Review: A Respectable Actress by Dorothy Love

This was my first time reading a book by Dorothy Love. I wasn't sure what to expect, but the synopsis intrigued me. I mean, a protagonist who's a popular actress in the 1870s? Not your usual type of heroine! Especially in Christian Fiction. So I opened to page one and started in, only to get sucked into a murder mystery unlike any I'd read before.

Miss India Hartley is quite the lady. Accused of a crime she didn't commit, she struggles with the desire to defend herself, yet is limited by the laws of the time. Someone generously pays for a lawyer for her defense and voila, Philip and India meet and proceed to have quite the adventure trying to suss out the true criminal! I liked Philip and enjoyed watching he and India open up to one another. Their slow-building romance was very sweet.

The mystery was well written and as each clue was uncovered, I kept wondering where the next one would take us. Kudos to Ms. Love for keeping me turning pages! Overall, this is an intriguing story. While I didn't absolutely love it, I still enjoyed the chemistry between the characters and watching all the clues come together. I closed the book happy to have read it! :)

**I received a complimentary copy from Thomas Nelson Publishing in exchange for my honest review.

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Her heart hammered. Her worst fear was realized. The play, or at least the first act, was ruined. And Mr. Philbrick would accuse her of deliberately sabotaging it.
"Pray tell, has a cat stolen your tongue?" Mr. Sterling abandoned the script and was improvising his lines now, stalling for time.
No, but someone had stolen her prop. Quivering with humiliation and anger, India bent down to peer more closely at the table. And found the gun at last.
Just as she lifted it there was a deafening explosion and a quick flash of fire. An anguished scream.
Mr. Sterling crumpled onto the stage.