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Betrayal #1
Threads of Betrayal
Reagan Burnsfield has no interest in finding himself a wife. But that's exactly what he must do when a lumber contract falls through and threatens the family business. Marrying the beautiful debutante Amanda Bruester for her dowry will solve his short term need as well as give him the wife of his dreams.
His courtship is hindered until they are arrested after stumbling upon bounty hunters hotly pursuing runaway slaves. In the ensuing scandal, Amanda chooses marriage over betraying her Aunt Gabriella's illegal activities in the Underground Railroad.
Expecting resentment for the forced marriage, Amanda's fears of a loveless union are laid to rest when Reagan's passions seem tempered with apparent affection and tender regard. Yet, despite being properly wed, another suitor, Derrick Banning, is determined to break apart their hasty marriage. He fancies it is he, not "that arrogant lumberman," who should be enjoying Amanda's wealth.
While snowed in at his lumber camp, Amanda discovers papers that imply Reagan's offer of marriage wasn't the sacrifice she thought it to be. Despite his assurances that he acted to protect her, Amanda begins to doubt everything about him.
To complicate matters, mysterious scratches on Reagan's back seem to point to infidelity, further proving he's the untrustworthy knave Derrick claims him to be. When a prostitute's body is found in his office and Reagan is arrested for murder, Amanda flees to her aunt's house until the mystery can be solved.
His courtship is hindered until they are arrested after stumbling upon bounty hunters hotly pursuing runaway slaves. In the ensuing scandal, Amanda chooses marriage over betraying her Aunt Gabriella's illegal activities in the Underground Railroad.
Expecting resentment for the forced marriage, Amanda's fears of a loveless union are laid to rest when Reagan's passions seem tempered with apparent affection and tender regard. Yet, despite being properly wed, another suitor, Derrick Banning, is determined to break apart their hasty marriage. He fancies it is he, not "that arrogant lumberman," who should be enjoying Amanda's wealth.
While snowed in at his lumber camp, Amanda discovers papers that imply Reagan's offer of marriage wasn't the sacrifice she thought it to be. Despite his assurances that he acted to protect her, Amanda begins to doubt everything about him.
To complicate matters, mysterious scratches on Reagan's back seem to point to infidelity, further proving he's the untrustworthy knave Derrick claims him to be. When a prostitute's body is found in his office and Reagan is arrested for murder, Amanda flees to her aunt's house until the mystery can be solved.
429 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 14, 2012
13 people are currently reading
121 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
January 30, 2016
This is a fantastic story! I loved this book! It's a romance with so many twists and turns. Deceit, love and betrayal is the recipe for many of the characters who win your affection as well as some who win your disgust. Quite a combination. I would recommend this for any romance and historical fiction fans.
March 30, 2014
Reagan Burnsfield wanted to prove himself to his father as lumberman and devises a scheme to marry Amanda Bruester. Little did Reagan know how much his life would change through marriage. Amanda forced to marry Reagan to protect her reputation from further damage. Amanda's dreams of married life pale in comparison to the truth. Amanda learns to true reason Reagan married her the shock of betrayal runs deep. Amanda isn't sure she can forgive Reagan for his deception yet she slowly sees things from his perspective. Reagan isn't sure how to regain the good graces of his wife but runs from the problem instead of facing it head on. Derrick Bannington is a liar and thief that covets Amanda Burnsfield for himself. He's willing to do anything to make that happen no matter the cost. Murder rocks the lives of Cantonville and Reagan is charged with crime. Reagan claims his innocence but Amanda doubts him anyway. How can Reagan prove his innocence? Will Reagan admit his feelings towards Amanda? Can Amanda trust Reagan? What are Derrick's plans? Your answers await you in Threads of Betrayal.
Threads of Betrayal shows just how much betrayal costs a person. Betrayal starts with doubt and distrust but doesn't end there. We see how betrayal real and imagined spans generations. I appreciated how the author treated this story without resorting to same old tired stories already told. I loved the uniqueness of this story and how relatable it can be to today's standards. I look forward to next work by this author.
Threads of Betrayal shows just how much betrayal costs a person. Betrayal starts with doubt and distrust but doesn't end there. We see how betrayal real and imagined spans generations. I appreciated how the author treated this story without resorting to same old tired stories already told. I loved the uniqueness of this story and how relatable it can be to today's standards. I look forward to next work by this author.
