Anna Schmidt’s High-Wire Heartbreak provides a satisfying contemporary romance infused with a suspenseful historical storyline paired with an unexpected romance.
Book Blurb
In 1936–A party at the Ringling mansion Ca d’Zan in Sarasota, Florida, leads to a robbery–and possibly death.
A successful historical mystery writer, Chloe Whitfield comes to Ca’ d’Zan to research her next novel. Chloe’s fascination with the circus is rooted in family stories of her great-grandmother Lucinda Conroy, who reportedly was a trapeze artist of some renown. She’s heard hints of scandal—and perhaps larceny, but no details.
Chloe’s grandmother—rumored to be Lucinda’s only offspring—was raised in an orphanage and never knew her mother. Intrigued as she is, Chloe has no intent of writing about Lucinda until she sees a poster featuring Lucinda as the star performer for a 70th birthday gala for John Ringling in May of 1936. From there the trail goes cold.
Who was Lucinda and what happened to her?
My Thoughts
Anna Schmidt is a new-to-me author, but after reading this novel, I think I need to check out her other books.
The history lover in me was excited from the moment I read Schmidt’s note about the real history behind John Ringling’s Florida home. From the beginning of the first chapter, the description of the grounds pulled me in.
Chloe at first struck me as a bit high maintenance, but by the end of the first chapter, I had decided to set that first impression aside. And that, I think, was an integral theme of the novel. From Lucinda to Chloe and Ian, things were rarely as they first appeared.
As clues surfaced and glimpses into Lucinda’s story revealed secrets, I was further drawn into the story. Schmidt created a fascinating plot that had me finishing High-Wire Heartbreak in a day.
The contemporary romance was nice, though the jumps in time made the romance itself feel a bit rushed. But I liked the development of Chloe’s relationship with Ian from cautious acceptance to mutual respect.
Overall, High-Wire Heartbreak is a great dual-timeline story for romance and mystery lovers alike.
(Note: I received a complimentary copy via NetGalley for review. All opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to post a positive review.)
Further Information
To purchase your own copy of High-Wire Heartbreak, click the book cover image above or visit your favorite book retailer.
And for more on Anna Schmidt, visit her website. You can also follow her on Twitter.
