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tessisreading2's review
4.0
Really fun; great establishment of time and place (a little heavy-handed in the very few pages, but quickly settled in), good chemistry between the leads, and a suspenseful plot that seemed super dramatic but nonetheless believable. (It's about bootleggers, for goodness's sake; be as dramatic as you'd like, author!) The sex scene was a little awkward and felt kind of tacked on; for most of the book I was assuming there just wouldn't be one. (There was plenty of chemistry between the leads without sex so it didn't seem necessary.) Very quick read.
scoutmomskf's review
5.0
Fantastic book. With the popularity of Regency, medieval and western romances, one taking place in the 1920s really stands out. The idea of a federal agent and a bootlegger's daughter falling for each other shows great promise, and the author really delivered.
It's the middle of Prohibition and running a resort isn't easy. It takes some clever maneuvering to provide the guests with the amenities they expect without running afoul of the law. Norma Rose makes sure that everything is taken care of, as well as watching out for her three younger sisters. Her father is busy with the not-so-secret distribution of the whiskey made in another part of the state. One night she is called to the jail to pick up her uncle, who has been picked up for being drunk, even though he doesn't drink. There she encounters Ty Bradshaw, who claims to be a lawyer there to post her uncle's bail. From the moment she meets him, there's something that tells her that he isn't exactly what he claims.
Ty is actually a federal agent who has come to Nightingale's in search of a mob boss that he has been after for years. This same mobster is responsible for the deaths of his parents and brother, as well as a bunch of other innocent people and Ty has vowed to bring him down no matter what it takes. He doesn't expect a distraction like Norma Rose!
Ty and Norma Rose struck sparks off each other from the very beginning. Norma Rose has excellent instincts, and she suspected that Ty was a government man of some kind the first time she met him. She is determined to get him away from the resort before he can make trouble, and can't believe that he fools her father so easily. No matter what she says or does, he won't go away. Instead she discovers that he's actually enjoying giving her a hard time. He's also getting under her skin in ways no one has before.
At the same time, Ty finds himself fascinated by Norma Rose. He's never met anyone quite like her before. It surprises him that she is suspicious of him from the outset, as he's never had any trouble before in convincing someone of his cover story. While he still has his goal of catching the mobster firmly in mind, he also discovers a deep desire to spend more time with her.
I loved seeing these two together. Norma Rose is usually a very calm and in control woman, but every time she and Ty get together he gets her worked up. He sees that she is always so serious and intent on making sure the present and future are secure that she hasn't allowed herself to have any fun. I really enjoyed seeing him tease her into doing things she doesn't usually do. The dance-off scene was especially fun. Norma Rose also found herself leaning on Ty when one of her sisters turns up missing, another thing she never expected to do. The feelings that she's beginning to have for him both scare and thrill her. The more time he spends with Norma Rose, the more Ty becomes conflicted over what he has to do. He's developing feelings for her, but his mission is likely to destroy her life as she knows it.
I really enjoyed the story line of the government man versus the bootleggers and mob. Usually the bootleggers are shown as straight criminals, but in this story we get the perspective from their side. I loved the way that Norma Rose showed Ty another side of the issue. As he came closer to completing the mission, he discovered that he cared about effects it would have on the entire community. It was interesting to see the way that Ty worked his way into Roger Nightingale's confidence and used it to get the information he needed. As it came closer to the time the mobster was due to arrive, the sense of impending danger increased, especially as Ty and Norma Rose uncovered more information about what was happening. Things got really tense when Norma Rose was kidnapped, and I loved seeing Ty's protective instincts really take off. He had to get very creative to save her, bring down the bad guy, and secure a future for him and Norma Rose. I loved seeing how he pulled it off.
I also loved getting to know Norma Rose's sisters. Each of them is a distinct personality and the interactions among them were fascinating. It was terrific to see how they stood up to Norma Rose, tired of being treated like children instead of grown women. They definitely stepped up when things started going wrong, and I loved their support of Norma Rose. I am really looking forward to their stories.
