As a biochemist in early 1900s New York, Doctor Rosalind Werner has dedicated her life to the crusade against waterborne 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, Nicholas Drake is highly … 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, the odds stacked against these two rivals swiftly grow more insurmountable with every passing day.
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Elizabeth Camden is hands-down one of my top-favorite authors in the CBA . Her plots are utterly unique and exciting, her research is fascinating and amazingly extensive, and her romance is utterly breathless and unforgettable. This author is one of the few on my auto-buy list!
A Daring Venture by Elizabeth Camden rubbed me wrong in several ways, but I loved this story. In fact, this is another novel I voraciously read shirking chores and staying up well past my bedtime to finish. As with all Camden novels, the history imbued throughout the narrative is fascinating. I had no idea about the fight to chlorinate our city water in order to make it safe for consumption. I’m not necessarily OK with how it got chlorinated, but I most definitely enjoyed the history lesson. And, I loved Camden’s characters. To me, her characters are some of the best written. Camden has a true gift for creating characters so good they’re almost too real.
I have a bad habit of reading comments on Goodreads. I tell myself it’s just to get a feel for the book and to see what people are loving or not appreciating. But sometimes, and this is why I try never to read reviews about books I have to review, those comments can sway me. While I wasn’t swayed by Goodreads in regards to A Daring Venture per se, I do want to touch on a topic that seemed to bother most Goodreads readers — the instalove trope. I’m on the fence with this trope. It really depends on who is writing the story. In the wrong hands, instalove is lame and unbelievable. But in Camden’s capable hands, instalove is done believably and well. Here’s why — Camden causes a character separation.
In A Daring Venture, Nick and Rosalind meet, instantly ignite, veer rather quickly to the L-word, then have a bomb dropped into their laps. This bomb-dropped moment allows for a time of separation where the characters are able to evaluate themselves and one another. I believe this separation is what makes for a believable instalove story in real life and in fiction.
Readers who don’t like instalove plotlines in ANY form confuse me a bit because these stories happen in real life ALL THE TIME. The night I met my husband I knew he was the one, and so did every other person in the room. My best friend says it was like lightning had struck and she could feel an electric sizzle. This coming October, my husband and I will celebrate our 8th wedding anniversary and this past May we’ve been a couple for a decade. Instalove is real — very real in fact. In my case, like Nick and Rosalind, my husband and I had a separation time where we were able to step back from the haze of new love and evaluate our individual selves and our relationship. It was a rough time, but I really needed to see if things between us were real or just hormonal. For me, the fact Camden allows a separation time for Nick and Rosalind allowed me to buy their love for one another. As a reader, I am very OK with this kind of love story!
A Daring Venture is a highly engaging story filled with well-crafted characters and superb ethical/moral questions for the reader to chew on. These questions and life-like characters are what sometimes rubbed me the wrong way, but I thoroughly enjoyed wrestling with the ethical quandaries Camden poses and following the characters as they sometimes did or said things that made me shake my head. A Daring Venture is a really fun read that I highly recommend.
I purchased a copy of this novel in eBook form from Amazon.com on June 13, 2018, in order to review. I also received a paperback copy of this book from the publisher, Bethany House, in order to review. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Elizabeth Camden has such smart heroines, and brings to life such fascinating slices of history! I knew nothing about the introduction of chlorine into drinking water–and just reading that phrase, you might not think it would make for a riveting and page-turning novel, but with Camden at the helm, that’s exactly what we get, along with a heaping dose of romance. I enjoyed A Daring Venture, even though the hero’s temper was bad enough at one point that I think he should enroll in an anger management program before he’s fit to be in a relationship. Anger is definitely his fatal flaw. Both the leading characters made decisions that I was uncomfortable with, but from a purely technical story perspective, that’s how the conflict keeps escalating until both of them reach their black moments, then repent and reconcile. At times it was hard to watch, so to speak, until things resolved.
(The audiobook version is outstanding. The hero’s New York accent and personality really shine.)
I won’t lie. This started out slow for me and I wasn’t sure I’d be able to hang in there, but I’m so glad that I did. It picked up pace quickly and became hard to put down. I was turning pages so quickly that my husband couldn’t believe how fast I read it. So please give A Daring Venture a fair chance.
Now, about the book itself. I learned a lot about the water system of the 1900s and found it fascinating. Author Elizabeth Camden did a great job making her research flow into the story without making it dry reading. (See what I did there?) I enjoy learning as I read and I wasn’t disappointed.
