Verity by Lisa T. Bergren

Seeing the success that her sister Keturah had on the island of Nevis, Verity decides that she too would like to run her own business. Instead of going into the sugar cane business Verity opts to open her own shop in town. Knowing that the men and women of Nevis think that the sisters are too bold and shouldn't be doing what only men should, Verity sets out to win them over with her superior products.

Traveling to the colonies Verity has a twofold plan. She wants to find the best products for her new shop, and she wants to find out what happened to her beloved sea captain Duncan McKintrick. Finding Duncan's brother Ian in jail Verity learns of Duncan's fate. Heartbroken she agrees to have Ian carry all of her goods back to Nevis.

When an old enemy attempts to put Verity out of business she and Ian escape back to the colonies. There they find that the British are clamping down on the rebels and that rumors of war are abounding.

I loved Verity's story! I actually love the Banning sisters! They are strong females that have captured the hearts of strong men that allow them to be themselves in an age when women should be just pretty ornaments on a man's arm. VERITY is filled with beautiful settings, danger, and intrigue, all set on the cusp of the American Revolution. I loved Ian's character as well. He is a man of honor bent on finding the man that killed his brother. The scenes of slavery in KETURAH were a bit harder to take than the ones in VERITY, but there is a scene that was horrifying and graphic. One of the things that make the Banning plantation and the Bannings themselves different is their treatment of their workers. Most of them are free and paid wages or working towards emancipation. That idea causes the other plantation owners consternation. A great book and  I'm now looking forward to reading the last Banning sister's story, I think we already have an idea of who Selah falls in love with!