April 2, 2014
I received this book in return for an honest review and I am so glad that I did! I loved everything about this book; the plot, the characters, the amazing wiring style and most definitely the setting! I can definitely see this book becoming a future classic. it is positively the best historical fiction (with the intent of being historical, not just a really old book :D) that I have read in a long, long time and it deserves all five of the stars I have given it. even now the story still lingers in my mind.
elegantly written and beautifully told, THREADS OF BETRAYAL by Monica Koldyke Miller is an astounding novel with exceptional quality. set in a time I had not previously considered this book set my mind ablaze with concepts of a completely different world full of different people, giving me ample reason to say that this book changed my life. I am now greatly interested in this age. I highly recommend it!!!
set before and during the American civil war (a time where prostitution is clearly acceptable, women are owned and marriage is just about as political as putting Lincoln in power) we are introduced to Reagan, a handsome lumberjack who (whilst still quite rich) has severely miscalculated his business ventures and contracts, leaving him in debt and without enough funds to compete the building of his new lumber mill. his father, who owns the family business, soon finds out about Reagan's terrible mistakes and is greatly angry. to quell his father's rage, Reagan explains that he will marry the money and use the dowry of his bride to compete the mill and back other costs, such as the wages of the men the company employs.
meanwhile, we are introduced to Amanda, a beautiful debutante, who is the daughter of a wealthy banker and a somewhat prickly mother who resents her own marriage and Reagan's family due to a failed courtship between herself and Reagan's father when they were young. again, this problem stems from money issues as politics. such events have caused Amanda's mother to view her daughter's marriage as a business venture and so plans to only allow her daughter to court wealthy and respectable men, most definitely not Reagan.
at Amanda's coming out ball, Reagan and Amanda fall in love at first sight. the only criticism I have of this book is that part. I can accept that Amanda was obviously stunningly beautiful, but for Reagan to just lose his heart to her at one glance? It seems unlikely, especially for a man in his early thirties. despite this, both Reagan and Amanda bury their immediate love. Reagan does so because he sees trying to marry Amanda, his target as a wife, as simply an investment or another business venture. Amanda also forgets her love for Reagan as she recalls her mother's dislike for his family (even though at this point she doesn't know why this dislike is so strong) and her want of a very rich husband for her daughter.
however, after a while of bumping into each other and after Reagan had executed a few carefully calculated meetings without Amanda's knowledge, Reagan is then able to ask for permission to court his daughter, who accepts. and that's where things start to go downhill for the couple and spiral out of control.
Amanda was Reagan have an encounter with the underground railroad (a safe haven for escaped slaves) and the slave catcher, Jebadiah and his men. one thing leads to another until eventually Reagan and Amanda both realise that Amanda's aunt has a big connection to the underground railroad. at the same time, wild rumours begin to circulate that threaten the couple's reputation concerning the night they were captured, unchaperoned, by the slave catcher Jebadiah. due to the circumstances, Reagan can't believe his luck when there seems to be no other choice but to marry Amanda and all of her money for the sake of keeping her aunt's illegal activities secret and her reputation in tact, much to Amanda's mother's great dislike.
the rest of the book outlines how their marriage begins to fail through such obstacles as the threat of infidelity and Amanda's discovery of the real reason why Reagan married her, all exploited by an unrelenting suitor named derrick banning who will stop at nothing to take Amanda as his wife...and her money.
I loved the choices both Amanda and Reagan had to make about their relationship. I loved watching their love grow and then fall in a repeated pattern until it finally came to rest. I loved to jealousy and the anger derrick betrayed when it came to Reagan and Amanda's marriage. the book constantly had me switching sides in the marital arguments between our main couple...one moment I was on team Amanda, the next team Reagan, and then team Amanda again, leaving me loving one character and then hating them the next. I also adored Amanda's aunt Ella and, despite her old age, the fight with her to do what was right and to help the slaves to freedom. even more so I was fascinated by the character of Elizabeth, the daughter of the mayor, who would be with Reagan whatever it took.
this book is simply amazing and human in every sense of the word. in a world where emotions were not considered necessary and manners came before true intentions, this book shows the person beneath the harsh, sophisticated characters of the American aristocrats. however, above all, my favourite character was beau; Reagan's French friend. you'll have to look out for him.
the events in the book and how the characters reacted to them had my insides twisted. whilst not as compelling and fast as, say, an action-adventure novel, it as a soft, sophisticated elegance and beauty to it that cannot be matched by any recent book I have read. I'm sure it will be enjoyed by many for years to come.
elegantly written and beautifully told, THREADS OF BETRAYAL by Monica Koldyke Miller is an astounding novel with exceptional quality. set in a time I had not previously considered this book set my mind ablaze with concepts of a completely different world full of different people, giving me ample reason to say that this book changed my life. I am now greatly interested in this age. I highly recommend it!!!
