Isabella Bunn

Erica Langston lives in Washington D.C. during the War of 1812. Her father is training her to take over the family business, but his life is cut short when English troops march on Washington and he is accidentally killed while trying to save his warehouse merchandise. After the war is over, Erica decides to go to England to receive payment for goods that a British bank promised but never delivered.

I read this for the "Go Review That Book!" group and it took me over a month to read. This is show more partly because I owned the book and felt no pressing need to return it to the library on time, but it's mostly because I didn't like it. I thought the story itself sounded interesting, but I was disappointed by the writing and found some of the historical aspect unbelievable, such as Erica's training for business and her family's general acceptance of that. The narration told me what to think about the characters, and sometimes what was shown contradicted what the narration said (for example, Erica is supposed to be a reserved, do-it-yourself kind of person, but while she's in England she pretty readily trusts people and tells them her troubles). There were so many sentence fragments and awkward descriptions, I became irritated. So instead of getting interested in the story or invested in the characters, I started counting down the pages. show less

This series intrigues me! These characters grow and go through so much. I have learned a lot about the anti-slavery movement in England and the United States. Suspense and drama fill the pages and keep you wanting to read more and more!

About a girl with a fine financial mind who was encouraged by her father to work the business, but was thrust into control if ut when he was killed in the war of 1812. She has to go later to England to try and get justice from a British banking firm and becomes embroiled in the work of Wilberforce in stopping slavery and bringing justice to the people, and incidentally falls in love with the British soldier who saw her just after her father’s death and kept her in his heart. The show more Christianity expressed in the book is strong and persuasive. Well written. show less

Serafina's painful memories of betrayal in Venice soften with her growing fondness for John Falconer, who has joined her father in a new commercial venture. His work thrusts him into America's first gold rush--in the Carolina mountains! When Falconer fails to return from a trip as planned, rumors begin to swirl that his past has caught up to him--or worse. Serafina seeks hope from yet another tale: a "night angel," who pays a slave's ransom in freshly-minted gold! With her father's help, show more Serafina sets out to determine Falconer's fate. But her own destiny hangs in the balance. show less