Wealth and Privilege

For fans of Pamela Kelley and Shana Abe, the tempestuous tale of a soul with dreams of a life that is more than what his family has planned for him.

Thomas’ life seems to be a matter of running from one shocking turn of events after another. Rather than scandalize all of Gilded Age Pittsburgh, he is forced to marry a woman he does not love. But he does manage to fall in love with a fascinating older woman.

Having a crush on a smart, warm, beautiful – and married – Regina Waring alternates between pain and ecstasy. She is his confidante who knows the secret of his unhappy marriage. She knows all his secrets – except for the most important one.

Running for their lives through a riot and a flood, coping with death in the family and torturous funerals, living through good times and bad, proving over and over that money can’t buy happiness, Thomas and Regina form a bond of friendship that makes the truth impossible to say out loud.

But the secret gets harder and harder to keep…

Jeanette Watts couldn't help but notice that all romances seemed to be set in the American West or the South. A staunch Yankee girl, she asked what is unromantic about the North or the East? After living for four years in Pittsburgh, and falling deeply in love with southwestern Pennsylvania, she found it the perfect location for a love story. Besides writing, she is also a dance instructor, an inveterate seamstress, the artistic director for several dance companies, an actress, and a history buff. Wealth and Privilege took her 10 years to write, because she felt the research needed to be thorough. Everything from big events and famous people to little details like dog breeds and city names (Minneapolis residents will be pleased to see that she acknowledges that the city was called St. Anthony's Falls in 1878) have been carefully researched.