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About the Book

Title: Counterfeit Love
Series: Hidden Hearts of the Gilded Age #1
Author: Crystal Caudill
Genre: Christian Historical Fiction
Publisher: Kregel Publications
Release Date: March 15, 2022

Can this undercover agent save the woman he loves—or is her heart as counterfeit as the money he’s been sent to track down?

After all that Grandfather has sacrificed to raise her, Theresa Plane owes it to him to save the family name–and that means clearing their debt with creditors before she marries Edward Greystone. But when one of the creditors’ threats leads her to stumble across a midnight meeting, she discovers that the money he owes isn’t all Grandfather was hiding. And the secrets he kept have now trapped Theresa in a life-threatening fight for her home–and the truth.

After months of undercover work, Secret Service operative Broderick Cosgrove is finally about to uncover the identity of the leader of a notorious counterfeiting ring. That moment of triumph turns to horror, however, when he finds undeniable proof that his former fiancé is connected. Can he really believe the woman he loved is a willing participant? Protecting Theresa and proving her innocence may destroy his career–but that’s better than failing her twice in one lifetime.

They must form a partnership, tentative though it is. But there’s no question they’re both still keeping secrets–and that lack of trust, along with the dangerous criminals out for their blood, threatens their hearts, their faith, and their very survival.

Combining rich history, danger, suspense, and romance, Crystal Caudill’s debut novel launches this new historical series with a bang. Fans of Elizabeth Camden, Michelle Griep, and Joanna Davidson Politano will be thrilled to find another author to follow!

Purchase your copy here!

About the Author

Crystal Caudill is the author of “dangerously good historical romance,” with her work garnering awards from Romance Writers of America and ACFW. Counterfeit Love is her debut published novel.

Caudill says that reading and writing are part of her soul and have been since she first held a crayon. While she considered writing to be an escape from challenges and struggles and a way to keep her sanity, Caudill would come to recognize that God used it as a teaching tool. “The stories came through my fingertips, but they were marked with His fingerprints,” she shares.

As she delved into history and crafted her own stories of hope through danger, Caudill would answer the call to pursue writing as a career after her first writer’s conference. “My stories are still filled with danger, struggle, and history, but they are also permeated with the hope and love of Christ. I hope they are dangerously good. Good for the heart and for the soul.”

She is a stay-at-home mom and caregiver, and when she isn’t writing, Caudill can be found playing board games with her family, drinking hot tea, or reading other great books at her home outside Cincinnati, Ohio. 

Find out more at crystalcaudill.com or find her on Facebook (@crystalcaudillauthor) and Instagram (@crystalcaudillauthor). You can also join fellow readers in Crystal Caudill’s Reading Friends group on Facebook.

My Review

Counterfeit Love
by Crystal Caudill
Book 1 in the Hidden Hearts of the Gilded Age series
Rating: 4.5/5

Wow. Crystal Caudill’s debut novel is anything but ordinary. Her writing has well developed mystery and action all with a swoon worthy hero and a strong heroine who fights for what she wants.

First, the cover is gorgeous. Who doesn’t love a mysterious cover with the striking woman in the forefront. The color tones definitely make you think of a mystery to be solved.

Second, the story is very well thought out and developed. The story has many layers to it that keep the reader guessing. (I may have guessed some of the ending but there’s no way I guessed everything). The author incredibly thorough and creative with this story.

Third, the two main characters were super interesting and made you root for them. Theresa’s background story is believable and admirable while Broderick’s career choices are relatable. Their chemistry together is undeniable and yet, there are realistic obstacles to keep them from being together.

Fourth, as a Christian I really enjoy when the author is not afraid to incorporate her faith into a novel and clearly demonstrate what forgiveness and redemption looks like when you are a believer. I empathized with how the characters struggled to forgive and trust. How often do we have trouble trusting after we’ve been hurt or betrayed by others close to us?

“Fear not and trust pounded in her head as if God Himself were determined to carve the words into her brain so she’d stop forgetting them. Would she ever learn to trust the One with all the answers?”

Honorable mention for creating characters that are written to be unlikable – the author was not afraid to go there and I admire her for that.

Highly recommend if you enjoy Christian historical romance with action, mystery and daring adventure!

My thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.

More from the Author

When you hear the words “Secret Service,” what do you think? The men in suits strategically spaced around the President of the United States, right? Did you know that the original purpose of the Secret Service was to catch counterfeiters and thwart their schemes to make money at the cost of the nation’s economy? It would be more than three decades before the agency would protect their first president.

When author Crystal Caudill first read a story and learned that fact, she became hooked on the fascinating history of the Secret Service. In fact, that fascination became the inspiration for her debut novel, Counterfeit Love (Kregel Publications/March 15, 2022), and she hopes her readers are lured in by the history as well.

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