A British Heiress in America (Revolutionary Women Book 1)

Lady Phillipa Worthington fully earns her nickname of “Pip.” Refusing to be married off to a wealthy old man, Pip takes a drastic route of escape—as stowaway on a merchant ship bound for America. With her hair chopped short and disguised as a boy, Pip is lucky the captain, Daniel Simmons, is not only handsome but forgiving to a fault. When he finds “the boy,” he assigns Pip as his personal hand. He comes to appreciate the youth’s intelligence and tenacity long before he discovers that Pip is, in truth, a beautiful and desperate young woman. What neither expects is the spark of attraction that flares to life before Daniel, a spy straddling the British and Revolutionaries’ causes, can deliver the lass to her family in Boston. What Pip doesn’t realize is she’s headed straight into a very active war zone.

This is a fresh slant on historical romance with a tale surrounding the Sons of Liberty! An innovative storyline is delivered with fast pacing and lively characterization. The credibility factor, however, repeatedly gives the reader pause. Daniel seems overly accommodating, even before he realizes Pip is a girl. Would a ship’s captain truly be so sympathetic and trusting with a stowaway, especially when he himself is a spy and has many secrets to protect? Pip’s actions are questionable as well, vacillating between an innocent maiden and a daring temptress. The book is also fraught with repetitive phrases and sentence structures, tending to render the prose simplistic. Lots of history about a little-addressed era, however, provides a sturdy underpinning to this touching romantic tale. 

FS Brown