Verity And The Villain - Eloise Alden

A girl disguised as a boy.
A villain with a brothel to fill.
Serving murder, mayhem and pies, Verity and the Villain is a romantic adventure set in 1889-on the eve of the Great Seattle Fire, when more than a city is set on fire.

After a night of terror, Verity Faye flees New York. Disguised as a boy, she sets sail for a new life in Seattle, but her nightmare, Mr. Steele, follows close behind. Armed with only her chocolates, laced tarts, and wits, Verity sets out to destroy Mr. Steele and his Lucky Island brothel.

Trent Michaels is searching for his missing cousin. He can't afford complications - or romance - yet, at every turn he finds Verity Faye. The night before the Great Seattle Fire of 1889, flames spark between Verity and Trent leaving the life they know and the city they love in ashes.

Their story reaches forward through time to Bette Michaels, a genealogist, struggling with grief after the sudden death of her husband. Although generations apart, as Bette unravels Verity's story, she learns that a life can be rebuilt - even after everything is lost.

Through Verity, Bette discovers that sometimes the only way to find happiness is to steal it.

Verity and the Villain is a revamped version of Stealing Mercy. Although it's been tweaked and twisted, a few readers may recognize the original story. Here's what some readers had to say about Stealing Mercy:

A spunky heroine and a confident, cocky hero, who could want more? The story was fast paced, and flowed easily. The storyline was excellent and in it was woven a second story of today, looking back. A fun read.
*
I thoroughly enjoyed STEALING MERCY, a fast-paced novel with an intrepid heroine, richly developed characters, and a plot which grabbed me immediately. It begins with a villain holding a knife in her NY bake shop apartment and goes to Seattle in the 1880s where Mercy takes on the worst sort of predators. I loved the relationship between Trent and Mercy: the initial spark and its evolution. I especially liked the baking tips topping each chapter. I look forward to Kristy Tate's next novel as this one was a treasure.
*
New author Kristy Tate brings a wicked sense of humor and a fast-paced storyline to her tale of a feisty 1880s piemaker who flees an enemy in New York and finds happiness--along with danger--in Seattle. You can't help rooting for Mercy Faye, who flaunts convention and flings herself into peril, determined to save young women forced to work in a brothel. Her secrets form a barrier between her and the appealing Trent Michaels, but love has a way of breaching the gap. A charming debut!
*
Well portrayed leads, Mercy and Trent, interact in a historically rich but still real setting. They are swept together in adventure, romance, and intrigue. Great combination. Easy and enjoyable read. Nice to get sucked in and spend some time in the northwest with such likable characters.
*
What does a fireplace poker, pies & chocolates, a brothel, a ship and expensive jewels have in common? Oh, wait--I almost forgot the Chinese throwing stars! I really enjoyed this story, great movement to the plot and interesting situations throughout. It was easy to buy into the character's struggle. I'll read the next book from Tate as well.
*
When I started reading this book, I couldn't put it down. I was hooked on it! Every page drew me deeper into Mercy's world. I wanted to know what she was thinking and what she was going to do next. Each turn in the story made my heart race. Also, being from Seattle myself I loved having the story set there. I would recommend this to anyone!
*
This was a fantastic book! I loved the character development in this book and the richness of the descriptions of their feelings. Every emotion was painted very vividly by Kristy Tate. The plot is very intriguing and keeps you interested to the finale at the end.