Ninety years ago, Millie Sullivan’s great-grandmother was a guest at oil tycoon Howard Dawkins’ palatial estate on the shore of St. Simons Island, Georgia. Now, Millie plays a 1920s-era guest during tours of the same manor. But when her grandmother suggests that there is a lost diary containing the location of a hidden treasure on the estate, along with the true identity of Millie’s … great-grandfather, Millie sets out to find the truth of her heritage–and the fortune that might be hers. When security guard Ben Thornton discovers her snooping in the estate’s private library, he threatens to have her fired. But her story seems almost too ludicrous to be fiction, and her offer to split the treasure is too tempting to pass up . . .
Get ready for a romantic escapade through dark halls and dusty corners that will have you holding your breath and sighing with delight as two charming characters get caught up in the adventure of uncovering the past and finding their way to an unexpected future.
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‘How could she explain? How could she tell him about the war inside her when it stole her breath?’
Millie Sullivan’s great grandmother was a guest at an oil tycoon’s estate in 1929 on St. Simon’s Island, Georgia. Now Millie is working as a guest at the estate’s tourist attraction. Millie’s Grandma Joy hints that there is possibly a treasure there to be found in her great grandmother’s old journal which is hidden in the chateau. Millie thinks this will be an end to her troubles if she can find the journal and treasure. She is working two jobs and barely making ends meet trying to keep her Grandma Joy in an assisted living facility because of her dementia.
Security guard Ben Thornton catches Millie in an off limits area of the mansion and is about to turn her over to the authorities when Millie makes a deal with him: help her and half the treasure is his. Ben has his own financial woes and takes her up on it. Together they set out on an adventure that will cause pain, bring grace and hopefully, forgiveness.
Liz Johnson has written a wonderfully ‘sparkly’ tale here, with believable characters, a great plot with some pretty good mystery thrown in, as we, the reader, get a glimpse into the great grandmother’s adventures in 1929. And the romance is precious. Engaging and entertaining, well written and hard to put down. Recommended.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and author. All opinions stated here are entirely my own.
This was a dual time line novel about a lost treasure in a palatial estate on St. Simon’s Island in Georgia. Ruth’s story took place in the 1920s when she stayed at this estate with friends and fell in love. The modern day story is about Millie, Ruth’s great granddaughter. Millie has a tough life – she is working three jobs and living in a small apartment over a garage. She had to give up her plans because someone swindled all of her grandmother’s savings. Millie grew up with her grandparents and is now the sole provider for her grandmother who is in a home where she can get daily help due to her Alzheimers. When Millie hears that Ruth may have hidden a treasure at the estate, she decides to try to find it so that she can move her grandmother to a better home. As she is sneaking around the estate, she meets Ben, a security guard who also works three jobs. They decide to split whatever money they find as they work together to find the treasure. Their search gets them into all sorts of trouble but also leads to increasing feelings for each other. Will they both be able to let go of the past and plan a future together?
This was a quick summer read about taking care of family at the expense of your own happiness. I enjoyed reading it and look forward tot he next book in the series.
Thanks to librarything for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.