Housewife Blues and Chihuahua Stories

Goodreads Book BlurbPetty thief Birdie Kaminsky has arrived in Liberty, Ohio to steal a treasure hidden since the Civil War. She’s in possession of a charming clue passed down in her family for generations: Liberty safeguards the cherished heart. The beautiful thief wants to go straight. She secretly admires the clue’s author, freedwoman Justice Postell, who rose above the horrors of slavery to build a new life in Ohio. According to family lore, Justice left South Carolina at the dawn of the Civil War. Heavy with child, she carried untold riches on her journey north. As Birdie searches for the treasure, she begins to believe a questionable part of the story: a tale of love between Justice and Lucas Postell, the French plantation owner who was Birdie’s ancestor.If the stories are true, Justice bore a child with Lucas. Some of those black relatives might still live in town. Birdie can’t help but wonder if she’s found one—Liberty’s feisty matriarch, Theodora Hendricks, who packs a pistol and heartwarming stories about Justice. Birdie doesn’t know that an investigative reporter who has arrived in town will trip her up—as will her conscience when she begins to wonder if it’s possible to start a new life with stolen riches. Yet with each new clue she unearths, Birdie begins to discover a family history more precious than gems, a tradition of love richer than she could imagine.My ThoughtsIn Treasure Me has given us a story the likes of which I have not enjoyed since watching one of my favorite Michael J. Fox movies Doc Hollywood for the billionith time! Being born and raised in a small town is like being part of an overextended family of sorts and in this story Birdie Kaminsky finally gets a taste of that when she lands in Liberty Ohio. Birdie is chasing the dream of buried treasure that she has fostered since being told the tale by her mother about a former slave Justice Postell who was the lover of one of Birdie's ancestors and rumored to have been given riches to take north when she left the Carolinas and settled to build a new life for herself in Ohio...Finding the treasure is not the only thing on Birdie's mind, she is also slowly learning to ignore her thieving impulses as she grows fond of the towns inhabitants and closer to the owner and other two waitresses at the Second Chance Grill. While Birdie grapples with her newfound conscience she also forms a strong romantic attachment to Hugh Schaeffer the reporter who worms his way into her heart despite her better judgement. Birdie also finds more than she bargains for when she discovers her true ancestry and a family she never thought she deserved... This is a very heartwarming story that allows us a glimpse into some of the attributes as well as the downfalls of living in a close knit community... The characters are richly drawn and in the case of Theodora downright true to life as the grandmother, sister, mother, best friend figure we all dream of having and rarely do!There are many things going on in the story, several plot lines that interweave to keep you on your toes while you work them out in your mind. The main ones that stick out in my mind are these:Will Birdie find the treasure she has come to Liberty for? Will it allow her to follow her dream of going legit and leaving behind her petty thievery to survive from day to day? Will she and Hugh have their HEA? Will Birdie end up behind bars once her past catches up with her?Best advice from me to you is answer these questions for yourself by reading the book as soon as you can get your hands on a copy... You will not regret it as it will prove to you that a family is one you choose to love and who loves you right back whether they are blood related are not!Recommended for fans of romance with sexual tension more than actual sex, fans of second chances and those who believe we all can be who we want to be if we work at it hard enough and have a little help along the way from those who believe in us and care enough to take a chance on us!I have to disclose that this book was an e-arc copy submitted to me by the author for an honest review and that there is no other compensation from her or the publisher except for the review copy and my reading pleasure and enjoyment of the characters depicted in the story.