The Heiress Comes to Town

by Janet Syas Nitsick

Slipping out of her father’s New York mansion on her wedding day, Nina Robert stands outside her home in the snow to hail a cab. The cabbie pulls up just before her father would return in his rig with the minister. She gets inside the cab, and the horses clomp to the train depot. With little money, she boards a train and eventually lands in Fort Calhoun, Nebraska.There she hides out, gives a false name and meets Dr. Earl Olson, a young handsome doctor, who takes a liking to her. Love between them blossoms. But her tycoon father, Clyde Robert the III, has not given up on finding her. To search for his daughter, Mr. Robert hires the famous Pinkerton National Detective Agency, known for their investigative work in foiling an assassination attempt on Abraham Lincoln’s life during his first term. Nina’s father also was determined to keep his daughter’s arranged marriage to the wealthy son of a prominent and wealthy businessman intact. Nina has settled into a happy, simple life working at the Greens Boardinghouse. Although poor, she is content in her escape haven, not under the dictates of a father who managed every move of her life. But once her father discovers her whereabouts, she faces another dilemma – stay and fight him or sneak away once again, either way she could lose the man she loves. The Heiress Comes to Town, a clean, Christian historical romance, takes readers on a journey to small town life of 1896 before cars traveled the roadways and electricity illuminated buildings. Travel back in time and visit Nina’s yearn for freedom and her desire to marry the man she loves.

212 pages, Paperback

Published January 18, 2019

About the author

Author Janet Syas Nitsick is the daughter of a well respected Nebraska State Senator, now deceased. He served 26 years in the Unicameral and became dean of the legislator. Janet earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1995 as a nontraditional student. She lives in the Midwest with her husband and has four sons (two of them autistic) and six grandchildren. Visit www.JanetSyasNitsick.com for a book list and links to her books.

Janet’s short story, “The Silver Lining,” placed tenth in the seventy-ninth Writer’s Digest competition in the mainstream/literary category. She also is the author of several historical, sweet and clean romances.

Author of historical, sweet and clean romances. Great Plains series: Courtships and Carriages, first in the series, The Bride List, second in series, When Hearts Rekindle, the third and last in the series, which was released January 13, 2018. Her first inspirational romance was Her Husband’s Secret (formerly published as Lockets and Lanterns).

Janet's first book, Seasons of the Soul includes a spattering of accounts of her two different autistic sons. It received Best Collection of Inspirational Personal Devotions in 2007.

Anthologies with Ruth Ann Nordin: Bride by Arrangement (Janet's story, She Came by Train) and A Groom’s Promise, (Janet's story, When the Whistle Blows) with Ruth Ann Nordin.

Reviews

[Faith Faithy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nina Becker, a privileged young woman, is fed up with her father's control over her life. She made the momentous decision in 1896 to abandon her harsh existence in New York City and avoid an arranged marriage. Her escape leads her to Fort Calhoun, Nebraska, where she is determined to carve out a life for herself. Nina struggled to adjust to her new modest life as Nolita Waterman, a first name picked up from a friend's grandmother and a last name she chose at random.

However, her father hires Pinkerton investigators to track her down. This threatens the fragile freedom she has worked so hard to gain. In this new town, she meets Dr. Earl Olson, a quiet but compassionate guy who understands what she is going through. As she strives to keep one step ahead of her father's reach, she begins to fall for James. But can she keep her independence and her heart, or will everything fall apart? For more information, read Janet Syas Nitsick's The Heiress Comes to Town (Bonnets and Beaus Book 1).

First of all, the beginning of the book is fantastic. I was drawn in by Nina's universe from the very beginning. Given the author's depiction of the surrounding noises and other details, the situation seemed vivid and real. Nina's fear and will to run away were completely palpable in the words the author wrote.

Nina was definitely my favorite character. Her life story was quite sympathetic despite the fact that she led a privileged existence. The fact that she was able to pinpoint the life she desired and struggled to gain her freedom thrilled me. I thought the narrative progression was excellent since I saw Nina gradually change and get more resilient in each situation. Dr. Olson was another persona that seemed genuine, in addition to Nina. His kind-hearted personality made his character real as well.

For the most part, the narrative kept me guessing. This was thanks to Nina's father. Just as Nina was relieved to have escaped, her father hires detectives to track her down. I was definitely on edge because I admired the little life Nina had built for herself, and I couldn't help but wonder how close her father was or how Nina would handle the situation. My favorite aspect of the novel was Nina's attempt to adjust to her new life and connect with others around her. It was great to read about her development and finding joy in simple things despite living a wealthy life.

Furthermore, I could go on and on about how much I adored this book. It was a relaxing read that transported me to the 1800s. Without the extra distractions of the modern world, it was wonderful to focus just on the characters' connection and growth. I really enjoyed reading this book, I didn't find anything objectionable about this book. It was well edited. As a result, I rate The Heiress Comes to Town (Bonnets and Beaus Book 1) 5 out of 5 stars.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes historical fiction, self-discovery stories, or romance and thriller novels. You'd love this book if you enjoy strong female leads who make their way through difficult situations.

[Gina Burgess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from the author, and I am happy to review it.

This is an excellent premise for a historical romance. The characters are distinct and believable, and I can feel Nina's desperation to get away from her controlling father.

The book is well-written, although as an editor there are lots of things I could suggest such as removing a couple of modernisms (which it has been a few weeks since I read it and now can't remember them). Modernisms are things the characters say that are from modern language. And there is some wordiness that seems to dam up the story flow at times.

However, that said, the story is a good one, and fairly fast-paced. You get a good feel for Victorian small town America, but there is a lack of nosy-ness of neighbors that always goes with small-town life.

The main characters are well-developed. The supporting cast could use a little fine tuning. Mrs. Green seems kindly at first, then rather dictatorial, then fiercely loyal...

I recommend this book, and give it 4 stars out of 5.

[Carol Jarrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first time reading this author. This is a story about an heiress running away from a marriage arranged by her father to a horrible man that she loathes, and her fathers desperate attempt to find her. I enjoyed reading the book very much and will definitely read her other books.