The characters were charming, stubborn, fallible, and very human. There was mystery and intriguing as well as clean romance. I felt the main characters fell for each other too quickly, but that’s just my opinion. She’s a world changer, and he’s a sweet guy who protects the women in his life. You will love them, I promise.
If you enjoy historical fiction I recommend this one!
I received a complimentary copy of this book but was not required to leave a review. All thoughts are my own.
A Daring Venture by Elizabeth Camden is the second novel in An Empire State Novel series. It is June 1908 in Jersey City, New Jersey when Dr. John Lael and Dr. Rosalind Werner, a biochemist, get the verdict on a two-year court case for which they were consultants. They have ninety days to prove their case that chlorine can prevent waterborne diseases in the water supply. It is a controversial idea and people are against a toxic chemical being added to their drinking water. How can they prove chlorine will not harm people? Nicholas Drake spoke for the opposition in court and is up for the position of Commissioner of State Water Board of New York. Dr. Lael suggests they meet with Nicholas Drake and try to bring him over to their side. Nicholas is instantly attracted to Rosalind, but she cannot change his mind about the chlorine argument. Nicholas is hoping that after the legal case is closed, he can court Rosalind and make her his wife. Rosalind enjoys spending time with Nicholas, but she is afraid of what will happen when her secrets come to light. But when Nicholas uncovers the duplicity, he sets out to wage a war in the court of public opinion. In the midst of this turmoil, an unknown enemy has set their sights on Rosalind and intends to destroy her. Who is behind this maliciousness?
A Daring Venture may be the second novel in An Empire State Novel series, but it can be read alone. The author provides the necessary background on Nicholas Drake (his sister, Lucy was featured in A Dangerous Legacy). I thought A Daring Venture was well-written and had charming main characters. Nicholas Drake is a handsome, down to earth man who can be exasperating. Rosalind is an intelligent woman who wants to help prevent disease. She is naïve, though, in the ways of the world (men) and cannot explain science in a way that normal people can understand. The characters are realistic with good traits and flaws (like Nicholas’ impulsiveness and quick temper). I found the premise fascinating. We take for granted that we have safe drinking water, but rarely think about how it came about. It was obvious the author did her research for the book and she managed to explain the process in a way that lay people can understand. The story is based on real life events which the author explains at the end of the book. I thought that the era was captured with the descriptions of the clothing, buildings, and attitudes. I laughed at Rosalind’s fear of using the new fangled subway. The romance was not over-the-top, nor did it dominate the story. The battle over the water and the mystery of the unknown enemy are intertwined with the romance between Nicholas and Rosalind. I especially enjoyed the humorous moments and lines (added levity). I liked that the author included Lucy and Colin in the story. We get to find out what is happening in their lives. I was not thrilled with Rosalind’s sister-in-law, Ingrid. I did not like her poor attitude or how she treated Rosalind. The faith element was very light in A Daring Venture which is unusual for this author. Elizabeth Camden sets the stage for A Desperate Hope (2019) which will provide us with Eloise Drake’s story. A Daring Venture is an engaging, multi-faceted story.
Rosalind Werner is a biochemist in the early 1900s. She was born in the U.S., but at the age of 10 a cholera epidemic killed her parents and grandfather. She and her brother were sent to Germany to live with relatives. Recently, Rosalind and her brother have returned to the U.S. due to Rosalind having a less than stellar reputation in the city where they were living in Germany, causing job losses and a forced move back to the U.S. The accusations were unfounded, and Rosalind was completely innocent, but the rumors wouldn’t stop. Now Rosalind, having dedicated her life’s work to stopping the spread of cholera, has been working diligently to study the use of chlorine added to water as a safe way to kill cholera while still allowing the water to be consumed. She faces an uphill battle with one of her major opponents, Nick Drake, thinking that chlorine is poisoning the water and not a safe option.
Nick Drake is one of three commissioners whose jobs are to ensure the water supply to New York is safe and abundant. He has agreed to a new filtration plant and a reservoir to supply the growing city but refuses to consider another cheaper but untested method…chlorine. He is captivated by Dr. Werner as a woman, and he admires her intelligence. He thinks they might have a future together. She seems to reciprocate his feelings. Rosalind finds herself the target of an enemy who brings her past troubles from Germany to the attention of the news media. Someone is out to ruin her, but who?
What an interesting story! That is one reason this is one of my “must read” authors as she draws from history such interesting and entertaining information and presents them in a delightful novel. I always learn something new from her books. The lead characters in this story are ones that I could connect to and care about. Betrayal, deception, and romance are just a few of the angles presented. The prose is easy to read and flows quickly from page to page to keep readers interested. Enjoy an afternoon or two reading about New York near the turn of the century!
