Nebraska - 1916

Doyle Lawrence and Zee Miller are good friends.  They both have dreams.  When World War I breaks out, those dreams are changed, and Doyle and Zee’s futures are also changed.

Zee Miller is restless.  She dreams of nothing else but becoming a movie star.  Zee’s father, a minister, forbids her to study acting.  She does the only thing she can, she runs away, to fulfill her destiny.  She winds up in New York.  Its there where she starts living her dream, but it is also in New York where Zee harbors a deep secret.

Doyle Lawrence does not want to follow in his fathers footsteps, to be a lawyer.  Instead he enlists and is sent to France to fight for freedom.  When he is medically discharged, he is a changed man.  He starts riding the rails, has no money, hardly any clothes, and is a broken man.

Zee and Doyle were at one time close friends.  Doyle even wanted to marry Zee, but his parents thought Zee was below them socially.  After they both go their separate ways, they didn’t meet for a number of years.  They run into each other in Los Angeles and Doyle finds out Zee has been charged with murder. He knows he has to help her somehow.  He hires an attorney, Kit Shannon to defend Zee.

What a great read.  If you have read other books by Mr. Bell, you will be re-introduced to Ms. Kit Shannon, the main character from a previous series of his.  I enjoyed both Doyle and Zee’s story.  They were at a young age at a horrible time, World War I.  At times their faith was tested to its limits, but it never quit on them.  Doyle and Zee were great characters, they both were strong-willed, had challenges which tested them to their limits.  Mr. Bell is a wonderful storyteller. When he is giving descriptions, you can see the details in your mind, his writing style keeps the details simple, it is almost as if he is sitting with you and talking to the reader.  Pick up this book and don't miss this amazing new series!

Reviewed by Patsy Glans for The Road to Romance

September 27, 2005