Fraudulent Trust

Planners and Dreamers #2

by Lynne Hancock Pearson

How was she supposed to know she needed to support herself?
That’s what trust funds are for.
Self-described influencer Delia Duncan has never worn the same outfit twice, nor has she ever earned a paycheck.
She’s a pampered princess who lives for shopping, organizing her wardrobe, taking selfies, and attending parties…until now.
Before her next birthday, she must become self-sufficient or she will lose her trust fund completely.
Seeking shelter in a used bookstore, she meets Calvin Jimmy, an Indigenous ghostwriter overwhelmed by the impending closure of his family’s long-standing business.
To Cal’s chagrin, Delia’s meddling leads to surprise sales and annoying introspection.
Guilt and shame engulf Delia when she learns the source of her family’s fortune.
When is it too late to right a wrong?

Set in Seattle, Fraudulent Trust is a closed-door bookstore romance featuring a sunshiny socialite and a grumpy ghostwriter whose pasts are linked in ways they never imagined.

Genres: Amazon

268 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 1, 2024

About the author

Lynne Hancock Pearson writes fun, flirty, feel-good fiction that simmers at a low heat. She lives near Seattle with two finicky felines and one long-suffering husband. She is a left-handed middle child who grew up in the Great White North and is a proud member of the Métis Nation of Canada.

Reviews

[Imari McClure · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first book by this author, and it was so cute. ❤️❤️
I felt like the FMC was misunderstood by get family and friends at times. As an ethnic woman I loved how the author had her do research on the history of the MC FAMIKY AND what her family history is. I loved that she changed and started to speak up.

I really wanted more of their story. And can’t wait for the next book.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet read!

Wonderful story of self discovery and social justice while on the road to love! Delia’s character development was top notch, so don’t be deterred by your initial assessment of her!

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful sophomore offering!
I fell in love with this book almost immediately! When we first meet Delia Duncan, she’s a spoiled rich girl with not much to recommend her. But before I even had a chance to hate her on principle, the author threw me a curve ball and made me fall in love with Delia. This girl has some huge obstacles to surmount, but she’s got plenty of gumption and is up to the task. Enter Calvin Jimmy, reluctant bookshop owner, reluctant ghostwriter, reluctant keeper of his family’s minutiae, and reluctant refuge for Delia. Until he gets to know her, of course. Before long she’s organizing his life like it’s her job. I loved Cal and Delia’s love story!
One important thing I loved about this book was the education in Washington State’s coastal indigenous people. Their history was all new to me, and I loved learning about them! Delia’s quest to know Cal and his ancestors was a pivotal turning point in Delia’s journey and one that I truly appreciated. This is a great book, and I loved every minute of it!

[Stephanie Burnett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fraudulent Trust was a fantastic book! I knew after reading, Grand Gestures, I wanted a book about Delia because I knew there was more to her than meets the eye. Lynne Hancock Pearson delivered on it in this book!! On the surface, Delia is a rich, spoiled, party girl. With Fraudulent Trust, we see a different side to Delia - she’s just someone who wants a chance to prove her worth and show her family and friends there is more to her than what she’s let them see. Enter Cal - he is someone who has been stagnant in his life but doesn’t know how to move forward. Once these two meet, it’s a slow burn of friendship and respect on their way to deeper feelings. Delia faces some obstacles in her family history and digs deep on how to reconcile it.
This is a great book and I highly recommend it. I can read any level of spice in a book but I know some people are not that way so this is a low spice level book.

[Celeste Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy of Fraudulent Trust and went on to buy my own copy. It's that good. and I don't think I'm going to give away any spoilers here because it's a romance novel and you know there'll be a happily ever after. It's how the author gets there that makes it so good.

Lynne Hancock Pearson does a great job of taking a character who on page 1 is barely tolerable, to sucking me into her story by the middle of Chapter 1. I ended up rooting for Delia to not just win the inheritance, but win things that are much more important. Wholeness. Self-awareness. Self-respect. The love of a good man. Along the way she learns (and the reader does too) about the injustice done to one of the smaller Native American tribes in the Pacific Northwest. It's a neat combo of romance with social justice.
That's why I bought my own copy. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

[A.L. Goulden · Rating 5 out of 5]

I agree with others to give Delia a few chapters to worm her way into your heart. She starts a bit intolerable but does the growing-up work needed to become the worthy person she's meant to be. As a resident of Washington, I LOVED bringing the story of an indigenous family into the history and show how interlaced, yet sometimes blindly destructive our lives can be when rooted in one place. For me, this is a redemption story, in that, I got to follow a young person's journey from living entirely on the surface through her slip into the deep connections that bind us... and it was all because of love. That's the best, right? Slow-burn for those who like less heat but also full of spunky banter and youthful optimism.

[Cindy Topinka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fraudulent Trust didn't disappoint! Delia, my favorite character from Grand Gestures, plays a much bigger part to match her much big personality. Who says a feel good entertaining story can't be informative and visceral? The author manages to touch on societal challenges which face not only my home town of Seattle, but communities everywhere. Her characters offer a unique perspective on those afflicted with mental illness, addiction, homelessness and the families that love them. The plight of the undocumented Duwamish indigenous peoples and the history of the Pacific Northwest was obviously researched by the author and their story was told. Through all that - Delia still manages to make me laugh out loud. 5 stars to Lynne Hancock Pearson!

