Identity
Crisis
By:
Eliza Daly
Book Blurb
When Olivia Doyle’s father
dies under suspicious circumstances, rather than inheriting a family fortune,
she inherits a new identity. She learns they were placed in the Federal Witness
Protection Program when she was five years old. Her father was involved in an
art forgery ring and testified against the mob. Brought up not to trust anyone,
Olivia has a difficult time relying on U.S. Marshal Ethan Ryder to protect her,
and to keep her secret. She fears her father may have continued his life of crime
through her art gallery. She has little choice but to depend on Ethan when she
realizes someone is now after her. Olivia’s search for the truth leads her and
Ethan across country to a family and past she doesn’t remember.
At the age of ten, Ethan
witnessed a brutal murder. He vowed when he grew up, he’d protect people in
danger. Protecting Olivia is difficult when she won’t trust him. He soon
realizes his desire to protect her goes beyond doing his job, but if his
judgment becomes clouded by emotions, her safety could be jeopardized.
Can Ethan and Olivia learn
to trust each other when they uncover secrets that will change their lives
forever?
Excerpt:
Father Clifford slipped a yellowed
envelope from the side pocket of his vestment. “Your father gave this to me
many years ago. Asked that I give it to you upon his death.”
She took the envelope from his hand. The
organ music faded and a desolate, eerie stillness fell over the church, raising
the hairs on the back of her neck. She tightened the shawl around her
shoulders. She opened the envelope to find a letter and a newspaper clipping.
She started with the letter.
Dear Livvy,
First, know that I loved you more than
anything in this world. That’s why I hope someday you’ll forgive me for what
I’ve done. Telling you the truth while I was alive could have put your life in
danger. Now that I’m gone, I no longer fear for your safety. They would only
have hurt you to get to me.
The only way to keep us safe was to enter
the Witness Protection Program when you were five. Leaving our friends and
family was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. I can’t stand the thought of
you now being alone. I hope you’ll go back to our family, in the town where I
grew up, Five Lakes, Wisconsin. I’d like to be laid to rest there, next to your
mother. Please forgive me enough to grant me this one last wish. If you should
ever encounter any problems, contact Roy Howard, the U.S. Marshal who relocated
us, at 415-334-9076. I’m so sorry. Please believe you were the most important
thing to me. You were my life. My Livvy.
Love, Dad
Olivia stood paralyzed, her mind racing,
trying to comprehend the letter. Was this some kind of sick joke? For the past
twenty-four years her dad had lived in fear that somebody would hurt them? What
had forced him to leave behind everyone he’d loved? Everyone she’d
probably loved, but obviously couldn’t remember. And if her mom wasn’t buried
in San Francisco, whose grave had Olivia been visiting here all these years?
She tried to hold the letter steady in her trembling hands. Of course it was
vague. Her dad had been a man of few words. However, these few words expressed
a lot of emotion, something he’d never been good at doing.
“Is everything all right?” Father
Clifford’s voice penetrated her thoughts.
Concern creased the older man’s brow and
from the curiosity filling his gray eyes, he had no clue what the envelope
contained. Her dad hadn’t even trusted a priest with his secret. Her dad had
been the only person she’d ever really trusted, and it turned out she hadn’t truly
known him.
She merely nodded, unable to find her
voice. She inhaled a deep breath. The scent of beeswax candles and incense did
little to calm the panic racing through her veins. She unfolded a clipping from
a Chicago newspaper, dated twenty-four years ago. The headline read Art
Dealer in Bed with Mob Blows Whistle on Forgery Ring and Vinnie Carlucci.
The article included a photo of police officers escorting her dad. She started
reading the article. Prominent Chicago art dealer Andrew Donovan confesses
to having sold more than a hundred forgeries...
Her stomach dropped. She slapped a hand
over her mouth, certain she was about to vomit right there on the pew.
Her dad had been a criminal.
The nature of his crime made it all the
more surreal.
She stared in disbelief at the papers in
her hand. His name had been Andrew Donovan, not Alex Doyle. Her last name was Donovan.
Was her first name actually Olivia? Instead of inheriting a family fortune,
she’d inherited a new identity.
Or rather, an old one.
Author Bio:
Eliza
Daly’s first attempt at creative writing was in fourth grade. She and her
friends were huge Charlie’s Angels fans and she would sit in
her bedroom at night writing scripts for them to act out at recess the
following day. She was Kelly Garrett. Fast forward to the present, she’s still
writing stories about beautiful women who always get their men. The journey
from fourth grade script writer to published author wasn’t an easy one, but it
was always an adventure and the final destination was well worth it.
When
Eliza isn’t traveling for her job as an event planner, or tracing her ancestry
roots through Ireland, she’s at home in Milwaukee working on her next novel,
bouncing ideas off her husband Mark, and her cats Quigley, Frankie, and Sammy.
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My Review...
So, I have mixed emotions about this book. I liked the concept and the premise and I did like Olivia and Ethan but.... I felt their connection didn't quite fit into love at first site so it felt to rushed and hard to believe the bond that quickly.
However, the story was not just a romance novel it also had suspense, mystery, intrigue, loyalty, family and love. I was surprised with who the villain was in the end and also I was happy with the ending in all avenues. I feel the story felt complete and not left open ended.
Olivia may have been lost with who she was when her world got taken away from her but in the end she got so much more than she could have ever imagined.
I did like the story but I don't know what would have made me more content with Ethan and Olivia. It saddened me because I really liked them but it felt like their relationship was like the Daytona 500 and left me spinning with whoa! that was fast but what can I say my brother just got married after dating for two weeks so maybe it was more life like than I give it credit for. ;)
Cute Story, Easy read. 3 Thumbs up!
Lauren
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