The major character, Carolyn Charlotte Cleveland, or CC, is the president of a fictional team, the Indianapolis Knights. She inherits an English title and an enormous amount of money from her father, an English earl whom she never met. When she travels to England to reject the title, she unexpectedly becomes embroiled in a mystery: Who was her father? How had he become so incredibly rich, and, mo
st importantly, how did he die, and at whose hand? Determined to find out about the man who chose to keep his own title rather than marry her mother, she searches for clues in the Cotswolds, London, and eventually at her father’s hunting lodge in the Highlands of Scotland, where she meets Charles Timperley, a Scottish lord. Charlie, CC’s mother, Mary, and her enigmatic stepfather, Flash MacTandy, are drawn in and face danger as they strive to solve the mystery. Once her questions are answered, CC must make a difficult and life-altering decision. Will she accept her father’s title and become Countess of Litchfield, or will she choose to retain her present title, President of the Knights? EDITORIAL LETTER--It’s All in the Title by Ann Port
Overview
The manuscript was well written and the plot unfolded dramatically, with very diverse, interesting characters and a unique, fast-paced storyline. . .the book flowed smoothly from the opening to the end
Plot Flow, Structure, and Formatting
It’s All in the Title followed its main characters through a high-tension timeline of events that were in turn suspenseful, touching, humorous, and chilling, with a deftly manipulated story arc that seamlessly blended present and past. The unfolding plot was tightly structured, with seamless transitions and well-presented scenes, the intertwining of romance and mystery was likewise deftly done. Characterization
The very human and likeable characters made It’s All in the Title come alive. The charismatic Charlie is a fine foil for the spirited and conflicted CC, and all of their actions and motivations were authentic and well-conceived. None of the characters —primary or secondary—were flat or in any way contrived; in fact, their complexity enhanced the storyline very nicely. Though British servants and moneyed aristocrats as well as American baseball executives figured heavily in the plot, they never descended into stereotype, but rather were solidly and authentically portrayed. Dialogue
From a simple Scottish servant to a cultured viscount to an endearing Hugh Grant-like hero and more, the characters of It’s All in the Title hit just the right notes whenever they spoke. CC’s affectionate banter with Charlie was equally as realistic as her heartfelt conversations with her mother and her hard-nosed dealings with the nefarious Jim Oats. Indeed, very little of the dialogue rang false, and you’ll find that I didn’t make many changes other than to insert a contraction here and there (“I’m” as opposed to “I am,” for example), which I felt made the characters seem a tad more realistic and their speech less awkward. The narrative read very smoothly, and the tone was both engaging and very readable. Many of the descriptions, especially in terms of the settings, were very vivid and the lighthearted moments blended nicely with the darker tone set by the unfolding events surrounding CC’s investigation of her father’s mysterious life.