This story has Nick as the main, along with briefly seeing some from the 1st book and some new additions, including Rosalind. This story takes place about 5 years after the 1st one. Nick and Rosalind are on opposite sides of a water issue. I found the information in this interesting as I didn’t know when this water treatment was first introduced. The tension and attraction between the two makes for a fast paced story on its own, but throw in some curves from other people in the story and the book isn’t one you’ll want to put down.
Being the second in the Empire State series by Elizabeth Camden, I found this book to be just as good as the first one, A Dangerous Legacy, if not better. Watching the story unfold in my mind’s eye, I was both thrilled and frustrated, angry and elated. Elizabeth knows how to pull you into a story and keep you there til the end. Even though I knew who the villain was, they still surprised me with how dastardly they could be.
Doctor Rosalind Werner is a biochemist working on a way to purify New Jersey’s and New York’s city water. She is totally dedicated to finding a way because her parents died of cholera when she was ten and she almost lost her little brother as well to the dreaded disease contracted from contaminated water.
Nicholas Drake, brother to Lucy Drake in the first book, is the new Commissioner of Water for New York. He apposes the idea of putting chlorine in the city’s water system and believes the filtration plants do the job well. However, he meets with Rosalind to discuss the situation. Only he can’t keep his mind on track as he finds Rosalind as pretty as a moonbeam and can’t concentrate on the business at hand.
Rosalind also finds Nick attractive and they strike up a little friendship that starts to blossom into a relationship. Neither wants to be attracted to the other so the battle begins not only on the water situation, but on the attraction itself.
What will happen to this budding relationship between Nick and Rosalind? Will Rosalind win the case for adding chlorine to the water system to kill bacteria and purify the city’s water? What sinister plot lies in the wings waiting to pounce on it’s unwitting prey? Check out this book and you will not be disappointed. Enjoy!
I borrowed this book from my public library and leave this review voluntarily and of my own accord.
This book was given to me free, by Bethany House, in exchange for an honest review, so, I will say the information about the process of water filtration systems for cities and water chlorination’s history, was well-researched and interesting enough to make me want to find out more about Dr. John Lael. 3 stars for that. She did a good job of telling about the pioneering efforts of male scientists in the area of providing clean water for Americans.
I did like learning as much as was available, about Dr. Leal and his work. God willing, I’m planning to learn more about that. John Laing Leal was a physician and water treatment expert who, in 1908, was responsible for conceiving and implementing the first disinfection of a U.S. drinking water supply using chlorine. (wikipedia)
1 star for the relationship between Nick and Rosalind. It was superficial, IMO, and uninteresting to me, and I found myself skimming past the descriptions of restless, fluttering love between the two, in order to read more about how cities tried several methods of delivering clean water to large cities. He had a bad temper, she was bland, and the story about her brother Gus and his wife was more interesting than the plot around Rosalind and Nick.
The majority of the book was more like a textbook which was fine with me, but I was hoping for more depth about the lives of the characters. One of her best novels was The Rose of Winslow Street, I recommend that.
As for mentions of God, Jesus, or the bible, there was very little of that. I remember one sentence. One reviewer recalled more mentions, but as for this being a truly CHRISTIAN historical fiction book, I’d say it’s shallow at best.
I’m not interested in reading any follow ups to this book. I see by the other reviews I’m not alone.
Rosaline Werner lost both her parents to cholera when she was just ten years old. The loss changed her life, but eighteen years later she’s back in America, working as a biochemist fighting to eradicate waterborne diseases including typhoid. She’s convinced the answer is to chemically treat the city’s supply of drinking water with chlorine, but not everyone agrees.
Nicholas Drake is a plumber, and a commissioner of the State Water Board of New York, responsible for ensuring the citizens have access to clean water. But he can’t see that adding poison to water is the solution—he prefers the tried-and-true method of filtering the water.
It’s a great set-up: two people who want the same thing.
Two people with noble reasons. But two people who fundamentally disagree on the best process, to the point where their factions are fighting it out in court. It’s a plot that isn’t going to allow for compromise. Rosaline will win, or Nicholas will win. Unless Rosaline can convince Nicholas to change his mind …
It’s also a unique concept for a novel. Plumbing. Water. Dams. Chlorination. Filtration. Most of us in developed countries take safe drinking water for granted, and it’s hard to believe that it’s only been a little over a century since the idea was mooted, accepted, and popularised. Elizabeth Camden is known for taking little-known and intriguing historical factoids and turning them into compelling historical novels with plenty of romance and more than a little suspense.