set before and during the American civil war (a time where prostitution is clearly acceptable, women are owned and marriage is just about as political as putting Lincoln in power) we are introduced to Reagan, a handsome lumberjack who (whilst still quite rich) has severely miscalculated his business ventures and contracts, leaving him in debt and without enough funds to compete the building of his new lumber mill. his father, who owns the family business, soon finds out about Reagan's terrible mistakes and is greatly angry. to quell his father's rage, Reagan explains that he will marry the money and use the dowry of his bride to compete the mill and back other costs, such as the wages of the men the company employs.
meanwhile, we are introduced to Amanda, a beautiful debutante, who is the daughter of a wealthy banker and a somewhat prickly mother who resents her own marriage and Reagan's family due to a failed courtship between herself and Reagan's father when they were young. again, this problem stems from money issues as politics. such events have caused Amanda's mother to view her daughter's marriage as a business venture and so plans to only allow her daughter to court wealthy and respectable men, most definitely not Reagan.
at Amanda's coming out ball, Reagan and Amanda fall in love at first sight. the only criticism I have of this book is that part. I can accept that Amanda was obviously stunningly beautiful, but for Reagan to just lose his heart to her at one glance? It seems unlikely, especially for a man in his early thirties. despite this, both Reagan and Amanda bury their immediate love. Reagan does so because he sees trying to marry Amanda, his target as a wife, as simply an investment or another business venture. Amanda also forgets her love for Reagan as she recalls her mother's dislike for his family (even though at this point she doesn't know why this dislike is so strong) and her want of a very rich husband for her daughter.
however, after a while of bumping into each other and after Reagan had executed a few carefully calculated meetings without Amanda's knowledge, Reagan is then able to ask for permission to court his daughter, who accepts. and that's where things start to go downhill for the couple and spiral out of control.
Amanda was Reagan have an encounter with the underground railroad (a safe haven for escaped slaves) and the slave catcher, Jebadiah and his men. one thing leads to another until eventually Reagan and Amanda both realise that Amanda's aunt has a big connection to the underground railroad. at the same time, wild rumours begin to circulate that threaten the couple's reputation concerning the night they were captured, unchaperoned, by the slave catcher Jebadiah. due to the circumstances, Reagan can't believe his luck when there seems to be no other choice but to marry Amanda and all of her money for the sake of keeping her aunt's illegal activities secret and her reputation in tact, much to Amanda's mother's great dislike.
the rest of the book outlines how their marriage begins to fail through such obstacles as the threat of infidelity and Amanda's discovery of the real reason why Reagan married her, all exploited by an unrelenting suitor named derrick banning who will stop at nothing to take Amanda as his wife...and her money.
I loved the choices both Amanda and Reagan had to make about their relationship. I loved watching their love grow and then fall in a repeated pattern until it finally came to rest. I loved to jealousy and the anger derrick betrayed when it came to Reagan and Amanda's marriage. the book constantly had me switching sides in the marital arguments between our main couple...one moment I was on team Amanda, the next team Reagan, and then team Amanda again, leaving me loving one character and then hating them the next. I also adored Amanda's aunt Ella and, despite her old age, the fight with her to do what was right and to help the slaves to freedom. even more so I was fascinated by the character of Elizabeth, the daughter of the mayor, who would be with Reagan whatever it took.
this book is simply amazing and human in every sense of the word. in a world where emotions were not considered necessary and manners came before true intentions, this book shows the person beneath the harsh, sophisticated characters of the American aristocrats. however, above all, my favourite character was beau; Reagan's French friend. you'll have to look out for him.
the events in the book and how the characters reacted to them had my insides twisted. whilst not as compelling and fast as, say, an action-adventure novel, it as a soft, sophisticated elegance and beauty to it that cannot be matched by any recent book I have read. I'm sure it will be enjoyed by many for years to come.
May 25, 2016
I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.
This book is extremely amazing. Set around the time of the civil war, it is about a marriage of convinience between two lovable characters. Though the nature of convinience was slightly different for the heroine. There are twists and turns, love, deceit, betrayal, criminal investigation and even a redeemable french rake.
Reagan is too logical for his own good though. Instead of apologising straight off, he saw his actions as logical and therefore right but he learned his mistake and was ready to admit such. I felt sorry for both molly and lizzy who had designs on Reagan.
I recommend it to anyone that loves American historical books.
