CROOKED HEARTS by Patricia Gaffney
Title: Crooked Hearts
Author: Patricia Gaffney
Publication Info: Signet, Dec 2001
Genre: Historical Romance
Rating: <3 <3 <3 <3
A delightful, crafty romp with two crooked souls who are perfect for each other. Picture George Clooney in Brother Where Art Thou or Ocean’s 11 and give him a female counterpart of equal cunning and skill. This book is refreshing; forget honor, forget morals, forget all those “typical” heroic traits we read about over and over again. These two con artists will steal every reader’s heart.
Plot:
1880′s, San Francisco. On a roadtrip to swindle poor shmucks out of their fortunes, Grace Russell runs into a con artist who could give her a run for her money. She may be dressed as a Catholic nun, but Reuben Jones knows a fake when he sees one. Though to be fair, without his disguise as a blind man, Grace would never have let down her guard (and her clothes). When bandits attack the stagecoach, the two must band together to escape before anyone uncovers their disguises. Who needs trust? Grace and Reuben join forces to recoup their lost money, despite the mountain of lies between them. They concoct a plan to sucker the mob boss of Chinatown for money. Instead of handing over the cash, the mob boss kidnaps Grace, and it’s up to Reuben to save her. They escape to Grace’s farm outside San Francisco and plot an even better revenge. Hijinks ensue.
Discussion:
This is my second Gaffney book (WILD AT HEART was the first), and I’m a fan. Fast paced plot, funny, playful dialogue and absolutely charming characters. Grace and Reuben’s sharp tongues are equally as intriguing as their sharp minds. I like especially when Grace makes fun of Reuben talking about wine. What’s with the cover though, really? Tasteful, but very booooring. The book is not boring. For a fun, fresh read, I highly recommend it!