It's the middle of Prohibition and running a resort isn't easy. It takes some clever maneuvering to provide the guests with the amenities they expect without running afoul of the law. Norma Rose makes sure that everything is taken care of, as well as watching out for her three younger sisters. Her father is busy with the not-so-secret distribution of the whiskey made in another part of the state. One night she is called to the jail to pick up her uncle, who has been picked up for being drunk, even though he doesn't drink. There she encounters Ty Bradshaw, who claims to be a lawyer there to post her uncle's bail. From the moment she meets him, there's something that tells her that he isn't exactly what he claims.
Ty is actually a federal agent who has come to Nightingale's in search of a mob boss that he has been after for years. This same mobster is responsible for the deaths of his parents and brother, as well as a bunch of other innocent people and Ty has vowed to bring him down no matter what it takes. He doesn't expect a distraction like Norma Rose!
Ty and Norma Rose struck sparks off each other from the very beginning. Norma Rose has excellent instincts, and she suspected that Ty was a government man of some kind the first time she met him. She is determined to get him away from the resort before he can make trouble, and can't believe that he fools her father so easily. No matter what she says or does, he won't go away. Instead she discovers that he's actually enjoying giving her a hard time. He's also getting under her skin in ways no one has before.
At the same time, Ty finds himself fascinated by Norma Rose. He's never met anyone quite like her before. It surprises him that she is suspicious of him from the outset, as he's never had any trouble before in convincing someone of his cover story. While he still has his goal of catching the mobster firmly in mind, he also discovers a deep desire to spend more time with her.
I loved seeing these two together. Norma Rose is usually a very calm and in control woman, but every time she and Ty get together he gets her worked up. He sees that she is always so serious and intent on making sure the present and future are secure that she hasn't allowed herself to have any fun. I really enjoyed seeing him tease her into doing things she doesn't usually do. The dance-off scene was especially fun. Norma Rose also found herself leaning on Ty when one of her sisters turns up missing, another thing she never expected to do. The feelings that she's beginning to have for him both scare and thrill her. The more time he spends with Norma Rose, the more Ty becomes conflicted over what he has to do. He's developing feelings for her, but his mission is likely to destroy her life as she knows it.
I really enjoyed the story line of the government man versus the bootleggers and mob. Usually the bootleggers are shown as straight criminals, but in this story we get the perspective from their side. I loved the way that Norma Rose showed Ty another side of the issue. As he came closer to completing the mission, he discovered that he cared about effects it would have on the entire community. It was interesting to see the way that Ty worked his way into Roger Nightingale's confidence and used it to get the information he needed. As it came closer to the time the mobster was due to arrive, the sense of impending danger increased, especially as Ty and Norma Rose uncovered more information about what was happening. Things got really tense when Norma Rose was kidnapped, and I loved seeing Ty's protective instincts really take off. He had to get very creative to save her, bring down the bad guy, and secure a future for him and Norma Rose. I loved seeing how he pulled it off.
I also loved getting to know Norma Rose's sisters. Each of them is a distinct personality and the interactions among them were fascinating. It was terrific to see how they stood up to Norma Rose, tired of being treated like children instead of grown women. They definitely stepped up when things started going wrong, and I loved their support of Norma Rose. I am really looking forward to their stories.
sandlynn's review
3.0
I believe this is the first book I’ve read written by Lauri Robinson. The Bootlegger’s Daughter was published in 2015. It’s a Harlequin Historical which was the first in a series of four books.
This book is set in 1925 during Prohibition America in Minnesota. Apparently there was a well-known illegal whiskey made in that part of the U.S. and mobsters were keen on getting into the racket there.
