The Lady and Her Quill (The Ladies of Sommer by the Sea #1)

Ruth A. Casie

Publication date: November 16, 2021 by DragonBlade Publishing

Genre: Historical Romance

Rating: 3 stars ⭐⭐⭐

Her mind kept telling her to stop loving him, but her heart couldn’t let him go.

Renowned author Lady Alicia Hartley has lost her muse after a bad review. She blames it all on the author JC Melrose. A chance encounter with a handsome, witty Justin Caulfield has her heart racing, and her muse seemingly back. Is he her savior or her worst nightmare?

He didn’t see the turbulent ocean. He was too busy dealing with a different tempest.

The recently retired Captain Justin Caulfield is facing his own demons. As gifted author JC Melrose, his stories honor men who died at the hand of one man. His only focus is to avenge their deaths, that is, until he meets and falls in love with Lady Alicia.

The two authors take on a writing challenge based on a story of stolen gold taken from the newspaper headlines all to determine the better writer. While researching the story, Lady Alicia is captured by the thieves’ ringleader. Can Lady Alicia turn this mystery into an award-winning story? Can Justin save his real-life heroine?

Can they both overcome their own challenges for a happily ever after?

My Thoughts: This book is certainly one that accomplishes its role as the start of a new series. The author gives us characters that are complex and multifaceted. All of the intertwining relationships lead the story along. The budding relationship between Justin and Alicia was predictable but entertaining. Casie gave these characters witty dialogue and allowed them multiple opportunities for flirtatious banter. Their shared occupation, the circumstances surrounding their relationship, and outside forces lead them into unfortunate circumstances. This book has plenty of mystery and a romance that was beautifully written. I appreciate that Casie ensured that both Justin and Alicia were able to be identified with their own writing styles. The book wasn’t a page turner for me. I felt that the unfolding of the secondary plotline was a bit confusing at first and slow to take shape. As I enjoyed the characters and the writing style of the main plot, I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.

I received a copy of this title from the author in conjunction with my participation in the Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours.