Pursuit of Lucy Banning: A Novel: 1 (Avenue of Dreams)

Lucy Banning may live on the exclusive Prairie Avenue among Chicago's rich and famous, but her heart lies elsewhere. Expected to marry an up-and-coming banker from a respected family, Lucy fears she will be forced to abandon her charity work--and the classes she is secretly taking at the newly opened University of Chicago. When she meets an unconventional young architect who is working on plans for the upcoming 1893 World's Fair, Lucy imagines a life lived on her own terms. Can she break away from her family's expectations? And will she ever be loved for who she truly is? Readers will love being swept away into a world of mansions, secrets, and romance as they follow Lucy through the streets of the Windy City during one of the most exciting times in the city's history. From opulent upper-class homes to the well-worn rooms of an orphanage, Olivia Newport breathes life and romance into the pages of history--and everyone is invited.

She has a secret to keep. But will she give her heart away?

Lucy Banning may live on the exclusive Prairie Avenue among Chicago's rich and famous, but her heart lies elsewhere. Expected to marry an up-and-coming banker from a respected family, Lucy fears she will be forced to abandon her charity work and squeeze herself into the mold of the well-dressed wife who spends most of her time and money redecorating.

When she meets Will, an unconventional young architect who is working on plans for the upcoming 1893 World's Fair, Lucy imagines a life lived on her own terms. Can she break away from her family's expectations? And will she ever be loved for who she truly is?

Get swept away into the lavish world of Chicago's high society as Olivia Newport brings to life an age of glitz and grandeur, stark social contrasts, and one woman who dares to cross class lines for what she believes.
"Hats off to Olivia Newport. Her characters are compelling, and Chicago's history comes alive on each page. Readers will feel like they've been transported back to 1892."--Andrea Boeshaar, author of the Seasons of Redemption series

"Lucy Banning is my kind of heroine, pushing against the strictures of her times of the 1890s. Her love and caring wrap around your heart. A fine read."--Lauraine Snelling, author of the Red River of the North series and the Wild West Wind series

"Newport brings to life historical Chicago with fascinating insight into the wealthy families of Prairie Avenue. She gives us a worthy heroine who struggles to break free of the constraints of her time and offers grace to those less fortunate. The Pursuit of Lucy Banning is a beautiful and sweet romance that will touch readers' hearts."--Jody Hedlund, award-winning author of The Preacher's Bride and The Doctor's Lady


Olivia Newport's novels twist through time to discover where faith and passions meet. Her husband and two twentysomething children provide welcome distraction from the people stomping through her head on their way into her books. She chases joy in stunning Colorado at the foot of the Rockies, where daylilies grow as tall as she is.
REVIEWS:

"With attention to historical detail and an artful sense of place, Olivia Newport gives readers a fascinating glimpse into the way the wealthy interpreted the 1893 World's Fair--and the roles of women in the world. The Pursuit of Lucy Banning is a compassionate coming-of-age romance with a spunky, determined heroine and a Happy Ever After that's satisfyingly sweet."--USA Today, Happily Ever After blog

"In a new historical series, Avenue of Dreams, readers head to the Chicago World's Fair of 1893 where they will be treated to the grandeur and charm of the wealthy and the not-so-wealthy. In this story thick with secrets and lies, Newport's characters are by turn charming, conniving or trying to be true to themselves in spite of what society expects of them."--RT Book Reviews