Assessment:
Plot: It's easy to get drawn into the faded grandeur of the old Lacewood mansion, and its gradual release of secrets will hold readers' attention. The romantic mystery of the property's previous owners, whose presence lingers, foreshadows the narrative transition to the Civil War era. Finer plot details can be enchanting, but instances of repetition in Katie's thoughts sometimes slow the pace.
Prose/Style: The voice often has a pleasant dreamy quality, and many descriptions are charming. Humor is thoughtfully applied here. This book contains strong storytelling prose.
Originality: The focus on the house itself is a fresh angle, and the romances occurring in the same location 150 years apart add to the unique turn of this story.
Character Development: Characters are effectively described and their personalities have substance but the male protagonists Will and Jon are almost stock romance novel perfect.
Blurb: This is the tale of an enchanting escape into the historical mysteries of an old mansion in a small Virginia town, and its slow restoration to glory by a woman recovering from city life, with help from a handsome local man who's emotionally invested in the home.
Date Submitted: May 17, 2019
Author wins trio of awards for latest novel
Gettysburg author Jessica James received the 2020 John Esten Cooke Award for Southern Fiction for her 2019 novel Lacewood. The award, which comes with a $1,000 prize, is named after the Civil War-era novelist John Esten Cooke and is awarded by the Military Order of the Stars and Bars.
James also won the award for her novels, The Lion of the South, Above and Beyond, and Noble Cause.
John Esten Cooke was a prolific nineteenth century novelist who penned historical adventures and romances in the tradition of Sir Walter Scott and James Fenimore Cooper. Other winners of the Cooke award include New York Times bestselling authors Donald McCaig for Jacob's Ladder, Robert Macomber for Point of Honor, and Newt Gingrich for Grant Comes East.
James was also a Finalist in the Greater Detroit RWA Bookseller’s Best contest and the HOLT Medallion contest (Honoring Outstanding Literary Talent), given by the Virginia chapter of the Romance Writers of America.
Lacewood is about a disillusioned socialite and a wounded special operations veteran who join together to save a neglected house while healing themselves. During the restoration, secrets are divulged, riddles are unraveled, and age-old mysteries are solved, as the house reveals a long-forgotten love story.
James has a new suspense novel set for release Aug. 4, 2020. Presidential Advantage revolves around an unsuspecting First Lady who must rely on a Secret Service agent to discover who can be trusted—and who will do anything to keep control.
For more information on the author or her books, visit www.jessicajamesbooks.com.
