Petty thief Birdie Kaminski has arrived in Liberty, Ohio with one thing on her mind...Treasure! Her plan is to steal a cache of treasure hidden since the Civil War. She's in possession of a charming clue which has been passed down in her family for generations: 'Liberty safeguards the cherished heart.' The beautiful thief has dreams of going straight. She secretly admires the clue's author, freedwoman Justice Postell, who rose from the horrors of slavery to build a new life for herself in Ohio.

According to family lore, Justice left South Carolina at the dawn of the Civil War. Heavy with child, Justice journeyed north carrying untold riches. As Birdie searches for the treasure, she begins to believe a more questionable part of the story: a tale of love between Justice and Lucas Postell, a French plantation owner who was Birdie's ancestor. If the stories are true, Justice bore a child with Lucas. Some of those black relatives might still live in town. Birdie can't help but wonder if she's actually found one - Liberty's feisty matriarch, Theodora Hendricks, who packs a pistol and an assortment of heartwarming stories about Justice Postell.

Birdie has no idea that an investigative reporter who has recently arrived in town will soon trip her up - as will her conscience when she begins to wonder if it's possible for her to start fresh with stolen riches. Yet with each new clue Birdie unearths, she discovers a family history more precious than gems, a tradition of love far richer than she could possibly imagine.

I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I actually remember reading this when I first received a copy of it from the author. I believe that I only read as far as the second or third chapter, before I discovered that my computer had corrupted the book and then crashed - taking much of my previous reading material down with it. Oh well. I'm happy to say that I bought a brand spanking new copy for my virtual library, and I'm only a tad dismayed that it took me such a long time to read this book. :)

The characters and plot was incredibly likable - especially Birdie and Theodora - and the setting was very believable. I found myself rooting for Birdie and crying at several very touching points throughout the story. I do find myself crying quite frequently with certain books. I'm a complete marshmallow when it comes to heartwarming books - what can I say! :) I certainly give Treasure Me by Christine Nolfi an A+! and am eagerly awaiting my chance to read Second Chance Grill - the next book in the Liberty series. ( )

Treasure Me starts out at a nervous pace, snagging the reader’s attention immediately. The main character, Birdie, is hanging from a ledge three stories above street level, trying to escape from a very angry man from whom she had just lifted a wallet. Now, is that enough to reel you in?

Birdie is a petty thief, taught by her mother. She has had a hard life alongside her mother who moved from town to town, stealing and playing her con games as she went, using her daughter to sweeten the con until cutting her loose at a young age, leaving her to fend for herself. Birdie learned well, and when the opportunity arose to strike it rich she grabbed at it.

Striking it rich, though, didn’t turn out to be as simple as she thought it would be. The only clue she had to hidden treasure in a lazy little town was passed down through generations and she could only hope it still existed. Little did she know her life was about to be drastically influenced by the unsuspecting people of that town in a way that would cause her much regret.

I won’t tell you any more! If this interests you then you will have to read it for yourself. ;) But, beware: the author sprinkled flirtation, seduction and adult information (although not explicit) throughout so that this is not a book for pre-adult readers. If it weren’t for that, I would recommend Treasure Me for advanced young readers because the main story line is a good one, well-executed with humour and mystery mixed into the interwoven relationships and fabric of the town’s history.

Christine Nolfi created memorable characters – although a couple are a little exaggerated, perhaps – who made Treasure Me a story in a little town worth visiting. ( )

This was a fun holiday read. I started it Thanksgiving evening and finished it when I woke at three am with indigestion. Nolfi does a great job juggling lots of threads. At first I felt there were too many, but they all come together so nicely in the end that I forgave her.

Whats more, the characters are great. Birdie has a strong and distinctive personality that I couldn't help but like. She seems rough around the edges out of necessity, but Nolfi gives these great glimpses of the tender-hearted and often lonely woman. You hurt for her childhood and the circumstances that make it so hard for her to become more than she is.



I loved the witty dialogue. Passages like this had me chuckling out loud and kept me reading.

“Couldn’t you drag yourself out of bed?” Finney barked. “It’s after ten o’clock.”

Birdie rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She’d woken in a bad mood, with the memory of kissing Hugh settled on her chest like a two-ton safe. A long shower and the prospect of locating more clues hadn’t raised her spirits.

“I’m here, I’m dressed like a prostitute. What more do you want?” She yanked down the ruffled hem of her waitress uniform but the skirt rode up. Growling with frustration she added, “I shouldn’t have to wear this thing. Delia’s uniform fits her. Why am I stuck with clothes sized for a Playboy bunny?”

“I’m not buying a new uniform until I’m sure you’ll stay for more than a few weeks. Will you?”

“Hell, no.”

“Then you’re stuck with the whore suit.”

The story is full of great characters, heartache, laughs, bitterness and hope. Some of the threads are predictable, but the characters are so unique I didn't even care. And the journey to the end was fresh and well worth it.

I give Treasure me by Christine Nolfi a solid 4.

Note for my cautious readers: Hugh is addicted to women so his mind is often in the gutter. ( )

Treasure Me by Christine Nolfi
This is the first book of a new series about Liberty, Ohio.
This one starts out in the present day but goes back in time to the Civil War and how blacks were taken out of the south via the Underground Railroad system to start new life's in the north.
This is about Birdie and her family over the centuries of time. She is a thief-it's all she knows how to do thanks to her mother. Her father is in jail for a car theft and she travels to Liberty, OH to find the treasure.
She reads a book about being a lady, the etiquette and manners. We find her in a restaurant where she's just gotten a job waitressing and will be living in the apartment upstairs. She will have to share it with Hugh, a newspaper reporter.
They tend to get along ok at times not so well. She finds the clues she was looking for in her search for the rubies. She talks to many in town and finds more. Problem is Hugh's friend at the paper is onto a story about Birde's parents and how they stole the money in the investment firm.
This is also the story of many others paths that she crosses and they all have a bearing in the story. Took me quite some time to actually get into this story and I'm so glad I stuck it out as it is an adventure, some travel, and some romance.
Especially like the ending and how everything fits into place.
There is an excerpt from the next book in the series, at the end.
I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. ( )

I've had this one for awhile, after Ms. Nolfi approached me about reading and reviewing. After finishing it, I wish I'd read it sooner. It was a fun read, and one that will strike a nerve with a lot of people.

Birdie started out (for me) like any other heroine I've read about this year. I started yawning. But then something happened that I wasn't expecting: she suddenly developed depth and became more than just a thief who wanted to make good. I ended up relating to her in a way that I never dreamed possible.

Hugh, on the other hand, I never really liked. I just didn't get him and after awhile, I stopped trying. Maybe I just didn't like him as a reported. I'm not totally sure.

Some of the supporting characters were a little tough to figure out (there were a lot of them), but it wasn't enough to make me want to stop. I was too interested in the plot and figure out where things were going. I wanted so badly for things to work out for Birdie and I wanted to see where she'd end up.

The story twists, it turns, and it flows. It sucked me in and helped me to overlook the couple of things that I didn't care for (see above). I can definitely see fans of chick lit and romance loving this one. Hefty dose of the romance without ever descending into trash. I appreciated that.

Overall, because I liked a lot more than I didn't, I'm giving this a 'Drool Worthy' rating.
( )