Loving Lizzie Finn by Tamara Hughes
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: Historical, Romance, Suspense/Mystery/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Lilikoi

Lizzie Finn grew up in a brothel, and she’s reminded of that fact every day. She dreams of finding a job and becoming independent. Only then can she be free of her aunt’s disdain. First, she must find an employer who won’t turn her away because of her past.

Byron Greeley is determined to save his family’s business after Lizzie’s uncle falsifies the amount Byron owes on a loan from the bank. Determined to find proof of Teague’s perfidy, Byron slips into the banker’s house and rummages through the study only to be discovered by Lizzie, a red-haired beauty who utterly captivates him.

Byron offers Lizzie a job in exchange for information about her uncle, and because she believes her uncle is innocent, she agrees. When Teague discovers Lizzie and Byron’s growing affection, he threatens to destroy Byron and his family, insisting Byron is exploiting her. Is Teague’s warning well-founded? Are Byron’s feelings for Lizzie true, or is Byron using her for his own gain?

Loving Lizzie Finn is a charming historical romance with engaging characters, a hint of spice, and an intriguing, well-developed plot.

Lizzie Finn is an indomitable young woman who was raised in a brothel until her mother’s tragic death, when she subsequently became the ward of her uncle Eldon Teague, a prosperous businessman and bank president in Boston. Within the affluent home of her new guardians, Lizzie is subjected to harsh ridicule and shame by her maternal aunt Margaret, who constantly reminds her that she is the daughter of a prostitute with little chance of overcoming her scandalous past. Although her uncle Eldon is much kinder, Lizzie cannot wait to escape her aunt’s vindictive cruelty by finding employment and becoming self-sufficient.

Byron Greeley—a young businessman who has inherited his ill father’s textile factory—is juggling the responsibilities of supporting his parents while keeping the floundering company afloat. He discovers that the amount of the loan negotiated between his father and the bank president has inexplicably doubled, but with the original documents having mysteriously disappeared, he has no proof to confirm his suspicions that Eldon Teague has fraudulently tampered with the terms. When he breaks into Teague’s house in the middle of the night to look for evidence, he is caught by Lizzie, a fiery redhead who not only captures his heart, but provides the means for him to obtain the proof he seeks. In exchange for her cooperation in obtaining the original documents, he offers Lizzie a job, providing them both the means to accomplish their separate yet entwined goals.

The characters are compelling and likeable. Lizzie is brave, stubborn, and independent, hardened by the cruelty she has endured. Having witnessed the abuse of women in the brothel where she was raised, she has learned self-reliance and developed a fierce need for independence. Although she has vowed to never marry, Lizzie’s undeniable attraction to Byron makes her question her convictions. Byron’s noble heart and commitment to both his family and to Lizzie make him an endearing character, yet his involvement in criminal activities keeps the reader—and Lizzie—unsure of his true intentions. Aunt Margaret is a bitter, resentful, and angry woman who is easy to hate, yet as the story progresses and secrets are revealed, much more easily understood.

Although I did enjoy much of the novel, I found it lacked the descriptive details necessary to evoke the historical background setting of nineteenth century Boston. Lizzie’s freedom to come and go as she pleases without an escort or chaperone—even to the point of sneaking out of the house in the middle of the night for a clandestine meeting at a warehouse— are not only implausible, but inconsistent with the societal norms of the era. And while Aunt Margaret is credibly portrayed as an active member of the Society for Moral Reform against prostitution, it seems highly unlikely that the aristocratic wife of a prestigious bank president would publicly malign her niece by spreading salacious gossip about Lizzie’s prostitute mother—Margaret’s own sister— for fear of tarnishing her prominent husband’s professional reputation.

When Lizzie and Byron finally overcome numerous obstacles to arrive at the anticipated happy ending, truths come to light through a most unexpected source of revelation and satisfying redemption.

Despite the insufficient historical background and the inconsistencies with societal norms for young women, Loving Lizzie Finn is nevertheless an entertaining romance with appealing characters and an absorbing, enticing plot.