This book is extremely amazing. Set around the time of the civil war, it is about a marriage of convinience between two lovable characters. Though the nature of convinience was slightly different for the heroine. There are twists and turns, love, deceit, betrayal, criminal investigation and even a redeemable french rake.
Reagan is too logical for his own good though. Instead of apologising straight off, he saw his actions as logical and therefore right but he learned his mistake and was ready to admit such. I felt sorry for both molly and lizzy who had designs on Reagan.
I recommend it to anyone that loves American historical books.
April 24, 2012
Monica Miller's writing style flowed easily and pulled the reader along. The book was a bit long...but you never notice, you are so involved with the story and characters. The plot is filled with love and betrayal with alot of twist and turns. The characters are delightful and deceitful, but they are so likable.
THREADS OF BETRAYAL is filled with rich beauty and grace, which I will conclude, this is a must read. Every fan of romance and historical fiction will love this book.
I recieved THREADS OF BETRAYAL from the author for an honest review. Thank-you so much, this is a book I will read again and again.
THREADS OF BETRAYAL is filled with rich beauty and grace, which I will conclude, this is a must read. Every fan of romance and historical fiction will love this book.
I recieved THREADS OF BETRAYAL from the author for an honest review. Thank-you so much, this is a book I will read again and again.
July 23, 2013
All I gotta say is: "Karma, Elizabeth, Karma..." I love Amanda and Reagan as a couple and felt only pity for Elizabeth - until she took advantage of his drunken state. Believing his marriage was falling or not, she GREATLY crossed the line, not simply for that but doing so to a married man. I feel evil for hoping even more misfortune comes her way - I'm only rooting for Amanda and Reagan!
May 14, 2012
Threads of Betrayal
This story being set in a previous time is filled with traditions and workings of this period.
The very detailed and intricate plot allows the reader to be swept up in the story.
This story being set in a previous time is filled with traditions and workings of this period.
The very detailed and intricate plot allows the reader to be swept up in the story.
April 2, 2012
Full disclosure....the author is a friend. I loved it! The ending had me wanting more!
October 30, 2023
Couldn't finish. The writer chose to spell out phonetically what I assume they think a southern accent sounds like ("ah" for I? really?), as well as - god help us - the dialect of enslaved people. Nope nope nope nope. Hard pass.
March 20, 2013
From what I read of the description for this novel and its reviews, I was excited to start reading it. What was there not to be hopeful about? An historic romance set in the early days of the Civil War complete with a dashing and successful businessman, a beautiful and wealthy debutant, her parents that dislike the young man, and the promise of a myriad of problems inhibiting to their romance. It sounded like Pride and Prejudice meets Gone with the Wind. I was prepared to be riveted.
But I wasn’t. I never deeply connected with any of the characters, not the dashing young man nor the femme fatale. They were the cause of their problems, and not in that oh-so-cruel twist-of-fate way, but more in the “you can’t be serious, no one would do that� mien. The romance wasn’t really there unless you count lust. Some of the stereotypical dialect left me uncomfortable. I was also taken back by some of the expenses/prices tossed about from a hush money payment to the price of a slave woman and child ($1200 where I found with some research that $200 to $500 was average).
The book is fairly well edited with only minor errors of dropped quotations and an odd capitol ‘M� that showed up in the middle of words throughout the novel (making me think I was missing a cypher hidden in the novel). The first few chapters are written in third person limited POV, but this quickly changes to an omniscient third person POV for the rest of the novel, sometimes containing the thoughts of two characters in one paragraph. An early switch from someone pondering the potential for civil war to a different character spreading a blanket under a tree for a picnic jarred me. I never really found my flow in the novel after that.
I’m an author as well. I know what a task and amazing feat it is to write a novel. Maybe other people will (and have from the reviews) connect with this story better. For me, it reminds me of some of my early writing: things which I wish had stayed in the slow cooker a little longer until the depth and flavor developed more.
But I wasn’t. I never deeply connected with any of the characters, not the dashing young man nor the femme fatale. They were the cause of their problems, and not in that oh-so-cruel twist-of-fate way, but more in the “you can’t be serious, no one would do that� mien. The romance wasn’t really there unless you count lust. Some of the stereotypical dialect left me uncomfortable. I was also taken back by some of the expenses/prices tossed about from a hush money payment to the price of a slave woman and child ($1200 where I found with some research that $200 to $500 was average).
