"A Daring Venture" by Elizabeth Camden

About this book:

  “As a biochemist in early 1900s New York, Doctor Rosalind Werner has dedicated her life to the crusade against water-borne diseases. She is at the forefront of a groundbreaking technology that will change the way water is delivered to every household in the city--but only if she can get people to believe in her work.
  Newly appointed Commissioner of Water for New York Nickolas Drake is highly skeptical of Rosalind and her team's techniques. When a brewing court case throws him into direct confrontation with her, he is surprised by his reaction to the lovely scientist.
  While Rosalind and Nick wage a private war against their own attraction, they stand firmly on opposite sides of a battle that will impact far more than just their own lives. As the controversy grows more public and inflammatory and Rosalind becomes the target of an unknown enemy, these two rivals will face higher stakes than they ever could have known.”


Series: Book #2 in the “Empire State” series. Review of Book #1 Here!


Spiritual Content- Thanking God & A blessing over food; A few talks about God; Mentions of God; Mentions of prayers, praying, & blessings over food; Mentions of churches & church going; Mentions of blessings & being blessed; A few mentions of thanking God; A mention of a Bible; A mention of a place in the Bible; A mention of godsend; A mention of a miracle; A mention of a sinner;

             *Note: A couple mentions of a damning newspaper caption; A mention of hearing something damning; A mention of the devil; A mention of demons.

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘fig’, a ‘heck’, a ‘shut up’, a ‘son of a gun’, two forms of ‘darn’, two forms of ‘dumb’s, five ‘stupid’s, and seventeen forms of ‘idiot’s; Some eye rolling; Being punched, attacked, & blood/bleeding (semi-detailed); Many mentions of deaths, bodies, illnesses/diseases, & the affects (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of a murder (suicide) & how it happened (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of wars & deaths; Mentions of being punched, attacked, injuries, & bruises; Mentions of blood/bleeding (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of poison & side-effects (semi-detailed); Mentions of threats; Mentions of hatred; Mentions of a break-in & intruder; Mentions of prisons/jails & arrests; Mentions of a plan to embezzle; Mentions of lies, lying, & liars; Mentions of gossip & rumors; Mentions of alcohol, drinking, social drinking, taverns, & drunks; Mentions of divorces; A few mentions of a woman poisoning people on purpose; A few mentions of pickpockets; A few mentions of tobacco; A few mentions of nightmares; A couple mentions of a plan to assassinate a president; A couple mentions of blackmail; A couple mentions of cigars & smoking; A mention of a suicide in a play; A mention of where the sun doesn’t shine.

Sexual Content- four hand kisses, a barely-above-not-detailed kiss, a border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed kiss, a semi-detailed kiss, and a detailed kiss; Wanting to kiss, touch, & embrace; Touches, Hand holding, & Nearness (border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); Lots of Noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); Blushes; a form of ‘wanton’; Mentions of a married man’s attraction & touches to Rosalind (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of reputations, scandals, & a fallen woman; Mentions of kisses & kissing; Mentions of flirting; Mentions of blushes & winks; A few mentions of an affair & a child born out of it; A few mentions of inappropriate suggestions; A couple mentions of crushes; A mention of making love to someone; A mention of chaperones; Love, falling in love, & the emotions;

             *Note: A few mentions of a mother who died after child labor; A few mentions of miscarriages.

-Rosalind Werner, age 28

-Nicholas “Nick” Drake, age 36
                                P.O.V. switches between them

                                                Set in 1908 (Prologue in 1890)
                                                        341 pages

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Pre Teens-

New Teens-

Early High School Teens-

Older High School Teens-

My personal Rating-

Set five years after “A Daring Legacy”, this sequel picks up with Lucy’s young brother’s story and female doctor, Rosalind. While I liked Rosalind, the romance was very instant, and they were kissing at page fifty-six (chapter four). That’s pretty quick in my opinion. Nick had some good moments, but he lashed out and caused problems more than I care to explain, and I ended up feeling ‘meh’ about him.

This author always adds a unique historical plot to her books and this one was no different with the topics of chlorine in water and the fights that had to happen for clean water.

This novel sets-up for the next book well, and while I’m slightly interested in it, I’m not so sure about the main girl. We’ll have to see.

See y’all on Wednesday with a new review!

*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

*I received this book for free from the Publisher (Bethany House) for this honest review.

