Title: Into the Whirlwind
Author: Elizabeth Camden
Genre: Historical Fiction
Plot: Mollie and Zach are in the fight of their lives. They’re in Chicago in 1871 and the city is in flames. Mollie and Zach somehow manage to survive and save a few valuable things. Mollie saves her smaller machines from her watch factory, the 57th Illinois Watch Factory. Zach saves some of his family’s most precious documents. But now, most of Chicago has to start from scratch. They’ve all lost their homes, jobs, everything. Through the turmoil, Mollie and Zach have become close. Mollie struggles to get her business up and running again. Zach works for Hartman’s Store, which supplies luxury goods to the rich. Hartman’s Store burnt down in the fire. Zach is the store’s lawyer and negotiator and is struggling to keep himself afloat in all the paperwork. Mollie and Zach try to make their relationship work in the turmoil, but it doesn’t work. Then comes in Colonel Lowe to help Mollie get her business going. He gives Mollie’s company the momentum it needs. Mollie starts falling for Colonel Lowe. He’s everything that Mollie’s wished for in a man. But is Colonel Lowe really who she wants? He keeps her safe and comfortable, but is that really what she wants? All this while her company is trying to stay afloat and ahead of the game.
Rating: 3.8 – a good historical fiction and romance
Opinion: This was a good book. It annoyed me a little bit at first. Zach declares his love for Mollie at the very beginning. Mollie doesn’t return his feelings at first. That part of the relationship at the beginning annoys me because it felt forced. Once I read more of the book more, the relationship started to feel more natural. Then they broke up, I was sad, but I understood. But once I got to know Colonel Lowe, I realized how much better Zach was for her. On another note, I learned more about a part of history I’d heard about as a kid. I spent a few years in Wisconsin and I’d heard about the Chicago fire that Mrs. O’Leary’s cow started. It was nice to learn more about what happened to the people after the fire. I enjoyed this book because of the sappy romantic side as well as the historical fiction side. I was curious to see how the relationships would progress in the story and how Mollie and Zach would keep their businesses afloat. This is a good book for anyone who loves historical fiction and sappy romance.
A Bookworm's Book Reviews 