Great story with lots of murder, mystery and mayhem. This is the story of Cecilia and Joseph. If you are following the series, you have met Cecilia in the first book as a bully. In this book you get to know Cecilia as she tries to manipulate Ambrose into marrying her. Cecilia has a secret that she must protect, or she will be rejected by not only her fiancé but also the entire town. Ambrose's mother and sister hear gossip about Cecilia and treat her badly. They do everything they can to ruin a marriage between her and Ambrose. Unfortunately, some of their beliefs are true.... Cecilia only wants Ambrose for his money. She does not love him or want him for any other reason. The secret is the reason why she is willing to sacrifice herself to a loveless marriage.
Her plan goes haywire when she meets Joseph during a thunderstorm. He is everything Ambrose isn't which is a blessing and a curse because it doesn't matter if she is attracted to Joseph, he is a broke sharecropper's son with no future. After one look, Joseph knows that Cecilia is the woman for him and, poor guy, he pursues her. Cecilia insults, embarrasses and degrades Joseph at every opportunity but he doesn't care, he wants only her. Joseph keeps getting in the way of her goal of marrying Ambrose. He is a distraction she cannot afford.
Love is tested when Cecilia's secret is exposed, and she loses almost everything she so carefully planned. This book has many surprises twists and turns.
Although I liked most all of the characters, I didn't like Cecilia until her secret, her purpose and intent was revealed. Overall, good read that I really enjoyed. Looking forward to the next book in the series.