The one possible fault with A Daring Venture is that while Elizabeth Camden’s earlier novels were definitely Christian, this (and the previous novel in this Empire State series, A Dangerous Legacy) do not have any overtly Christian content. But nor are they general market titles, with all that implies. Perhaps it’s that the faith element is woven in so subtly that it’s not noticeable.
And in some ways, it shouldn’t be. A Daring Venture isn’t a faith-based story. It’s the story of clean, disease-free water, and some of the people who helped change our world for the better by fighting for what was right. Which, if you think about it, is the outworking of the Christian faith.
A Daring Venture is an excellent novel with a unique premise.
Recommended for fans of historical fiction, especially romances and novels with a basis in historical fact. I hope there will be a sequel, because I want to see more of Nicholas and his growing family.
Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.
As I opened this book the story just kept getting better and better, and right to the last page I was captivated.
What a world the author gives us, and yes, we learn that there is some fact here, and what a gift of saving lives, even if most is fictional. We are shown a very different world for woman here, to be accused of a crime and feel shamed for it, today it would be laughed off, but for this talented and educated woman it was a curse.
I wanted to smack her sister in law, but I had to remind myself that she had lost a lot, but so ungrateful.
If you enjoy a great story, with a bit of sweet romance this one has it all, and you sure won’t be disappointed.
I received this book through Bethany House and their Blogger Program, and was not required to give a positive review.
This book is such a pleasant read. I’ve been involved with mission work to bring clean water to other countries. So this book had a special interest for me. Dr. Rosalind Werner is a woman ahead of her time. Having earned a college degree (which is unheard of for a woman in her time period), she is instrumental in developing a water purification plan to help eradicate water borne diseases. She is thrown together with Nicholas Drake professionally. But it soon develops personally. The ups and downs of their relationship and the complication of family keeps the readers interest. The twists and turns are subtle, but interesting. This novel can be a stand alone, but I want to revisit the characters and be brought back into their world.
What an engaging read! I was absorbed in the depth of the characters and their plights, along with the unique historical story.
4.5 stars
“Glass, china, and reputations are easily cracked and never well mended.”
“Salmonella enterica, the bacteria that caused typhoid, was surprisingly pretty . . . . Her mission in life was to find a way to kill it.” Working tirelessly to prove that minuscule amounts of chlorine in the public’s drinking water could save countless lives from water-borne diseases, Dr. Rosalind Werner has also worked tirelessly to guard her reputation in Jersey City, New Jersey. Following a disappointing court case regarding her team’s ground-breaking research, Rosalind comes face to face with Nicholas Drake, a man poised to be appointed Commissioner of Labor for the State Water Board of New York; and Nick’s plan to provide purer drinking water does not include chlorine.
“Dr. Werner, ‘When I saw this box, I thought it was as pretty as a moonbeam, and it made me think of you’.”
Nicholas Drake makes no attempt to hide his unabashed admiration of the lovely scientist who has made it her mission to change his mind about chlorine. He might be a outrageously rich former plumber, but common sense tells him that the city’s water problems can be solved by better filtration. When his whirlwind attraction to Rosalind hits a snag, the two manage to smooth over their differences and simply enjoy each other’s company. Regrettably, secrets and vendettas blindside them both, widening the chasm between them. “They had both burned their bridges with each other and his sadness was overwhelming.”
Stepping into one of Elizabeth Camden’s stories is like entering an enchanted forest and wanting to get lost; her characters are amazing, her settings are are detailed but fascinating, and her story threads pull at heartstrings that you didn’t know she could play. Enjoy the forest!
This book was provided courtesy of Bethany House Publishers. I was under no obligation to write a positive review.
Rosalind Werner and Nickolas Drake have the same goal in mind, providing clean water for Jersey City in 1908 to stave off thousands from dying from cholera. But they heavily clash when it comes to the method for accomplishing that goal! Nick crusades for extra filtration in the waterways while Rosalind, who is also a biochemist, crusades for chlorination to kill the bacteria causing the deaths .
I admire Rosalind for going against convention to become probably the only female biochemists in a time period when it was frowned upon for women to be anything but keepers of the home. Her motivation drove her after watching both her mother and father die from the dreaded disease and nearly killing her younger brother. Having also fled from scandal at the university she attended in Germany, she’s overcome a lot in her young life. Starting over in a new country, fighting against a powerful man in Nick all while proving herself capable in a man’s world. It seems she’ll let nothing deter her! Nick has risen from being a plumber learning at his grandfather’s feet, to New York City Water Commissioner. Water has always been in his blood and working to make sure it is clean & safe for the residents is the same goal as Rosalind. He’s willing to do what it takes to make sure that goal is met, even if it means butting heads with the beautiful biochemist!