The book is fairly well edited with only minor errors of dropped quotations and an odd capitol ‘M� that showed up in the middle of words throughout the novel (making me think I was missing a cypher hidden in the novel). The first few chapters are written in third person limited POV, but this quickly changes to an omniscient third person POV for the rest of the novel, sometimes containing the thoughts of two characters in one paragraph. An early switch from someone pondering the potential for civil war to a different character spreading a blanket under a tree for a picnic jarred me. I never really found my flow in the novel after that.
I’m an author as well. I know what a task and amazing feat it is to write a novel. Maybe other people will (and have from the reviews) connect with this story better. For me, it reminds me of some of my early writing: things which I wish had stayed in the slow cooker a little longer until the depth and flavor developed more.
August 23, 2015
Ok, I have to be real for a second. Historical Romance is not really my thing. I mean, I LOVED Gone with the Wind and I like Outlander well enough, but I sometimes find the genre a bit trite and heavily formulaic. However, reading Monica Miller's Threads of Betrayal has caused a semi-shift in my thinking towards the popular genre. Avoiding the jargon that comprises so much the Outlanders of the world, Miller presents a refreshing take on love, happenstance, and survival.
The novel finds Reagan Burnsfield, an independent thinker who does not necessarily subscribe to societal norms, finding himself having to compromise his intentions to save the family business. As such, his goal to marry the multi-faceted Amanda Bruester, seems to solve his problems. She's pretty and rich. He can't beat that.
But, because this is a historical romance, there are many, many hiccups along the way towards the attainment of happiness. Secondary characters are introduced who have some unsavoury motivations. Derrick Banning, a self-indulgent and rather egoistic sort, feels his marriage to Amanda is all but meant to happen, despite himself already being married. Throw in Amanda's discovery via some conveniently found papers implying Regan's initial intentions weren't as pure as she thought, and you got a story composed of salacious motives, archaic societal expectations, and glimpses into another time in history where emotions were encouraged to stay within one's mind.
Threads of Betrayal is like The Thornbirds plus The Other Boleyn Girl minus Roots, in other words, a perfect mash up of sorts of the myriad of human emotion and events that comprise this popular genre. I wouldn't say that I'm going to start reviewing this genre more often, but I would say that Monica Miller's authorship is a welcome take on a genre that relies heavily on chintz and not enough on depth.
Like this review? Read more like it at
The novel finds Reagan Burnsfield, an independent thinker who does not necessarily subscribe to societal norms, finding himself having to compromise his intentions to save the family business. As such, his goal to marry the multi-faceted Amanda Bruester, seems to solve his problems. She's pretty and rich. He can't beat that.
But, because this is a historical romance, there are many, many hiccups along the way towards the attainment of happiness. Secondary characters are introduced who have some unsavoury motivations. Derrick Banning, a self-indulgent and rather egoistic sort, feels his marriage to Amanda is all but meant to happen, despite himself already being married. Throw in Amanda's discovery via some conveniently found papers implying Regan's initial intentions weren't as pure as she thought, and you got a story composed of salacious motives, archaic societal expectations, and glimpses into another time in history where emotions were encouraged to stay within one's mind.
Threads of Betrayal is like The Thornbirds plus The Other Boleyn Girl minus Roots, in other words, a perfect mash up of sorts of the myriad of human emotion and events that comprise this popular genre. I wouldn't say that I'm going to start reviewing this genre more often, but I would say that Monica Miller's authorship is a welcome take on a genre that relies heavily on chintz and not enough on depth.
Like this review? Read more like it at
June 3, 2013
Add this to my "did not finish" pile. I got it as a freebie, and the reviews sounded good (c'mon, one reviewer called it Gone with the Wind crossed with Pride and Prejudice...I would have loved that!) unfortunately, nothing...and I mean nothing...happens in this book. For example, one entire early chapter is devoted to describing a character getting dressed. There is no tension, no intrigue, no mystery--no plot.
June 28, 2013
I enjoy a book with a lot of twists and turns. This book had that and more--set at the beginning of the Civil War, slave traders menaced people, a villain deceived and blackmailed for ill-gotten gains, a romance bumped from one misadventure to the next, and a lumberman struggled with his conscience and lots of lust. This book had a little bit of everything--sometimes a tad too much--but it all made for a fun read!
December 27, 2015
I was disappointed in this book. I was expecting historical fiction with romance - I felt like I read a romance just set in a different time. The historical piece was weak in my opinion and this book was entirely too long. I read many glowing reviews, I just don't agree and will not read any others.
October 20, 2014
A lot of mixed feelings. The story was too long, it had too many twists and turns. Reagan seemed so selfish and spoiled. He did seem to grow up towards the end.
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