Customer Reviews

A Lady of Secret Devotion (Ladies of Liberty, Book 3)

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3 star:		(1)
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"A Lady of Secret Devotion" is the third and last book in the Ladies of Liberty series by Tracie Peterson. I am quite sad that the series is now over because I have enjoyed reading stories about strong-willed women in the pre-Civil War era. The book was quite the page-turner as I read the whole thing in only a day.

Cassandra Stover, or Cassie as people call her is hired to be the companion to Mrs. Jameston, an elderly yet lonely woman. Cassie is thrilled to live in such an elegant home and eventually comes to love Mrs. Jameston as one would love their own family. Mark Langford, comes to Philadelphia to investigate the death of his best friend. He has suspicions that Sebastian Jameston, Mrs. Jameston's son may have killed him. Mark literally collides into Cassie upon first meeting her. As he gets to know her, he proposes that they play a game of pretend. In order to investigate and get closer to Sebastian, he suggested that he and Cassie pretend they are courting each other. Cassie agrees since she has her doubts about her employers son, however as she spends more time with Mark, what started as a game of pretend is slowly not becoming a game anymore.

The romance between Cassie and Mark seemed kinda rushed to me yet it was still fun to read about how two people fall in love. :) What I must applaud Tracie Peterson on is in her ability to create such an evil character of Sebastian Jameston. I have never seen a character who's actions and cruelty towards others were so devestating.

Overall I really enjoyed the book. I find that I enjoyed book 2 ("A Lady of Hidden Intent") the most out of the three but between this book and "A Lady of High Regard" I cannot pick a favorite. The entire series was just wonderful and I will miss reading about a new "lady" in each new book. I look forward to her new series that comes out in September! :)

The third book in the Ladies of Liberty series by Tracie Peterson. Each book stands alone. Set in 19th century Philadelphia, Cassie Stover is hired to be a companion to Mrs. Jameston, a very wealthy, elderly woman. Cassie's father was killed when she was a teenager so she and her mother have always worked to provide for themselves and her younger sister. Living with Mrs. Jameston brings Cassie into a world she could have imagined.

When Mrs. Jameston's wayward and ruthless son, Sebastian, returns home, Cassie fears for her safety and that of her employer. Sebastian is suspected of fraud and murder, so when handsome Mark Langford asks Cassie to help him investigate Sebastian, she agrees. There is romance and a bit of mystery and intrigue, and certainly danger. What Cassie doesn't plan on, is falling for Mark in the process.

Like the other books in this series, this is an enthralling, light historical read. Cassie is a woman of faith, Mark is a man who struggles with his, but ultimately comes to accept it. The novel is Christian without being overly preachy, the characters are likeable and the story is interesting. Of the three, I think I liked this one the best.

I thought "A Lady of Secret Devotion" an entirely delightful story. It is so important not to be unequally yolked, and the story tells how God can work out all of the details in order to bring about many circumstances. Whether it is bringing the man you care for into a relationship with Him, or keeping you safe from unwanted attention and protection. Tracy Peterson uses her gift of writing to proclaim God's love for us all without doing it in a preachy way. She shows us ways to be in God's will by simple example. I would recommend this book along with the other two in the Ladies of Liberty series, "A Lady of High Regard" and "A Lady of Hidden Intent". They were books you don't want to put down until you come to the end, which is always too soon.

Again, Tracie has written such a lovely book !! Cassie, the main character in this novel has such a natural sweetness about her that endears her to the reader. She opens her mouth when she may have been better to wait before speaking. Mrs Jameston has hired her to be her companion and throughout the book, one senses the sincere love they have found in each other !!God's love is evident throughout. Such a GOOD read !! with romance intertwined !!

Cassandra Stover owes wealthy widow Mrs. Jameston many thanks. She has been hired to be the companion for the elderly lady and will be able to help support her widowed mother and younger sister. Now living in a life of luxury, Cassandra starts to settle down and enjoy the nicer things in life. However just as she's beginning to relax, Mrs. Jameston's son returns to town. A selfish man who only thinks of himself, Sebastian begins to plot how to gain his mother's money even if it means killing his own mother and Cassandra.

The Ladies of Liberty series has been a delight to read. While each book in the series can be read by itself, it is very refreshing to see a bunch of strong women in a time where women were seen and not heard. I really liked Cassandra's character. She was a faithful companion and not afraid to speak her mind. She's a very good and clean character but neither is she too perfect to be unbelievable. Her chemistry with Mark is excellent. I enjoyed watching their relationship grow throughout the story. Wow, Sebastian is one of the worse villains I have ever read in a book. Just the way he treated his mother was absolutely horrible. I'm glad that while she was not able to change his ways, she did not approve of him and was even disgusted with him. I'm tired of reading in novels where the mother is oblivious to the faults of her children and then blames others for their wrongdoings. It was refreshing to see that she realized that she had helped with his downfall and that also she wasn't going to put up with his dastardly shenanigans. This has been my favorite series of all of Tracie Peterson's books and this novel makes an excellent addition to the collection. I am hoping that there will be another lady to read about in the near future.

In 1857 Philadelphia, Cassandra Stover is elated when a kind wealthy society lady Mrs. Jameston hires her as her companion as her family needs the money. Cassie moves in to her employer's home. Whereas Mrs. Jameston treats Cassie as if she is her daughter, her son Sebastian is odious and always seems stalking her ,waiting to get inside her pants; worse in Cassie's mind is he is abusive towards his mother.