"A Dangerous Legacy" by Elizabeth Camden

About this book:

  “Lucy Drake's mastery of Morse code has made her a valuable asset to the American news agencies as a telegrapher. But the sudden arrival of Sir Colin Beckwith at rival British news agency Reuters puts her hard-earned livelihood at risk. Newly arrived from London, Colin is talented, handsome, and insufferably charming.
  Despite their rivalry, Lucy realizes Colin's connections could be just what her family needs to turn the tide of their long legal battle over the fortune they were swindled out of forty years ago. When she negotiates an unlikely alliance with him, neither of them realizes how far the web of treachery they're wading into will take them.”


Series: Book #1 in the “Empire State” series. Will be connected to the author’s next book, releasing in early 2018.


Spiritual Content- A few Scriptures are refenced in the Discussion Questions; A few Prayers & Thanking God; Church going & going to church to pray; Mentions of God & His will; Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of churches, church going, & services; A few mentions of those in the Bible; A few mentions of blessings over food; A few mentions of clergymen; A couple mentions of blessings; A couple mentions of sins; A couple mentions of godsends; A mention of a miracle;

             *Note: A few mentions of ghosts & haunting a person; A mention of a devilish smile; A mention of demons.

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: two ‘blasted’s, two ‘heck’s, five ‘idiot’s, five forms of ‘shut up’, eight forms of ‘stupid’; A few mentions of curses & almost cursing; Sarcasm & Eye rolling; Panic attacks (up to semi-detailed); Being smacked & Pain (up to semi-detailed); Being held at gunpoint & threatened (up to semi-detailed); Fighting & Hitting Someone (up to semi-detailed); Some social drinking (barely-above-not-detailed); Many mentions of wars, fighting, gunshots/bullets, explosions, dead bodies, men dying, nearly dying, & flashbacks of it all (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of a man shooting another’s pet birds (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of assassins, bombs, & murder; Mentions of planned “accidents” that can result in someone’s death; Mentions of jails, prisons, arrests, & illegal actions; Mentions of thefts & thieves/criminals; Mentions of kidnappings; Mentions of torture & screams; Mentions of fighting, punching/slapping, & injuries; Mentions of threats & blackmail; Mentions of lies & lying; Mentions of gossip & rumors; Mentions of alcohol, social drinking, drinking, & drunks; Mentions of smoking, cigarettes, & tobacco; Mentions of bullies; Mentions of hunting & taxidermy (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of animal and human waste & the smell; A few mentions of burglars & burglaries; A few mentions of dead cat bodies & threats; A few mentions of gambling; A couple mentions of an attempted bombing; A couple mentions of throwing up; A couple mentions of raising sheep & cattle for slaughtering.

Sexual Content- a hand kiss, not-detailed kisses, and three border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed kiss; Touches, Embraces, & Warmth (up to semi-detailed); Noticing; Mentions of a kiss; Mentions of flirting & girls flocking to Lucy’s brother; Mentions of reputations; A few mentions of forward offers & blushes; A few mentions of jealousy; A few mentions of crushes; A couple mentions of prostitutes; Love, falling in love, & the emotions;

             *Note: Mentions of a famous statue of a naked couple kissing (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of a teenager who had two miscarriages (she became pregnant in one through her (already married) boss because she thought it was necessary to keep her job); A couple mentions of a mother nursing; A few mentions of getting into bed with someone (meaning a business deal, but once referred to as in another way); A couple mentions of being neutered & castration; A mention of kissing someone’s rear end; A mention of a swift kick to a man’s groin.

-Lucy Drake, age 28

-Colin Beckwith
                                P.O.V. switches between them

                                                Set in 1903 {Epilogue set in 1904}
                                                        341 pages

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Pre Teens-

New Teens-

Early High School Teens-

Older High School Teens-

My personal Rating-

After being disappointed by the author’s previous release this year, I was wondering how this one would be.

Turns out, I rather enjoyed this book.

I would have preferred more faith content, but it was much cleaner and was void of certain comments that her other books normally have. A positive in that regard.

Like all Elizabeth Camden books, this novel also was brimming with historical facts, current inventions of the time period, and letting the readers know what was happening in the world. “A Dangerous Legacy” had banter between our main couple, though, that was refreshing, and I truly enjoyed. I honestly felt like the romance was much lighter compared to the other books the author has written.  

While reading this new novel, I was hoping we would see Lucy’s brother’s own story, so I am curious about reading it when it releases next year.

See y’all on Wednesday with a new review!

*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

*I received this book for free from the Publisher (Bethany House) for this honest review.