Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Flirtation Walk

GIVEAWAY

MITCHELL, SIRI
FLIRTATION WALK

At West Point, only true love should lead you to Flirtation Walk

Lucinda Pennyworth, the daughter of a con man, is trying her best to leave her father's sordid past behind her. When he dies unexpectedly, she takes the opportunity to move to West Point to live with her aunt, ready to take on a new life and determined to marry a respectable man, a West Point cadet, to impress her relatives.

Seth Westcott, a cadet at the academy, is proud to be at the top of his senior class. But when his mother dies and his sister loses their inheritance to a swindler, Seth wants nothing more than to head west to track down the con man. But the army will only send the cadets at the bottom of the class to the frontier...which leaves Seth with some tough choices.

When a woman trying her best to be good meets a man determined to be anything but, can there be hope for love or will two lonely hearts be condemned to casual flirtations?

My Review:

My tummy did a backflip after reading the synopsis on the back of the book and I knew I was in for a challenging read. Goodbye peace of mind, hello emotional combustion! Both Seth and Lucinda are wrapped up in deceit and oh what a tangled web we all got caught in. A right angsty mess!

Lucinda has a very calculated way of looking at things -- people are objects to be manipulated to achieve an end. At least that's how things start out. Needless to say, I didn't cotton to Lucinda in the beginning, but I could understand where she was coming from. She's her father's daughter, taught his skewed concepts from an early age. Scams and scandal were the norms of her childhood. But now she's free to make something of herself and her desperate journey towards respectability is fascinating. There's even some ironic humour in her scheming approach to securing her future. But as the story progresses, Lucinda discovers that life and relationships are much more than an end to a means.

Seth  is too good to be true until he decides not to be in a desperate attempt to come to the aid of his sister. There are some great scenes with Seth and his outrageous 'tutors' known as the Immortals. A lack lustre crew of cadets who are content to be at the bottom of the pecking order. Unexpected humour and plenty of hijinks.

A stellar host of secondary characters help (or hinder) these two along the way with varying results. A twisty-turny plot with plenty of surprises kept me hooked right until the very end. Insert a huge sigh of relief. And I love the inspirational thread that wound its way around my heart. What if God is love and life isn't about making your own luck? How would that impact your decisions and choices?

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. in exchange for my honest review.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of  Flirtation Walk please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday April 2 2016 . Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

35 comments:

  1. I love her books too. Good luck, Kate.

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  2. Siri is one of my favorite authors. I love the title, cover, and agree that the book blurb sounds like a perfect Sunday read!
    Diane
    dianemestrella at gmail dot com

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    1. It's a great read if you like emotional angst. LOL Good luck, Diane.

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  3. The premise is not something one generally sees in Christian fiction - good boy trying to be bad? Curiouser and curiouser. I really want to see how she worked it!

    rachaeldalquist AT yahoo DOT com

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    1. It has mixed reviews because of that aspect but the author actually based the hero on a real life cadet so sometimes fact is stranger than fiction.

      And it was a bit of a challenge to read because of all the duplicity -- but the characters grow and evolve and I really loved Lucinda's faith journey. Like a light bulb going off in the midst of all that darkness. Good luck, Rachael.

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  4. I really enjoy Siri's books. She always teaches me something more about history in a very entertaining way. I also like that her books are written usually in first person, with sometimes various characters telling the story. I think it's interesting to know what that character is thinking and feeling. Our knowledge is limited to what they experience. I'd love to win Flirtation Walk. Thanks for the chance.

    pmkellogg56[at]gmail[dot]com

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    1. She's not afraid to expose our humanness. Makes you stop and think and make connections. Good luck, Pam.

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  5. I love how much I learn when I read Siri. You can tell she does alot of research. truckredford(aT)gmail(dot)com

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    1. Her author's note at the end of the book is the most extensive I've ever seen and totally surprising. Good luck, Eliza.

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  6. I am intrigued and would love to read this story! Thanks for the opportunity, Kav.

    texaggs2000 at gmail dot com

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  7. I so want to win Flirtation Walk. Thank you for the chance to win. spotts06ATcomcastDOTnet

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  8. What a book! Thank you for the opportunity, Kav!

    mauback55 at gmail dot com

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  9. Hello Kav! Siri is a new-to-me author. Flirtation Walk sounds intriguing. Thanks for the giveaway.
    psalm103and138 at gmail dot com

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  10. New author for me. cheetahthecat1986ATgmailDOTcom.

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  11. I would love to read Lucinda and Seth's story. It sounds like Lucinda has quite a few lessons to learn. Siri is a new author to me.
    marypopmom (at) yahoo (dot) com

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    1. Lucinda certainly has a lot to learn, for sure. Good luck, Maryann.

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  12. Flirtation Walk sounds like a great read. Interesting that it takes place at West Point. Adding to my TBR list.
    diannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. I didn't know much about West Point before reading this book (and the author's notes). Makes for an interesting backdrop for a novel. Good luck, Dianne.

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  13. I've read some of Siri's earlier books, but none in quite a while, thanks for the review and giveaway!

    pattymh2000(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  14. Siri's a new-to-me author & I've read mixed reviews on this book. Interesting storyline though! Guess I'll have to read it for myself :-)

    teamob4 (at) gmail (dot) com

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    1. Yes -- I found the mixed reviews interesting as well. The biggest criticism is a point that is actually based on historical fact! Good luck, Trixi.

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  15. Your review makes me anxious to read Flirtation Walk. Siri is a new author to me also.
    pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

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    1. I've read seven of her books -- both historical and contemporary and love them all. Good luck, rubynreba.

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  16. thanks for the opportunity to read this novel, kav

    karenk
    kmkuka at yahoo dot com

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  17. I am intrigued -- interesting premise and setting. Love the cover.
    Thanks for the great review.
    pwestfall7 at hotmail dot com

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    1. It's really fascinating, Pam. Good luck.

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  18. I'd love to read this one! I've enjoyed all of Siri's books that I read! mylittlebirdie (at) yahoo (dot) com

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