The Undercover Heiress of Brockton
by Kelly J. Goshorn
ISBN-13: 9798891511774
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Barbour Fiction
Released: August 1, 2025
Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.
Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Henrietta “Etta” Maxwell is a hard-hitting investigative reporter for The Enterprise Daily. The catch? Etta must pen her columns under the nom de plume, Henry Mason—a fact that routinely puts a knot in her knickerbockers.
Leo Eriksson is a second-generation firefighter with a passion for rendering aid to those in need. When Leo discovers that Henry Mason is really Henrietta Maxwell, the fire department’s wealthy benefactress, he agrees to keep her identity secret. After a sudden blast rocks the Grover Shoe Factory, Leo and Etta team up to determine if the explosion is related to a series of suspicious fires in the area.
When an unnamed source reveals Etta’s secret identity to a rival reporter, she falsely accuses Leo of being the informant. As the truth comes to light, Etta must persuade Leo to give her a second chance or lose the only man she’s ever loved.
My Review:
The Undercover Heiress of Brockton is a romance set in 1905 in Brockton, Massachusetts. Henrietta wants to be an investigative journalist but is only allowed to do so under the name Henry Mason. When she's investigating, she wears men's clothing and acts like a man...and worries she'll make some slip that gives away her cross-dressing. (Like the fact she wears the very same, thick glasses in both disguises? No one notices that, though!) While investigating a potential serial arson case, Leo discovers her true identity. They decide to work together, but then a boiler explosion at the Grover shoe factory causes it to catch fire. Leo and his firefighting family help the rescue efforts, but the fire spreads too fast to save everyone. Leo and Etta work the disaster and then help those affected by the disaster.
The somewhat bumbling romance was enjoyable enough until both Etta and Leo refused to listen to or forgive each other. Someone figured out who Etta was and revealed her, and she decided it had to be Leo. She just accused him and refused to talk with him. He wondered if he ever knew the real Etta and held tight to his hurt at her lack of trust. His family told him that he needed to forgive her, but it seemed too big a rift to heal. But both decided they couldn't live without the (imagined person) they loved and jumped into marriage rather than actually getting to know each other. Sigh.
The characters were generally likable, and the descriptions of the fire and aftermath were interesting. Etta as a male reporter was very fun to watch as she did a wonderful job. So it made no sense that, one time, she arrived at the news office more than an hour ahead of deadline but neglected to tell her boss that she had a story until after the deadline (therefore setting up a conflict with another reporter). Also, I found Leo a little annoying with his double standards. Like he didn't want a brother to get caught in the fire during the rescue but seemed to want to die heroically saving people. He felt that Etta, as a woman, ought to put more emotion into her very factual and accurate news stories. At least he was supportive of her work as a journalist. There was no sex or bad language.
If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.
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