spirit amid the backdrop of an historic tragedy. Well done!

I received an advanced reader copy from the publisher via NetGalley. A positive review was not required and these are my own and honest opinions.

Thanks to Netgalley and Barbour for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. The main female character Etta was leading a double life as a wealthy heiress and a reporter. She wrote as a man since women weren't permitted to be in that profession in 1905. Leo's character as a firefighter was also well written and they worked together to solve fires being set by an arsonist. Very entertaining!

The Undercover Heiress of Brockton is the newest novel in the Enduring Hope series. This novel (like the others) are stand-alone so you don't need to have read every book. I really liked the main characters in this book. I loved that Henrietta lived a "double life" in order to try to fulfill her dream of being a reporter. Her pretending to be a man cracked me up. But her deep desire to somehow be able to fulfill ALL her dreams--including that of being a wife and mother was one so many women could probably relate to. Don't we all want to try to do it all?

Leo's character was great and I loved the interactions we got to see between he and his family. I loved how the book placed a high value of true good journalism (Something we don't see these days) and in general the value of integrity and honor and honesty.

I felt there were excellent faith messages woven throughout the book. I did feel like the initial story of the insurance mafia stuff got somehow lost in the plot.

This book's boiler disaster was based on a real story which was interesting to explore after I finished the book. This was my first novel by this author, but her writing kept me engaged and I would read more.

4 Stars
*Thank you to NetGAlley and the publishers for an ARC of this novel. All opinions are 100% my own.

An intriguing historical romance with a little mystery thrown in makes for a good story. I love historical novels when things were so much different, especially for women. Wealthy Henrietta, likes to buck the norm. Will she ever meet anyone who loves her as she is and not for her money?

This is a pleasant, clean, simply written story (with a few generic, religious overtones) that's fine for readers 12 and up. The heroine is an investigative reporter in Brockton, Massachusetts, and there's some G-rated romance with a local firefighter. It came across to me like an adult Nancy Drew. The story is based on an actual 1905 event, which the author describes in an afterward. It's just my taste I guess, that had me enjoying this note detailing the grittier description of this history, more than the feel-good story. But it's a nice, light read.

5 Stars – A Sweet, Faith-Filled Historical Romance

Etta Maxwell has always longed for more than the constraints of high society life. As a passionate reporter working under an alias—because women aren’t permitted to write for the newspaper—she’s determined to make a difference. Local fireman Leo Eriksson wrestles with his feelings for Etta, torn between their social divide and his own painful past.

When a devastating explosion rocks the community, Etta and Leo are thrown together, working side by side to help the injured and uncover the truth. But when edited information from Etta’s article sparks conflict, mistrust begins to grow—and her secret identity faces exposure.

This is a clean, heartfelt frontier romance with strong characters and a beautiful thread of faith. I appreciated the emotional depth, the slow-burn romance, and the courageous journey of both leads. A lovely, satisfying read!

I received an ARC from NetGalley. All opinions are entirely my own.

This story has an interesting plot and likeable, complex characters that I cared about. I appreciated the way both Etta and Leo had to wrestle with some difficult moral quandaries and rely on God. I was also impressed by the historical detail about early 20th century life, including journalism and firefighting. Christian readers will appreciate some messages about trusting in God and about forgiveness.

This wasn’t quite a five-star read for me because some of the writing was too heavy-handed for my taste, and I felt that the some storylines were wrapped up too easily/hastily. (The resolution of the arson investigation, which seemed to be the main plot of the book, was quite anticlimactic; a misunderstanding is seemingly just solved with a sudden grand gesture.)

Overall, Christians will likely enjoy this story if they enjoy closed-door historical romance, independent female heroines and brave, loyal heroes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Barbour for the free eARC. I will cross-post this review to Goodreads no more than 30 days prior to the book’s publication, and to Amazon and Instagram within one week of publication.

Content notes: peril, injury, and death related to fires; a woman cross-dresses as a man in order to have more freedom in the early 1900s; kissing, including more descriptive kissing and implications of more between a married couple

I wanted to like this book, as I thought the premise sounded interesting. Unfortunately, I didn't find the characters very engaging or the story well written. It seemed that there were too many strands of things going on that may have been important but ultimately weren't. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the free e-arc.

Etta Maxwell has always wanted more out of her high society life however in her current time period that is slightly impossible. She is a reporter for a newspaper but has to use an alias since women reporters are not allowed. Local fireman Leo Eriksson has always felt something for Etta but antagonizes over the fact that a relationship could never happen due to different social standings and heartbreak in Leo's past.
When an explosion occurs at the nearby factory Etta and Leo find themselves working together not only to help those who have been injured but also help Etta gather facts for an article. However, edited information causes Leo to develop mistrust for the paper. Even though Etta works under an alias there are those who wish to expose her identity.
I overall found this to be a sweet and clean frontier romance. The characters were enjoyable and their faith in handling the situation at hand was very admirable.
I received an arc copy from Netgalley but all opinions are of my own