Norma Rose Nightingale (who I kept referring to as Norma Rae or Norma Jean in my head) is the oldest daughter of a man who owns a resort near a lake in Minnesota. The family started out very poor inheriting, basically, cabins, a party room and a camp ground from Norma Rose’s grandfather and built it into a high class resort with tricked out — for their time —cabins, hotel rooms, a ballroom, the best music, and illegal hooch. Although her father is in charge, Norma runs the day-to-day operations of the resort, ordering her three younger sisters about. Her sisters are resentful and would love more freedom leading to much acting out. In fact, the youngest sister runs away, following a musician, who was working at the resort, to Chicago. But, that’s the least of Norma Rose’s and her father Roger’s concern. A man has come into town attempting to take down a murderous gangster who is trying to move in on this Minnesota whiskey business. This man is a federal agent who has a tragic past with the gangster that has filled him with a desire for revenge.
Norma Rose is suspicious of Ty Bradshaw who says he is an attorney. When Norma’s uncle is poisoned while off trying to drum up business in town, Ty butts in and uses that event as an opening to put himself in the service of the Nightingale family. Despite Norma Rose’s best efforts to shake him, Ty travels back to Nightingale’s resort and, before long, he is ingratiating himself into her father’s circle and bothering Norma Rose in a way she’s not been used to in a while.
But Ty can’t afford to romance Norma Rose, even though he can’t stop himself. He’s on a mission to take down a gangster and possibly destroy Norma and her family’s life in the process. After all, despite Prohibitions shaky future prospects, Nightingale’s is breaking the law.
I have mixed feelings about this story. It clearly has the period down pat with the clothes, the slang, the dances and music, and the activities. In fact, it’s a little too on point, as the overuse of the slang almost lends itself to parody. However, the author does dial it back over time … or maybe I was just getting used to it. But what really bothered me was the choppiness of the plot. First we’re trying to solve the case of who poisoned Uncle Dave, then we’re trying to find out what happened to Ginger — Norma Rose’s youngest sister — which is clearly a set-up for a future book. But instead of only covering that in a few pages, we end up spending 25% of the action on that. Then we’re back to Uncle Dave which leads to the uncovering of other nefarious characters in town, let alone the anticipated gangsters. And then we have Norma Rose’s remaining sisters who have their own beefs. Seriously, there was just a lot going on and, although I don’t usually mind that, it was just presented in a very convoluted manner. Considering all of this, it did surprise me that one major player in this story was never seen on the page. Since it’s a spoiler, I won’t mention who but it was a let down as one would expect to meet a character who is being anxiously anticipated by the hero for a classic showdown. Oh well. I’d give this book a B- because I did enjoy the period and would love to read more romances set in this time.
This book is set in 1925 during Prohibition America in Minnesota. Apparently there was a well-known illegal whiskey made in that part of the U.S. and mobsters were keen on getting into the racket there.
Norma Rose Nightingale (who I kept referring to as Norma Rae or Norma Jean in my head) is the oldest daughter of a man who owns a resort near a lake in Minnesota. The family started out very poor inheriting, basically, cabins, a party room and a camp ground from Norma Rose’s grandfather and built it into a high class resort with tricked out — for their time —cabins, hotel rooms, a ballroom, the best music, and illegal hooch. Although her father is in charge, Norma runs the day-to-day operations of the resort, ordering her three younger sisters about. Her sisters are resentful and would love more freedom leading to much acting out. In fact, the youngest sister runs away, following a musician, who was working at the resort, to Chicago. But, that’s the least of Norma Rose’s and her father Roger’s concern. A man has come into town attempting to take down a murderous gangster who is trying to move in on this Minnesota whiskey business. This man is a federal agent who has a tragic past with the gangster that has filled him with a desire for revenge.
Norma Rose is suspicious of Ty Bradshaw who says he is an attorney. When Norma’s uncle is poisoned while off trying to drum up business in town, Ty butts in and uses that event as an opening to put himself in the service of the Nightingale family. Despite Norma Rose’s best efforts to shake him, Ty travels back to Nightingale’s resort and, before long, he is ingratiating himself into her father’s circle and bothering Norma Rose in a way she’s not been used to in a while.