What I loved the most about this story, is learning the history! I never knew that the simple act of adding the right amount of chloride to water eradicates harmful bacteria that caused one of America’s deadliest diseases, cholera. I learned so much more about the methods of providing clean water then I ever knew. I appreciate Camden’s massive amounts of research to make sure the story is true to form all while entertaining this reader and keeping me turning pages. I almost felt like I was in the middle of what was happening all around me! Watching history unfold in front of my eyes was thrilling and fascinating. If you love history, romance, a bit of scandal, family dynamics and action to keep the story moving, then I recommend this to you! This is only my second book I’ve read by Camden, and I’m certainly adding her to my must-read authors.
*I received a complimentary copy of the book from Bethany House and was under no obligation to leave a review. All opinions are my own. *
A Daring Venture by Elizabeth Camden
Both Nick and Rosalind were strongly motivated by a desire to bring clean water to those in the cities. Their approaches, however, were at odds with each other. At a time when the only method for “cleaning” water was filtration, the very concept of adding “poison” (in this case, chlorine) to the water to make it safe was frightening and mostly unheard of.
This entire story is based on an actual lawsuit, and Dr. Leal and George Fuller are, as the author put it in her notes “the real-life heroes”. I’m so grateful that the author took the time to fictionalize this account that I would probably know nothing about otherwise.
I absolutely loved the character of Nick. This plumber turned millionaire was so boisterous, impulsive and full of life. He had a short fuse, yet had a heart of gold. He spoke quite frankly and wasn’t afraid to work hard to get what he wanted. Despite his riches, he spent time regularly installing plumbing in the tenements and orphanages and was thrifty (not miserly) with his wealth.
Rosalind was so fiercely dedicated to her cause. She had the ability, and perhaps the need, to improve the place she was in, no matter where it was. She had to deal with a moral dilemma – is it okay to keep secrets in order to save lives?
The immediate chemistry between Nick and Rosalind was powerful and intense. Yet as in all interesting stories, there were so many forces fighting to keep them apart, some of which were very surprising.
My very favorite scene was when they were at the orphanage where he was installing plumbing. It was so fun to see her interest in everything he was doing (I mean, really, who bonds over toilets?) Then when Rosalind allowed herself to cast aside her restraint and follow him outside. . .
This is the second book of the series. Nick’s sister and her husband’s story is told in the first book, A Dangerous Legacy, as were the details about his uncle and how he came into his money. Though it would be helpful to read that book first, this story stands by itself.
This review was originally posted on AmongTheReads.net.
Get a preview of Just Let Go at amongTheReads.net
I would like to thank Elizabeth Camden for giving me this copy of the book. This gift did not influence my opinion or review.
A Daring Venture is a story of diseases, testing individuals without consent, falling in love (when is love too quick/hard?), historical, passion (0f ones job), scandal, opponents and Faith. There is research done extremely done by Ms. Camden. She really knows how to make this story come to life for you. It is something our Nation did have to go through. Can you imagine? What a hardship the scientists had to go through you cannot believe. The characters are extraneous, exciting, genuine, honorable and judicious. It is a wonderful book. I received a copy of this book from the Publisher and Netgalley; all of the opinions expressed in this review are all my own.
if you would like to read more of my Christian book reviews go to christianlybookreviewers,blogspot.com – I look forward to seeing you there.
4.5 Stars
The thing I love about Elizabeth Camden is how she can take a piece of history that we take for granted today and bring it to life. In A Daring Venture, it’s plumbing and water purification. Who knew those two things could make such an engaging and enjoyable read!
Nick Drake was introduced in A Dangerous Legacy as he secretly installed plumbing in buildings. Now, his time spent helping others is something reporters clamor to capture.
When Nick meets Rosalind Werner, the attraction is immediate, and he’s not shy about voicing his interest. Rosalind is a scientist, on the opposite side of a court case as Nick, yet neither of them can deny the attraction.
I love and hate Nick’s straightforward nature. This is a man who tells it like it is. He loves his daughter and his sister, tells Rosalind exactly how he feels (one word: spectacles), and his desire to bridge the gap between his family and his aunt. But he’s also opinionated and unbending to the point of rigidity when anyone breaks his trust (and he’s not always the best judge of who to place his trust in). The combination makes him a flawed hero, which I find refreshing.
The story takes some unexpected twists and turns which makes it that much more enjoyable! This is why Camden is at the top of my must-read-authors list.
Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.