My Thoughts on The Swindler's Daughter by Stephenia H. McGee

 

About:

A surprise inheritance. A cache of family secrets. A choice that will change her life forever.

Lillian Doyle has lived her entire high-society life with her widowed mother, believing her father died long ago. But when news arrives that her estranged father only recently passed away--in jail--Lillian is startled to find that he has left a business and all his possessions to her, making her a rather unusual heiress.

When she arrives at her father's house in a backwoods Georgia town, the dilapidated structure is already occupied by a woman who claims it was promised to her son, Jonah. In her attempts to untangle the mess, Lillian will discover not only a family she never knew she had but a family business that is more than meets the eye--and has put a target on her back.

To discover the truth and take hold of the independence she's always dreamed of, she'll have to make friends with adversaries and strangers--and Jonah, the dusty and unrefined cowboy who has secret aspirations of his own.

My Thoughts:

Lillian has just found out the father she thought was dead, has just died. Not only that but her parents were not even married, and she is her father's sole heir. This comes as quite a shock to Lillian, and she is not getting any help or information from her mother who refuses to speak about their past. She does send Lillian to collect said inheritance so that they may continue to live in the lifestyle that they are accustomed.

Unfortunately, the surprises do not cease, and Lillian not only finds family she was unaware of, but the very house she inherited has a family already living there and they have made themselves quite at home. I was instantly rooting for Lillian as she navigates a part of her life she never knew existed while her own dreams are wanting to take hold.

Then there is Jonah who only wanted to provide a bakery and home for his mother. I really did wonder at their audacity of assuming that Lillian's father, Jonah's employer would leave the home to him. But the story is not called Swindler's daughter for no reason. Very fun and romantic story with a collective cast of secondary characters and a thread of mystery.

I was provided a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

About the Author:

Stephenia H. McGee is the award-winning author of many stories of faith, hope, and healing set in the Deep South, including The Secrets of Emberwild. When she's not reading or sipping sweet tea on the front porch, she's a writer, dreamer, husband spoiler, and busy mom of two rambunctious boys. Learn more at www.stepheniamcgee.com.