But Ty can’t afford to romance Norma Rose, even though he can’t stop himself. He’s on a mission to take down a gangster and possibly destroy Norma and her family’s life in the process. After all, despite Prohibitions shaky future prospects, Nightingale’s is breaking the law.
I have mixed feelings about this story. It clearly has the period down pat with the clothes, the slang, the dances and music, and the activities. In fact, it’s a little too on point, as the overuse of the slang almost lends itself to parody. However, the author does dial it back over time … or maybe I was just getting used to it. But what really bothered me was the choppiness of the plot. First we’re trying to solve the case of who poisoned Uncle Dave, then we’re trying to find out what happened to Ginger — Norma Rose’s youngest sister — which is clearly a set-up for a future book. But instead of only covering that in a few pages, we end up spending 25% of the action on that. Then we’re back to Uncle Dave which leads to the uncovering of other nefarious characters in town, let alone the anticipated gangsters. And then we have Norma Rose’s remaining sisters who have their own beefs. Seriously, there was just a lot going on and, although I don’t usually mind that, it was just presented in a very convoluted manner. Considering all of this, it did surprise me that one major player in this story was never seen on the page. Since it’s a spoiler, I won’t mention who but it was a let down as one would expect to meet a character who is being anxiously anticipated by the hero for a classic showdown. Oh well. I’d give this book a B- because I did enjoy the period and would love to read more romances set in this time.
tearainread's review
1.0
*sigh* I should have DNF at 30%, but I already DNF'd two other books on my COYER reading list and didn't want to start a trend.
Norma Rose Nightingale was an unlikeable heroine - cold, unforgiving, mean. She wasn't that great of a business woman, even though the reader is told over and over again how the resort turned in massive profits due to her work. She was a caricature of the "hard dame" type of woman of the Jazz Age. Although she was smart and had opinions about Prohibition failing which turned true, she was pretty dumb when it came to people. Tyler Bradshaw wasn't much better - he had a single mission that gave him all the motivation for everything he did. Both had tragic back stories that rang false (Norma Rose doesn't want to nurse anyone if they are sick because she had to take care of her dead mother and brother during the Spanish flu outbreak; Tyler had his family massacred by the mobster he is searching for at the resort).
The plotline and scenes were really disjointed; the author seemed not to understand the balance of suspense and romance. Plot threads were brought up and drop with frequency. The whole point of the plot was for Tyler to bring Ray Bodine to justice....and the reader got one paragraph about how Tyler took him done after the fact. This was the major plot line, the whole reason for Tyler to be there at the resort in the first place, and it was resolved away from the resort and with no details. The ending was very abrupt and unsatisfying.
Norma Rose Nightingale was an unlikeable heroine - cold, unforgiving, mean. She wasn't that great of a business woman, even though the reader is told over and over again how the resort turned in massive profits due to her work. She was a caricature of the "hard dame" type of woman of the Jazz Age. Although she was smart and had opinions about Prohibition failing which turned true, she was pretty dumb when it came to people. Tyler Bradshaw wasn't much better - he had a single mission that gave him all the motivation for everything he did. Both had tragic back stories that rang false (Norma Rose doesn't want to nurse anyone if they are sick because she had to take care of her dead mother and brother during the Spanish flu outbreak; Tyler had his family massacred by the mobster he is searching for at the resort).
The plotline and scenes were really disjointed; the author seemed not to understand the balance of suspense and romance. Plot threads were brought up and drop with frequency. The whole point of the plot was for Tyler to bring Ray Bodine to justice....and the reader got one paragraph about how Tyler took him done after the fact. This was the major plot line, the whole reason for Tyler to be there at the resort in the first place, and it was resolved away from the resort and with no details. The ending was very abrupt and unsatisfying.
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