"The Heart of An Agent" by Tracey Lyons Blog Tour (Review) & GIVEAWAY!

About the Book:

Name of book: The Heart of an Agent

Author: Tracey J. Lyons

Genre: Inspirational historical romance

Release Date: November 7, 2017

 

Tracey J. Lyons, the author of A Changed Agent, returns to the Adirondack Mountains of the 1890s in a novel of love, faith, and secrets…
 

Former Pinkerton spy Lily Handland has always dreamed of a quiet, safe life, free from chasing criminals and putting herself at risk. So when the opportunity to invest in a failing Great Camp in the Adirondacks comes to her attention, she quickly jumps at the chance.
 

Filled with grief, widower Owen Murphy wants to run away from it all. Though he’s worked hard to forge a future for himself, his guilt has kept him mired in the past. But all that changes when a headstrong, mysterious woman shows up at Owen’s door. Together, as Lily and Owen restore the beauty of the Great Camp, he begins to finally see a future. But will learning about Lily’s past destroy it all?
 

Click here to purchase your copy.

My Review:


“The Heart of an Agent” by Tracey J. Lyons is the second book in “Adirondack Pinkertons” series, but can easily be read as a standalone.  I have not read the first book, “A Changed Agent”, but I am now interested in it after reading this book.

Ms. Lyons excels in the way she describes her settings.   This book contains such vivid and beautiful descriptions of the Adirondacks.  Ms. Lyons writes the setting so well that I could picture everything in my mind.  I am not even much of a mountain or wilderness person, but the descriptions won me over so much so that I want to visit the Adirondacks and to go outside more to experience God’s creation.  Ms. Lyons also takes the reader back to a slower paced way of life consisting of small towns and Great Camps.  I enjoyed learning a lot about the Great Camps and the Adirondacks in the 1890s. 

I really love the characters in this story.  I somewhat felt a Beauty and the Beast vibe throughout (I’m not sure if the author intended that or not).  Ms. Lyons shows a very realistic portrayal of grief through her main character, Owen Murphy.  I love our other main character too, Lily Handland, who is a former Pinkerton spy.  Both characters have a faith that grows throughout the story.  I like how the characters pray and quote Scripture.  This book also has a slow building romance, as opposed to insta-love which can feel unnatural.  Because there is so much descriptive language and a love story that builds up over time, it is a slower paced read overall.  When I saw it was about a former Pinkerton agent, I expected there to be more action and more about the Pinkerton Detective Agency in general, but it sounds like that was more in the first book of the series.

“The Heart of an Agent” by Tracey J. Lyons is a book with a sweet romance and a breathtaking setting! 

Content: This is a clean read.  Lily was a salon girl as a part of her job in the past, but she didn’t do anything more than serve drinks.  There is mention of a low neckline on a gown.  There is a brief scene with a drunken man who tries to accost Lily.

Rating:  I give this book 3 ½ stars. 

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction; Romance

I want to thank Tracey J. Lyons, Waterfall Press and Celebrate Lit Publishing for the complimentary copy of this book for review.  I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I express in this review are my own. This is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s CFR 16, Part 255.

About the Author:

An Amazon Top Ten bestselling historical romance author of the Adirondack Pinkertons and the Women of Surprise series, Tracey was a 2017 National Excellence Romance Fiction Award finalist. She sold her first book on 9/9/99! Her books have been translated into several languages and are available in print, digital and audio formats. A true upstate New Yorker, Tracey believes you should write what you know. Her historical romances are all set in the New York State area. Tracey considers herself a small town gal who writes small town romances. You can learn more about Tracey and her books by visiting her website at www.traceylyons.com.

Guest Post from Tracey Lyons

My family and I spent a lot of time in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State. When I came up with the idea for the Pinkerton series, I knew the books had to be set in a place that I loved. The Heart of An Agent, book 2 in The Adirondack Pinkertons series takes place at an Adirondack great camp. Imagine a time when people would travel from faraway places to hike the many trails or lounge on a porch in one of the famed Adirondack chairs. These intricate, grand structures, built during the latter part of the nineteenth century are part of the unique landscape and history that makes up the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York. I enjoyed creating the fictional Murphy camp, the setting for Lily Handland and Owen Murphy’s story.

Blog Stops

 

Just the Write Escape, November 30

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, November 30

Texas Book-aholic, December 1

Locks, Hooks and books, December 1

A Greater Yes, December 2

Faery Tales Are Real, December 2

Multifarious, December 3

To Everything a Season, December 3

Reader’s cozy corner, December 4

Janice’s book reviews, December 5

Carpe Diem, December 6

Bibliophile Reviews, December 7

Pause for Tales, December 8

Have A Wonderful Day, December 8

With a Joyful Noise, December 9

D’S QUILTS & BOOKS, December 10

Daysong Reflections, December 10

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 11

Mary Hake, December 11

My Writer’s Life, December 12

Books n Baubles, December 12

Jeanette’s Thoughts, December 13
 

Giveaway

 

 

To celebrate her tour, Tracey is giving away a Grand Prize Package of a tea-time themed gift box (Valued at over $75) and a $25 Visa Gift Card!!

 

Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/c1f6