Widower Mark Langford has arrived in town from Boston to investigate the murder of his best friend Richard. He believes Sebastian killed Richard, but has no proof to affirm his belief. Needing to get closer to his prime suspect, Mark pretends to court Cassandra in order to find the evidence and to keep the two women safe because he thinks Sebastian will kill the females. Their fake courtship turns real as they fall in love, but stopping Sebastian from another two homicides remains Mark's priority.

This third Ladies of Liberty tale (see A LADY OF HIDDEN INTENT and A LADY OF HIGH REGARD) is a fabulous pre-Civil War historical romantic suspense. The story line contains a strong cast especially the lead couple. She has faith in God, country, family (including Mrs. Jameston whom she loves as a grandma) and Mark; he thanks the Lord for a second chance as his beloved late wife died seven years ago from cholera. Although the villain has no redeeming qualities, fans will appreciate this fine mid nineteenth century Americana romance summed up by Mrs. Jameston who will always love her son even though she knows he will always hurt her.

Harriet Klausner

This is an easy read-- Not quite as gut wrenching as Petersons "Heirs of Montana" series. It really is quite enjoyable. It has some suspense to keep you interested despite a fairly typical romance plotline.

In order to support her struggling widowed mother (and younger sister) Cassandra (or Cassie) Stover becomes a companion to Mrs. Jameston, wealthy woman with only one son who she, the mother herself, deems a scullywag.

Mark Langford, insurance investigator and widower, comes to investigate the death of his good friend and fellow investigator. Believing that Sebastion Jameston is the murderer, Mark forms a friendship with Cassie and enlists her help in solving the mystery.

Really, the plot is fun, the story well written. The romance is, as I said before, typical. However, it is always fun watching people fall in love in the innocent style of this genre. And since the other plotlines in the book are fairly original and suspenseful you remain entertained the whole book through.

This book is recommended to fans of this genre and author. Also to people who enjoy their lighthearted romances laced with a little intrique.

This book is much better than book 2 of ladies of liberty. I can't decide whether it is equal to or better than book 1, Lady of High Regard.

A Lady of Secret Devotion has jumped up to be one of my favorite books. If you like historical fiction and romance, I'm sure you'll love it, too. Plus, there's a devious employer's son whose always up to no good - what's not to love?

I'm rather notorious for readings books in the middle of a series that I've never touched, so you can trust me when I say that this book can stand on its own two feet (if books had feet...). This is the 3rd book in the series Ladies of Liberty, but the first book I've read in the series (actually, I had never even heard of the series until I came across this book), and I didn't have any trouble at all with it.

I found this book to be a very easy read; engaging, realistic, and very historic without losing you or bogging you down with details you might be unfamiliar with. The plot, I thought, was very interesting and I soon found myself reluctant to put it down. I'll admit I did guess accurately on a few details of the plot, however I liked that there were far too many possibilities of what could happen that I dare trust my guess as correct.

The two main characters, Cassie and Mark, were awesome. Cassie is this outspoken woman who, considering the time period, isn't getting any younger (though she's by no means old) and has yet to ever be courted. It was cool that she originally came from the bottom of the pecking order, because it made her more down to earth and relateable. And then there was Mark. I loved Mark, he was awesome. While still maintaining the appropriate behavior demanded of his social rank, I thought he was fun, amusing, and all around fantastic. If I had the opportunity to steal a guy out of a book, I would probably take Mark. ^_-

All around I thought A Lady of Secret Devotion was a fantastic book, full of rich characters, humor, devious bad guys, and great plot. This is a book to hold onto. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for this review. These opinions are my own; I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated for this review.

Sadly to say this is the last book in this series! I really enjoyed reading about these strong willed young woman, which were not the norm in this era and as a Tracie Peterson fan am very sad to have this series end. This particular book is about a young woman, Cassie, who goes to live (become a companion) with a elderly woman, Mrs Jamison. This elderly woman is really very spy and quick for a woman of her age and Cassie finds herself really enjoying herself and loving her ... however, she becomes very concerned when Mrs Jamison's son moves in and starts causing trouble. Come to find out the son has managed to break Mrs Jamison's heart over and over and this time it becomes deadly. He is being investigated for insurance fraud by Mark Langford, who you can't help but like immediately even though to begin with he isn't completely honest with Cassie. I found this book very difficult to put down, I wanted to reach in and find some way to protect Mrs Jamison, I really disliked her son and found him very upsetting right from the start.I think this is a series that most will enjoy and certainly is one worth reading!

Another work of poetry in the form of prose from beloved author Tracie Peterson. In this story there were bits that dragged for me a little bit, but I absolutely love the story overall. This is the third book in the Ladies of Liberty series, yet all the stories stand alone with unconnected characters.



Years ago, when I first read the Yukon Quest 3-in-1 I was shocked at how vividly Tracie could present a villain and at how I could really feel a strong animosity toward a fictitious character. Well, in the novel those similar feelings were brought back to face this "bad guy" as well. The cruelty is so real that it is palpable.



I did feel in this story that the main character's faith was too strong and unwavering to be real, but it is just a story, and she is a perfect example of how one's faith should be. Through out this story we are given examples of love lost and found and growth within personal relationships to God. One of things that I found most intriguing to read in a character's plot was about a struggle to find God on his own, rather than just experiencing God through a friend or neighbor.



It is amazing what lessons can be learned through a bit of fiction.



This is a story that I would recommend for someone who enjoys the writings of Tracie Peterson and other authors like her. It is a good story that you can reflect a lot of what is going on inside yourself and evaluate your reactions to the various events through out and see how you may be growing.