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The Block Island Charade: A Novel
Rhode Island, June 1900
She wants a day of freedom.
He’s looking for redemption.
A simple charade can accomplish both…
While answering a summons from her formidable grandmother to join her in New York Society, Harper impulsively leaves her train in hopes of a day of freedom on Block Island. Instead, she’s nearly trampled by a mob, only to be pulled to safety by a gallant but impossibly grouchy stranger.
Thomas Montgomery is a journalist haunted by his past, and the only way to atone himself is to catch the last ferry to Block Island to cover a story there. But when the ferry is sold out and he inadvertently becomes responsible for maddening, hazel-eyed Harper Whitley, an opportunity presents itself in the form of a quarreling couple who leaves their tickets on the ground.
Thomas and Harper agree to impersonate the couple to reach Block Island, but a mistaken identity and a slew of mishaps force them to prolong their charade. As Harper begins to see the man behind the stoic veneer and Thomas feels himself softening towards her irrepressible spirit, suspicions and secrets threaten to tear them apart.
They need to work together to protect their deception… but can they also protect their hearts?
She wants a day of freedom.
He’s looking for redemption.
A simple charade can accomplish both…
While answering a summons from her formidable grandmother to join her in New York Society, Harper impulsively leaves her train in hopes of a day of freedom on Block Island. Instead, she’s nearly trampled by a mob, only to be pulled to safety by a gallant but impossibly grouchy stranger.
Thomas Montgomery is a journalist haunted by his past, and the only way to atone himself is to catch the last ferry to Block Island to cover a story there. But when the ferry is sold out and he inadvertently becomes responsible for maddening, hazel-eyed Harper Whitley, an opportunity presents itself in the form of a quarreling couple who leaves their tickets on the ground.
Thomas and Harper agree to impersonate the couple to reach Block Island, but a mistaken identity and a slew of mishaps force them to prolong their charade. As Harper begins to see the man behind the stoic veneer and Thomas feels himself softening towards her irrepressible spirit, suspicions and secrets threaten to tear them apart.
They need to work together to protect their deception… but can they also protect their hearts?
315 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 8, 2022
4 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
About the author
Bekah Overbey
4 books20 followersBekah Overbey is a Christian, wife, mother, and incorrigible homebody. A former English teacher, she spends her days chasing after her three wildlings and [generally unsuccessfully] trying to keep them out of mischief.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 28, 2022
“She would have thought someone with the emotional range of a half-dead cactus might be immune to taking offense, and she felt a sort of childish delight in having roused him.” -Harper
Harper Whitely is on her way to be remade into her grandmother’s debutante ideal, but when she tries to experience one last bit of freedom, nothing works out as it should. Thomas Montgomery is a newspaper reporter trying to earn his right to his own story. A story that will relieve the guilt he carries, but when there’s no way to cover the wedding of the century, he’s willing to do anything to get a ticket to Block Island.
This story was a breath of fresh air. Set in Maine and year 1900, it’s an era I haven’t read much of, but thoroughly enjoyed traveling to. I loved the mentions of the Biltmore estate and other nods to history like the cutesy nicknames and manners. Harper has a generous, friendly, caring, sunshine manner about her which greatly contrasts against Thomas’ stoic, strategic, and no nonsense personality. I love Thomas’ character arc and growth. I love how he wants to protect Harper from the beginning, and tries to achieve that no matter how much it costs him. I love Harper’s voice and I love the whole cast of characters. This book had me laughing at moments and crying at others. It was very well done. I’m looking forward to the next book.
This book is available on KU. Check it out if you like Downtown Abby era, grumpy/sunshine, fake marriage, or house parties. Definitely recommend.
Harper Whitely is on her way to be remade into her grandmother’s debutante ideal, but when she tries to experience one last bit of freedom, nothing works out as it should. Thomas Montgomery is a newspaper reporter trying to earn his right to his own story. A story that will relieve the guilt he carries, but when there’s no way to cover the wedding of the century, he’s willing to do anything to get a ticket to Block Island.
This story was a breath of fresh air. Set in Maine and year 1900, it’s an era I haven’t read much of, but thoroughly enjoyed traveling to. I loved the mentions of the Biltmore estate and other nods to history like the cutesy nicknames and manners. Harper has a generous, friendly, caring, sunshine manner about her which greatly contrasts against Thomas’ stoic, strategic, and no nonsense personality. I love Thomas’ character arc and growth. I love how he wants to protect Harper from the beginning, and tries to achieve that no matter how much it costs him. I love Harper’s voice and I love the whole cast of characters. This book had me laughing at moments and crying at others. It was very well done. I’m looking forward to the next book.
