Drawn by the Current

Author: Jocelyn Green
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: The Windy City Saga #3
Release Date: February 1, 2022

Lives depend on the truth she uncovers.
She can't give up her search.

A birthday excursion turns deadly when the SS Eastland capsizes with Olive Pierce and her best friend on board. Hundreds perish during the accident, and it's only when Olive herself barely escapes that she discovers her friend is among the victims.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, Olive returns to her work at a Chicago insurance agency and is immersed in the countless investigations related to the accident. But with so many missing, there are few open-and-shut cases, and she tries to balance her grief with the hard work of finding the truth.

While someone sabotages her progress, Olive accepts the help of newspaper photographer Erik Magnussen. As they unravel secrets, the truths they discover impact those closest to Olive. How long will the disaster haunt her--and how can she help the others find the peace they deserve?

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Reviewer: Mindy Houng

“One can live with scars, however constricting they may feel. But one cannot live long with open wounds.”

I did not know a lot about the history of Chicago when I started reading The Windy City Saga and learned much through the first two books. This final installment of the series, set in 1915, delves into the very little remembered sinking of SS Eastland in the Chicago River and the aftermath. Through Olive’s eyes, the reader gets a taste of what an independent career woman faced in the early 1900s and the trauma involved in surviving a shipwreck. 

A secondary plot of a mystery in the life insurance company that Olive works for adds an interesting twist to the story. It’s nice to see Sylvie and Kristoff again and somewhat bittersweet to see Meg alone after Nate’s death but thriving with her children and grandchildren. Erik is a neat character who balances out Olive’s prickly edges and pursues her despite her pushing him away. His romantic optimism is indeed quite heroic.

This book will enthrall you if you enjoy historical fiction that grabs your heart and mind.

I received the book from the publisher and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own.

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Reviewer: Laura J. Davis

​Drawn by the Current by Jocelyn Green is a gripping account of tragedy, mystery and even romance. This third book in the Windy City Saga series entertains and educates.

I had never heard of the S.S. Eastland disaster, and Ms. Green did an incredible job of describing the horror of the day and the aftermath as well. I love historical fiction that teaches me something new and brings it to life simultaneously with a story that keeps you glued to the pages.

​I loved Olive. She was brave, curious and kind-hearted. The growth she shows in the end and how she realizes what she wants in life and who she is were touching. She has more than one mystery to solve as an insurance investigator. And she gets some help from Erik Magnussen, a photographer who rescues her more than once.

I loved the added mysteries and the situation with Claire. The author touched on domestic abuse and did so in a sensitive way. And there is a surprise that I wasn't expecting at all. I was as shocked as Olive. This one kept me up all night. I highly recommend it!

I received this book courtesy of Bethany House through NetGalley.

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