Indiana Belle by John A. Heldt

Once again, I publish a post when I’m not supposed to be publishing posts. But, hey, I’ve got some catching up to do! And I have a busy reading schedule for this summer, so … I think I’m justified.

Indiana Belle by John A. Heldt

American Journey, #3

Providence, Rhode Island, 2017.

When doctoral student Cameron Coelho, 28, opens a package from Indiana, he finds more than private papers that will help him with his dissertation. He finds a photograph of a beautiful society editor murdered in 1925 and clues to a century-old mystery.

Within days, he meets Geoffrey Bell, the “time-travel professor,” and begins an unlikely journey through the Roaring Twenties.

Filled with history, romance, and intrigue, Indiana Belle follows a lonely soul on the adventure of a lifetime as he searches for love and answers in the age of Prohibition, flappers, and jazz.

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Indiana Belle by John A. Heldt is an amazing book that caught my attention from page one to the end.

Cameron Coelho, the main POV character, was interesting. At first I had a little trouble getting attached to him … I felt like we were learning a lot about the other characters and very little about the MC, which seems to be a common case in closed 3rd-person narratives (assuming I’m using that term right). However, as time went on, I got attached to him, too. He was admirable, but not too perfect. His back story was sad, yet not melodramatic or secretive, and fit in nicely with the storyline.

I’ll be honest … if it had just been Cameron, I wouldn’t have been quite so enthusiastic about this book. It took Candice Bell, the journalist, the rebel, the flapper, the Indiana Belle to liven up the story. She was … well, she was perfect. And by perfect, I mean she also had some faults and short comings (so bullheaded …) that made her perfect. And besides, she’s a redhead.

Candice’s family – mother, brother, sister-in-law, baby niece – were lovely. I especially liked Mrs. Bell.

The villains were hateful, but still human. These were hateful, but not too hateful. I don’t know if you know what I mean, but I get sick of totally evil villains. They’re kind of unbelievable. Like Dr. Doofenshmirtz. secretly I’m very lonely

The writing was very good. I liked the style. It didn’t throw me off with a ton of description or facts or super long words. I got the information I needed to proceed and give me a feel for the time period; nothing more.

I’ve loved the 1920s since I read Cheaper by the Dozen when I was 9-ish. It was wonderful to go back in time with Cameron and see this vastly different – and in my opinion vastly better – time period. Indiana Belle was thoroughly researched, which was good because historical discrepancies can throw me off.

Time travel has always fascinated me to some extent. I know it’s impossible (I actually had to think about this for a bit while I was reading this book to determine that, no, time travel isn’t ever going to happen), but I just keep wishing it was possible. Honestly, though, I don’t want to time travel to different time periods; I want to have been born there and grow up there and live there.