This book is available on KU. Check it out if you like Downtown Abby era, grumpy/sunshine, fake marriage, or house parties. Definitely recommend.
September 17, 2022
The Block Island Charade by Bekah Overby
Bekah Overby’s debut novel is the cutest, light, summer romcom! Set on an island off of Rhode Island in June 1900, we are invited to the wedding of the century. Well not technically invited…
Harper Whitley is on the train heading to NYC and her grandmother for her debutante season. She is likely to be one of the oldest debutantes as she has been living with her father on their farm, until recently. She hoped to stay forever on the farm and is dreading whatever awaits her in the city. The train conductor calls out that the Point Judith stop is arriving and Harper is flooded with the nostalgia of Block Island, a ferry ride away from that stop. Harper decides on one last day of freedom and gets off the train.
After getting told the ferry is closed for the next month and that the last one is sold out, she heads back to wait for the next train. On her way back she runs into Thomas Montgomery. Thomas is a journalist who has also been turned away from the Block Island Ferry. He was heading there to write about the wedding — its location has been kept secret, but if Thomas covers it his editor has promised to publish his exposé.
Thomas and Harper watch as a young couple fight and storm off for the train, dropping their ferry tickets. Thomas convinces Harper to impersonate the couple as Harper bears a striking resemblance to the young woman…and other ferry-goers take notice! It turns out the woman Harper is impersonating is cousin to the bride. This small deceit for a ferry ride quickly becomes out of control for Harper and Thomas.
How long can they pretend to be married? And is it really that hard to act interested in one another?
This is a delightful, lighthearted romance that is full of sweet moments and laughs. It stays true to the time period with its flirting and what is considered scandalous—it has no spice, but still has you pining away for Harper and Thomas! I am not a romance reader for spice and usually avoid romances altogether because I want more storyline than just romance and this book delivers. Both Harper and Thomas are given individual storylines and depth to their characters. Truly a fun and easy read and I am crossing my fingers for more from Bekah!
Bekah Overby’s debut novel is the cutest, light, summer romcom! Set on an island off of Rhode Island in June 1900, we are invited to the wedding of the century. Well not technically invited…
Harper Whitley is on the train heading to NYC and her grandmother for her debutante season. She is likely to be one of the oldest debutantes as she has been living with her father on their farm, until recently. She hoped to stay forever on the farm and is dreading whatever awaits her in the city. The train conductor calls out that the Point Judith stop is arriving and Harper is flooded with the nostalgia of Block Island, a ferry ride away from that stop. Harper decides on one last day of freedom and gets off the train.
After getting told the ferry is closed for the next month and that the last one is sold out, she heads back to wait for the next train. On her way back she runs into Thomas Montgomery. Thomas is a journalist who has also been turned away from the Block Island Ferry. He was heading there to write about the wedding — its location has been kept secret, but if Thomas covers it his editor has promised to publish his exposé.
Thomas and Harper watch as a young couple fight and storm off for the train, dropping their ferry tickets. Thomas convinces Harper to impersonate the couple as Harper bears a striking resemblance to the young woman…and other ferry-goers take notice! It turns out the woman Harper is impersonating is cousin to the bride. This small deceit for a ferry ride quickly becomes out of control for Harper and Thomas.
How long can they pretend to be married? And is it really that hard to act interested in one another?
This is a delightful, lighthearted romance that is full of sweet moments and laughs. It stays true to the time period with its flirting and what is considered scandalous—it has no spice, but still has you pining away for Harper and Thomas! I am not a romance reader for spice and usually avoid romances altogether because I want more storyline than just romance and this book delivers. Both Harper and Thomas are given individual storylines and depth to their characters. Truly a fun and easy read and I am crossing my fingers for more from Bekah!
December 31, 2022
I thought it was great for a debut novel. Grumpy/sunshine trope is one of my favorites. This book has a fantastic hook. Drew me right and made me smile. This author uses a lot of big new words I’ve never heard before haha. Learning new words is always fun! Block island off of Rhode Island in the 1900s. Hmmm interesting! I want to google this place. The only way to get there is by ferry in the 1900. I wonder if it is still that way today. Oooo Thomas is a reporter for a newspaper! That’s a fun job for our MMC! The only negative thing was sometimes the inner monologues felt a little long. I think some parts of the book could have been shorter.
