It's 1961 and Palm Beach socialite, irresistible rascal and devoted father Jack Morgan is staging his suicide to shield his beloved daughters from the disgrace of his impending arrest. Next, meet his 5' 11" daughter Charlotte (Charlie), an over-indulged 23 year-old with a BA in art history, struggling to cope with the traumatizing loss of her beloved father, her sister's resulting mental breakdown and the discovery that she's now penniless.
Fortunately Raul, a flirtatious young attorney, appears with much needed ego-boosting and practical advice. As terrified as Charlie is about finding a way to support herself and her sister, she realizes that she has to learn what drove her father to kill himself. Uncovering that mystery leads to romantic pre-WWII Paris, where handsome lack-luster artist Alan Fitzpatrick (aka Jack Morgan) stops entertaining attractive, wealthy women when he falls in love with a bewitching Jewish girl. Under Nazis occupation, their plan to take their daughters and escape to the US goes tragically awry. In a series of stunning surprises, Charlie uncovers disturbing truths about her father, her own unique latent talent, crimes great and small and a diabolical villain.
Excerpts from reviews of "Exceeding Expectations:"
"Lisa April Smith . . . has woven an intriguingly rich tapestry of delightful well-developed characters into a perfectly balanced plot bursting with riveting mystery, crimes of the petty and the horrible sort, suspenseful twists, and romantic tension complete with love scenes that sizzle and pop." "Set in the varied and stunning backdrops of early 1960s Palm Beach and Manhattan high society, as well as mid-1930s to early 1940s Paris . . ." Cari L. Pedstelak: audacityshewrote.com
". . . it's the authentic details of the time-periods that make it fun to read . . ." "historical and fictitious characters work in sync as they are perfectly set in these time frames, and midst the transitory madness of WWs I and II Paris." "Smith's writing isn't over-blown with emotion and sappy romance; rather, it is sophisticated and subtle." "Witty, fun and sassy." Deborah Previte: abookishlibrarian.blogspot.com
Exceeding Expectations ("Charlie Series" Book 1)
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Book Details
Author(s)Lisa April Smith
PublisherWindgate Press
ISBN / ASINB006GDK3NO
ISBN-13978B006GDK3N3
Sales Rank222,492
MarketplaceUnited States 🇺🇸