My Heart Belongs on Mackinac Island ~ Review

My Heart Belongs on Mackinac Island
        Maude's Mooring
By Carrie Fancett Pagels

Maude Welling is determined to convince her father to allow her to take over the family's inn - one that has been in her mother's family for generations. But her father is insistent that she be married before taking over the Winds of Mackinac Inn in any capacity. But Maude's hopes for marriage are soon dashed with her intended's change of heart. But Maude is determined to prove to her father that she can handle the responsibilities by taking a position with their competition as a maid. But working as a maid isn't as easy as it appears.

Meanwhile, Ben Steffans has come to Mackinac on assignment - pretend he is a man of means while searching out prospectors who are in pursuit of well-to-do heiresses who will elevate not only their social standing but their economic standing as well. Ben's biggest obstacle to fleshing out his story - finding island locals willing to talk to an outsider.

But more is going on at this summer destination than anyone could possibly imagine and before long Maude and Ben find themselves caught up in the stories that they have woven. But when the truth comes out will the damages be too great to undo or will these two hurting people discover that there was something better for them all along?

My Heart Belongs on Mackinac Island: Maude's Mooring is a delightful escape into a time, while not simpler, that was less encumbered by technology. What's fun about this book is that my great-great-grandmother lived not too far from here at the time - it is interesting to know what her world was like. So if you like sweet historical fiction with a dash of romance and mystery thrown in give this one a look-see.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review. All opinions expressed are my own.  


About the Book:
Although the Winds of Mackinac Inn has been in her mother’s family for generations, Maude Welling’s father refuses to let her run it without the guidance of a husband. So she seeks to prove her worth and independence by working incognito as a maid at the Grand Hotel.

Undercover journalist Ben Steffans, posing as a wealthy industrialist, pursues a story about impoverished men chasing heiresses at the famed hotel. While undercover, he becomes attracted to an intriguing maid. By an act of heroism Ben endears himself to the closed-mouthed islanders—including Maude—and he digs deep for his story.

But when scandal threatens, will the growing love between Maude and Ben be scuttled when truths are revealed?