SPOILERS and notes while reading
“the worlds grumpiest example of chivalry”. Bahaha I love Harper’s description of Thomas. Bahaha I loved the words “canoodling, tomfoolery, and monkey business” great euphemisms. I actually like how horrible Thomas was at comforting Harper when she was crying. It was funny and realistic. Bahaha I love the description of Thomas character through Harper perspective: “he was well-intentioned but roughly-spoken, concerned but irritated about feeling concerned, on a boat to the best kept secret in the North Atlantic waters yet unapologetically grumpy”. Mr. Womblesrump. I’m just going to leave that name there. Bahahah. “Childlike and wise” I like that description of Harper. To love someone is grace. It is not earned or deserved. The book’s ending was abrupt but at the same time I liked it!! Kissing scandalously in front of a crowd for society to say they must marry. Hehe also this book makes you feel for the villain. I feel bad bc he was mistreated by his dad too ya know? But he also did not deserve sweet Adelaide. I can’t believe how ok the omalies were with the deception haha. I loved their quirky personalities. The brawl at the end with the rich people was my favorite part.
SPOILERS and notes while reading
“the worlds grumpiest example of chivalry”. Bahaha I love Harper’s description of Thomas. Bahaha I loved the words “canoodling, tomfoolery, and monkey business” great euphemisms. I actually like how horrible Thomas was at comforting Harper when she was crying. It was funny and realistic. Bahaha I love the description of Thomas character through Harper perspective: “he was well-intentioned but roughly-spoken, concerned but irritated about feeling concerned, on a boat to the best kept secret in the North Atlantic waters yet unapologetically grumpy”. Mr. Womblesrump. I’m just going to leave that name there. Bahahah. “Childlike and wise” I like that description of Harper. To love someone is grace. It is not earned or deserved. The book’s ending was abrupt but at the same time I liked it!! Kissing scandalously in front of a crowd for society to say they must marry. Hehe also this book makes you feel for the villain. I feel bad bc he was mistreated by his dad too ya know? But he also did not deserve sweet Adelaide. I can’t believe how ok the omalies were with the deception haha. I loved their quirky personalities. The brawl at the end with the rich people was my favorite part.
August 5, 2022
The block island charade. This book was so cute! This story begins with Harper who is on her way to her grandmother by train and she decides to get off to enjoy one more day of freedom. When she gets off the train she is almost trampled by a angry mob but is rescued by Thomas. However the rescue goes hilariously wrong!
Thomas is a journalist and in order to investigate a wedding on Block Island he convinces Harper to impersonate a couple who left the ferry and dropped their tickets. I was fully invested in this fake marriage/ mistaken identity storyline. Thomas was quite the sarcastic grump which lead to some very hilarious bickering.
This book was full of confusion, mishaps, and pure chaos. It was a lot of fun to read. I don’t want to spoil who the next book will be about but I’m excited to see their story.
Some of my favorite moments:
Rescue gone wrong
Thomas’s sarcasm
The fern talk
Teaching her to dance
Thomas is a journalist and in order to investigate a wedding on Block Island he convinces Harper to impersonate a couple who left the ferry and dropped their tickets. I was fully invested in this fake marriage/ mistaken identity storyline. Thomas was quite the sarcastic grump which lead to some very hilarious bickering.
This book was full of confusion, mishaps, and pure chaos. It was a lot of fun to read. I don’t want to spoil who the next book will be about but I’m excited to see their story.
Some of my favorite moments:
Rescue gone wrong
Thomas’s sarcasm
The fern talk
Teaching her to dance
July 10, 2022
From the clever cover to the last page, I loved the story of Harper Whitley and Thomas Montgomery. There were so many funny things that happened in this story that I couldn't wait to read what was going to happen next. Here are just a few knee-slapping events that stand out to me: Mr. Womblesrump; a rescue attempt that goes awry; a mistaken identity; a ruse; dance lessons; a possible baby, and a raucous family brawl.
This is the first book in the Block Island Summer series and I am looking forward to read more! I highly recommend this book for its lovable characters, the fun plot, and the crazy mix-ups find Harper and Thomas in. It was fun to watch them change from barely tolerating each other to a remarkable couple who have faith in God and each other.
I was given a copy of this book. I was not expected to write a positive review and all opinions are my own.
This is the first book in the Block Island Summer series and I am looking forward to read more! I highly recommend this book for its lovable characters, the fun plot, and the crazy mix-ups find Harper and Thomas in. It was fun to watch them change from barely tolerating each other to a remarkable couple who have faith in God and each other.
I was given a copy of this book. I was not expected to write a positive review and all opinions are my own.
June 30, 2023
Review to come
August 4, 2022
This story is a historical romcom, and I never knew what to expect from it. I laughed out loud multiple times, and couldn’t put the book down! It has fake marriage and grumpy/sunshine tropes in it, and it was so much fun to see how those tropes played out in this story. I also loved the deeper themes of guilt and dealing with the past.