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an enjoyable read. Cal and Delia are a great couple. I wasn’t sure how I felt about Delia in Grand Gestures, but I enjoyed watching her growth from pampered princess to socially aware entrepreneur. Cal does some growing of his own and I loved watching their relationship develop and progress. I really like how the author’s books have diverse representation and there are interesting side characters. She managed to seamlessly incorporate some social issues with positivity and without feeling “preachy”. I really loved this book and am anxious to read the next one.

[Kristin Keele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet, enjoyable, quick read. Delia just learned that the trust fund she's been using to find her life is about to get cut off, unless she can prove that she can take care of herself. While in a bookstore she meets Calvin the struggling owner and learns the source of her family's fortune. This book was well written, way to follow and even for a quick read had a week developed plot and characters. I appreciate the light spread on the social issues of indigenous people and the history.

[Mandy Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a cute read!

Delia learns the trust fund that supports her life is about to get cut off! She has to prove to her family that she can stand on her own before she can have it back. This book took me on a journey of barley begin able to stand Delia to truly routing for her! She goes on an adventure of learning self-awareness, self-respect, love and social justice!

[Mary Keenan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved Delia's character development and how much she grows throughout her story! She's a sassy, spoiled socialite who grows and learns that she has more to offer than a trending social media post. Cal brings Delia a big dose of reality, and how they work together to achieve their individual and mutual goals is so much fun to read.

[Faith · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story for book 2 about the Dwamish Indians felt so real. Living in the area after finishing the book I drove to the Dwamish Longhouse Center having been there before but just wanted to go and made some purchases. It is interesting that a the land to the right of the center is vacant. I am not sure when owns it. I love the story line.

[Wencke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t think I’ve read a indigenous H before so this was a first. Loved the characters and the background story!
4 stars because I couldn’t really feel the chemistry between the protagonists, but all in all I liked the book a lot!

[Isabelle Sumner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this romance novel. The romance was so awesome to read and loved side relationships especially gay romances. I especially loved the plan to repair trust with the local tribes around Seattle in the novel. This book was absolutely amazing and so excited to read more.

[Nichole Ringler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved how Delia was able to turn a weird situation that she was in, into something magnificent. She was able to realize her passion in life, fall in love and help the indigenous people in her area. I loved the passion of all the characters for their beliefs. Overall a great story!

[Amber Dilley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this story and the character's redemption arc, whatever you want to call it. It was a "what felt like a real life" tale. I could definitely see this happening in the real world.. Definitely a comfort read!

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Lynne for letting me ARC read this amazing book. This book was not what I thought it would be. But I enjoy reading it so much. I could not put it down until I finished it. I love the story line and the characters were so well written. I would love more on these characters.

[Rita Snyder · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the book so much I read it twice. There is lots of interesting dialogue between nice people. A well crafted story including: Memorable characters, Seattle, snickerdoodles, indigenous art, family, redemption, romance, and love. It’s a very good read!

[Jennifer Holms · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another winner by Lynne. The continuing saga of Grand Gestures. Wonderful story line with more strong women in the mix. Continues with the local scene. I look forward to reading the third book in this series. Holiday Headaches. Keep writing, Lynne. Your books are wonderful!

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is excellent! Fun & flirty with a bit of social commentary & history woven through the plot. Delia & Cal are great characters and Lynne Hancock Pearson makes their journey a treat to follow.
Sit down with a cup of tea and settle in for a delightful read.

[Sonya · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet romance set in Seattle. I love local books, especially when it's a local author. You can tell when they get the setting right. I really loved the indigenous history woven into this story and the two main characters were a lot of fun getting to know. An enjoyable read!

[Barry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Characters you can relate to, getting into situations you can relate to, with fun twists and turns through an engaging plot. Good for a long lazy day or just a quick 15 minute read. I'm on to the next one in the series.

[Nancy Tocatlian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Puget sound based book was awesome

This Puget Sound based book was amazing!! I truly enjoyed the historical notes on Seattle and indigenous tribes. Good characters round this book out. Enjoy

[Samantha Grimes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really really enjoyed this book I couldn’t stop reading once I started! I loved the writing style the characters were amazing and I can’t wait to read more!

[Sally Crosiar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a sweet one with a dearth of conflict and drama but a nice dose of Seattle history regarding displaced Native Americans.

[Hollie Senn Bookish Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delia and Calvin immediately stole my heart. The journey that these two went on was very much a learning experience. Also side note the education that I got from this book on indigenous world was very informative and I appreciated it. The growth of Delia from being a spoiled brat pretty much evolved for me while reading this book. And well calvin was great.. I really enjoyed it.

[Elaina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Grand Gestures, but loved Fraudulent Trust even more! Lynne took on some complex issues such as addiction and tribal rights with compassion and humor. The love story is pretty great too. Can't wait for #3!

[Amanda_Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Delia learns the trust fund, she lives on is about to get cut off, she has to prove to her family that she can stand on her own two feet before she can get it back. I really didn't like Delia at first and I struggled to get into the book, but I love that She had such a great redemption arc. This was a sweet Romance, and I look forward to reading more from this author.