I kept thinking about how unique this book felt while I was reading it; it was so much fun to read, and I can’t wait for more books by this author!
I kept thinking about how unique this book felt while I was reading it; it was so much fun to read, and I can’t wait for more books by this author!
August 13, 2022
This was a really enjoyable read in a time period and location that doesn’t get a lot of coverage in romcoms! The mistaken identity and fake marriage tropes during this era were a unique take that I haven’t read often. The imagery of Block Island was really beautiful and the author did her homework on the history (who knew the basic concepts of CPR were around in 1900?? I googled it to check the accuracy!). It has Downton Abbey vibes, a little grump/sunshine juxtaposition and some great protective tension between the main characters.
Several moments made me giggle - especially towards the end as the charade becomes known- and there are sweet, swoony moments between the two main characters. I really wanted an epilogue for a longer HEA but this was otherwise a great debut novel.
Romantic Content: Kisses
Several moments made me giggle - especially towards the end as the charade becomes known- and there are sweet, swoony moments between the two main characters. I really wanted an epilogue for a longer HEA but this was otherwise a great debut novel.
Romantic Content: Kisses
March 18, 2023
🌂🌂🌂🌂🌂/5
Have you ever read a book that was full of fun and you never wanted it to end?
This book was funnier than I anticipated. I hadn’t read anything by Bekah before so I really didn’t know what to expect. But The Block Island Charade was one hi-jinx after another and I was falling out of my seat with laughter several times.
Harper and Thomas had the perfect amount of chemistry between them for this charade to be believable to those they were deceiving. And the charade itself was clever. How they kept getting into the situations they did was surprising and absolutely hilarious to watch.
Harper was relatable and funny. And I very much enjoyed being in her crazy head. Although maybe because I’m about the same as her in dramatics and crazy scheme ideas. But her with that parasol…you better watch out! That was one of my favorite scenes. The next being the waltz in the woods with Thomas.
But hi-jinx aside, I loved her devotion to having one last day of freedom before her suffocating debut begins. And I loved watching her grow into the independent and strong woman that she ends the story as.
And then there was Thomas. He was the perfect grump and had the best intentions most of the time. Watching these two hate each other (but not really) was something I thoroughly enjoyed. Their bickering reminded me of an old married couple, and perhaps that’s what made their situation even more believable. Thomas had so much depth to his story and for once I found myself almost loving the male lead more than the female MC.
I loved almost all of the side characters too. And others I loved to hate. (I’m looking at you Wesley and Charles)
TBC is the perfect summer read. It thoroughly throws you into the turn of the century in a way that was light and fun, and does not bog you down by historical facts and people. I highly recommend reading this one, even if you are not a huge Historical Fiction fan.
I cannot wait to see what comes next with this crazy bunch of characters.
Have you ever read a book that was full of fun and you never wanted it to end?
This book was funnier than I anticipated. I hadn’t read anything by Bekah before so I really didn’t know what to expect. But The Block Island Charade was one hi-jinx after another and I was falling out of my seat with laughter several times.
Harper and Thomas had the perfect amount of chemistry between them for this charade to be believable to those they were deceiving. And the charade itself was clever. How they kept getting into the situations they did was surprising and absolutely hilarious to watch.
Harper was relatable and funny. And I very much enjoyed being in her crazy head. Although maybe because I’m about the same as her in dramatics and crazy scheme ideas. But her with that parasol…you better watch out! That was one of my favorite scenes. The next being the waltz in the woods with Thomas.
But hi-jinx aside, I loved her devotion to having one last day of freedom before her suffocating debut begins. And I loved watching her grow into the independent and strong woman that she ends the story as.
And then there was Thomas. He was the perfect grump and had the best intentions most of the time. Watching these two hate each other (but not really) was something I thoroughly enjoyed. Their bickering reminded me of an old married couple, and perhaps that’s what made their situation even more believable. Thomas had so much depth to his story and for once I found myself almost loving the male lead more than the female MC.
I loved almost all of the side characters too. And others I loved to hate. (I’m looking at you Wesley and Charles)
TBC is the perfect summer read. It thoroughly throws you into the turn of the century in a way that was light and fun, and does not bog you down by historical facts and people. I highly recommend reading this one, even if you are not a huge Historical Fiction fan.
I cannot wait to see what comes next with this crazy bunch of characters.
January 1, 2023
The Block Island Charade is a fun, quick read with enjoyable characters and a story line that keeps you on your toes. The author does a great job in her description of the characters, while adding a sense of humor throughout. I also thoroughly appreciated how she tied up all the loose ends at the conclusion of the book. I can’t wait to read the author’s next book!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews