Recent Reads - The Belle of Belgrave Square

The Belle of Belgrave Square by Mimi Matthews - Julia Wychwood is enduring another season in London. She is from a wealthy and respected family and has a generous dowry, but she is uncomfortable in ballrooms and dining halls, and would far rather be riding her horse or reading a novel. While her friends are out of town, she makes the acquaintance of Captain Jasper Blunt, a military hero looking for a wealthy wife. His gruff manner and wartime scars, along with the rumours of his haunted estate in Yorkshire and illegitimate children, have scared off most of the eligible young ladies. Julia is surprised to find that he can converse easily with her about books but still tells him that she doesn't think they would suit.

Jasper is captivated by Julia though, and compelled to come to her rescue in a couple of social situations, and they strike up a friendship. He is determined to pursue her, even going to talk to her father, but is rebuffed. However, when he learns of the cruel treatment Julia receives at home, and that she is weak and ill after her parents subject her to bloodletting, he comes to her aid and is shocked when Julia proposes to him a marriage of convenience if he will take her to Yorkshire.

Their friendship and the arrangement they agree to has the potential to grow into so much more, but Julia's trust in him is tested time and again as she finds out more about him and his secrets.

This story is based on the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast and the similarities are easy to spot. Jasper is a brooding hero full of contradictions and with many layers of secrets, and he struggles with how and when to share any of them with his new bride. Julia is a romantic soul with a kind heart, who has been dominated by her parents and her anxiety in social situations, but she begins to come alive once she has a home and some freedom. The development of their relationship is sweet and satisfying, and I liked the balance of the fairy tale trope with enough realism to make it work.

From the publisher:

A London heiress rides out to the wilds of the English countryside to honor a marriage of convenience with a mysterious and reclusive stranger.

Tall, dark, and dour, the notorious Captain Jasper Blunt was once hailed a military hero, but tales abound of his bastard children and his haunted estate in Yorkshire. What he requires now is a rich wife to ornament his isolated ruin, and he has his sights set on the enchanting Julia Wychwood.

For Julia, an incurable romantic cursed with a crippling social anxiety, navigating a London ballroom is absolute torture. The only time Julia feels any degree of confidence is when she's on her horse. Unfortunately, a young lady can't spend the whole of her life in the saddle, so Julia makes an impetuous decision to take her future by the reins―she proposes to Captain Blunt.

In exchange for her dowry and her hand, Jasper must promise to grant her freedom to do as she pleases. To ride―and to read―as much as she likes without masculine interference. He readily agrees to her conditions, with one provision of his own; Julia is forbidden from going into the tower rooms of his estate and snooping around his affairs. But the more she learns of the beastly former hero, the more intrigued she becomes . . .

By the same author: A Holiday By Gaslight, The Work of Art, The Matrimonial Advertisment, Fair As A Star, The Viscount and the Vicar's Daughter

This is a book featuring a character with a secret identity (#35), by an author whose first and last name start with the same letter (#40) for The 52 Book Club's 2026 Reading Challenge.

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This post will be linked at the current BookWorms Monthly link-up hosted by At Home A Lot.

©2008-2026 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. This post was written by a human.  http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

 This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Recent Reads - A Holiday By Gaslight

A Holiday By Gaslight by Mimi Matthews - Sophie Appersett's parents have been very supportive of Mr Edward Sharpe's courtship of her, despite his humble family background in the trades. Ned Sharpe is very successful and wealthy, and Sophie's father has spent all the Appersett family money on improvements and "progress" to the estate, even Sophie's dowry. Sophie has no objection to marrying below her class in order to benefit her family, but after they've been courting awhile she decides to break it off. After all, shouldn't they be able to speak of something other than the weather? Ned is so stiff and formal that Sophie feels they are ill-suited.

Ned is taken by surprise, and wonders where he has gone wrong. In his attempts to do everything right, he has relied on the advice in a book of etiquette for gentlemen, which was to remain very reserved, yet Sophie seems offended. Not long afterwards, Ned is surprised again, when Sophie comes offering a second chance by renewing the invitation for him - and his parents - to spend Christmas at their country home, Appersett House. They agree to put strict formality aside and truly get to know each other, to see if their courtship has a chance at success after all.

The Christmas house party at Appersett House has an unusual mix of classes among the guests, but Sophie is determined to make it a success, and hopes for a chance at happiness with Ned. Ned puts forth his best effort to show Sophie how much he truly cares for her. And Sophie's father goes all out to convince Mr Sharpe and his business partner that the improvements he has in mind for the estate are good investments for them. Will that pressure push Ned away, or will the growing affection and attraction between him and Sophie lead them to a happy marriage?

The story and romance in this novella were delightful, and Sophie and Ned are both very likeable and interesting characters. I wanted their happiness and success very much, but I also rather wanted Mr Appersett to get the wakeup call he needed. He's a secondary character, but his own unfettered spending has put his entire family at risk, and he remains selfish and unrepentant in the face of his foolishness. The references to Charles Darwin are timely, since his work was being published during the time period of the setting, but seems unrelated to the actual storyline, and so unnecessary to mention, in my opinion.

From the Publisher:

A Courtship of Convenience

Sophie Appersett is quite willing to marry outside of her class to ensure the survival of her family. But the darkly handsome Mr. Edward Sharpe is no run-of-the-mill London merchant. He's grim and silent. A man of little emotion―or perhaps no emotion at all. After two months of courtship, she's ready to put an end to things.

A Last Chance for Love

But severing ties with her taciturn suitor isn't as straightforward as Sophie envisioned. Her parents are outraged. And then there's Charles Darwin, Prince Albert, and that dratted gaslight. What's a girl to do except invite Mr. Sharpe to Appersett House for Christmas and give him one last chance to win her? Only this time there'll be no false formality. This time they'll get to know each other for who they really are.

By the same author: The Work of Art, The Matrimonial Advertisment, Fair As A Star, The Viscount and the Vicar's Daughter

This is a book that explores social class (#43) for The 52 Book Club's 2025 Reading Challenge.

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This post will be linked at the current BookWorms Monthly link-up hosted by At Home A Lot, and at  the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2025 hosted by The Intrepid Reader and Baker.

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©2008-2025 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. This post was written by a human.  http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

 This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Recent Reads - While the City Sleeps

While the City Sleeps by Elizabeth Camden - Katherine Schneider loves her life in New York, working a late shift as a dentist (one of the few women in the profession, and at a clinic that was open late to accommodate working people), living in an all-female apartment building, and relatively independent. She enjoys her walk home from work each night, because she's escorted by a handsome police officer that she has fallen for and hopes will return her feelings.

Lieutenant Jonathan Birch makes it a point to meet Dr Schneider each evening and make sure she gets safely back to her building. He'd like nothing more than to declare his feelings for her, but he is sure his shadowy past life would be unacceptable to her, and it's important to keep it hidden from everyone in the police force as well. 

As she follows the news, Katherine realizes that the ramblings of one of her patients while under the influence of laughing gas may have been details about a bombing plot, so she seeks out Jonathan to tell him what she remembers. The information turns out to be valuable, but it also puts Katherine in danger. Jonathan's extra attention to keep her safe means that their friendship blossoms into romance, even while Jonathan is working hard to unravel the bomb threats and identify the conspirators. He has to cooperate with his rival within the police force, and that rival undermines the relationship between Jonathan and Katherine every chance he gets.

In order to bring the bombers to justice and keep the city - and particularly Katherine - safe, the rivals need to cooperate and Jonathan and Katherine will both have their abilities to forgive and to trust tested. 

 There's actually a fair amount of suspense in this romance, and the glimpse into the time period was very interesting too. Katherine is a great character - she's mature and independent and gracious, but at the same time she's a bit naive in her idealism and expectations. Jonathan is a wonderful but flawed hero - an exceptionally good and honorable man, but with a real blind spot when it comes to his rival, Gallagher. Both he and Gallagher engage in childish one-upmanship and hold onto grudges, and it could put them and others in danger, so that is an additional tension in the storyline. 

From the publisher:

Amid the hushed city, two hearts must navigate danger and deception, bound by a love that outshines the stars.

Katherine Schneider's life as a dentist in 1913 New York is upended when a patient reveals details of a deadly plot while under the influence of laughing gas. As she is plunged into danger, she seeks help from the dashing Lieutenant Jonathan Birch, a police officer she has long admired from afar.

Jonathan has harbored powerful feelings toward Katherine for years but never acted on them, knowing his dark history is something she could never abide. Now, with her safety on the line, he works alongside her through the nights as they unravel the criminal conspiracy that threatens her . . . even as he keeps his deepest secrets hidden at all costs.

By the same author: The Lady of Bolton Hill, A Daring Venture, A Dangerous Legacy, Beyond All Dreams, To The Farthest Shores, Against the Tide, Summer of Dreams, From This Moment, Until the Dawn, Into the Whirlwind

This is a book that has a moon on the cover (#12) for The 52 Book Club's 2025 Reading Challenge.

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Since I read most of this in October, I counted it for Pick Your Costume in the October Mini-Challenge.

This is #7 in the Connections Challenge. The author shares a name with a character from the previous book (Elizabeth).

This post will be linked at the current BookWorms Monthly link-up hosted by At Home A Lot, and at  the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2025 hosted by The Intrepid Reader and Baker.

#histficreadingchallenge

©2008-2025 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. This post was written by a human.  http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

 This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Recent Reads - Before Beauty: A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast

Before Beauty: A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast by Brittany Fichter - This book takes the familiar fairytale and adds some backstory, twists, and a hint of allegory. Since the tale is set in a fictional kingdom in a world where magical forces exist, it has a bit of a fantasy feel to it as well.

We're introduced to Prince Everard when he is still a child. He feels the weight of the expectations of his father the king, and despite loneliness and the fears of not measuring up, he does his best to develop the stoicism and singlemindedness his father demands so that he'll be ready for the throne one day. A chance encounter with a young girl results in disaster, and Ever is long haunted by the hard-hearted choice his father pressured him into. The eve of his coronation, he makes another foolish and hard-hearted decision that plunges the kingdom into chaos and brings a curse upon the Fortress.

Isabelle is the girl who stumbled into the path of Ever's horse and was injured and crippled as a result of the accident and Ever's temper. We don't get to see as much of her during childhood, but as a young woman she is devastated when her fiance rejects her right before the wedding, saying she is not suitable to be his wife because of her disability. Soon after, Isa's father stumbles into the cursed Fortress and thus Isa is compelled to go live there among the shadows. All she knows is that there is something she must do to break the curse, and her resentment at all the prince has taken from her threatens to overwhelm her. Not that Ever is happy about her presence either - it's a constant reminder of the destructive power of his anger, and he's ashamed of that and of the shadowy monster he has become as his strength is sapped by the curse.

As in the fairytale, Isabelle resolves to make the best of the situation and without even realizing, she begins to bring the Fortress back to life. It's implied that she must discover her strength and her connection to the Fortress power on her own and willingly choose to wield the power for good. And that Ever must learn humility and how to love selflessly before he can be healed and strengthened. Of course, all of this must happen before the enemy, an evil princess of a neighboring kingdom, can destroy them all. 

There's a very sweet love story in all of it, predictable because of the well-known tale on which it's based, but given some new perspectives because of the personalities the author has given these two characters. I liked the shadowy servants of the Fortress, affected by the curse, especially the trusted steward Garin, who is something of a guardian angel. The final resolution of how the curse is broken takes a slightly different route than I expected, and I think it was done quite well.

From the publisher:

Can the accursed prince and broken beauty move beyond their hatred for one another, not only to break the curse and save their kingdom . . . but to find love as well?

Prince Everard's father forged him into a warrior. Upon the king's death, however, Everard loses himself in his pain and brings a dark curse upon himself and the great Fortress that has long guarded the people of Destin.

The prince's sin doesn't solely affect those of his citadel, however. Isabelle, the daughter of a local merchant, has suffered the prince's hasty temper before, and it changed her life forever. So when Everard's curse cuts off his people's source of protection, and he demands that she, a crippled commoner, help him break it, her shock and horror are rivaled only by her indignation and even stronger desire to protect her family.

All the while, Destin's enemy crouches at the foot of the Fortress's mountain, waiting for the right moment to capture the stronghold that has stood for a thousand years.

This is a fairy tale retelling (#20) for The 52 Book Club's 2025 Reading Challenge.

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This post will be linked at the current BookWorms Monthly link-up hosted by At Home A Lot.

©2008-2025 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. This post was written by a human.  http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

 This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Recent Reads - No Safe Harbor

No Safe Harbor by Elizabeth Ludwig - Cara Hamilton leaves Ireland and arrives in New York hoping to find the twin brother she'd thought dead. Eoghan's only communication with her was a few lines of a letter and he warned her not to trust anyone, so she is very guarded with what she shares. A kind stranger points her to a boarding house and she meets a fellow Irishman named Rourke who seems trustworthy and like a good friend to her. But she heeds her brother's warning and lets everyone believe she has no living relations. For now.

Rourke and his family have been looking for Eoghan Hamilton in order to take revenge, and Rourke senses that Cara must be a sister to the man he seeks. If he can get information from her, he can get to Eoghan, but he is finding it difficult to stomach seeing Cara come to any harm and his loyalties and instincts are torn.

Cara discovers that she may have an enemy within the boarding house, and realizes that whoever is hunting Eoghan probably wishes her harm as well. Her questions may be leading her to her brother, but is she also leading an enemy closer to him at the same time? She wrestles with whether to trust and believe Rourke, just as he is wrestling with his growing feelings for Cara and growing discomfort with the path of revenge he's on.

I really enjoyed this story and the suspense throughout. Cara's desperation to find her brother made her over-cautious to share information at times, and led her to make some reckless choices in her search, but both made sense in context. She and Rourke are both very likeable characters, even as Rourke's motives fluctuate and he seems to waffle between wanting vengeance for his father's death and wanting to live in an honorable way that would have made his father proud. Even Eoghan's character is in question at times, which adds to Cara's tension. The ending isn't quite what I expected, and did set up a sequel (it is Book One of a series, after all), but I was satisfied that it didn't leave too many loose ends that it shouldn't have.

From the publisher:

Lured by a handful of scribbled words across a faded letter, Cara Hamilton sets off from 1896 Ireland on a quest to find the brother she'd thought dead. Her search lands her in America, amidst a houseful of strangers and one man who claims to be a friend―Rourke Walsh.

Despite her brother's warning, Cara decides to trust Rourke and reveals the truth about her purpose in America. But he is not who he claims to be, and as rumors begin to circulate about an underground group of dangerous revolutionaries, Cara's desperation grows. Her questions lead her ever closer to her brother, but they also bring her closer to destruction as Rourke's true intentions come to light.

This is a book featuring a found family trope (#22) for The 52 Book Club's 2025 Reading Challenge.

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This is fourth in The 52 Book Club's Connections Challenge. It was published in the same year as the previous book, 2012.

This post will be linked at the current BookWorms Monthly link-up hosted by At Home A Lot, and at  the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2025 hosted by The Intrepid Reader and Baker.

#histficreadingchallenge

©2008-2025 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. This post was written by a human.  http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

 This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Recent Reads - The Work of Art

The Work of Art by Mimi Matthews - Our introduction to Phyllida comes as she comes into her uncle's library to collect her dogs that have interrupted a meeting. Her straightforward humility is scoffed at by some of her uncle's guests, but not Captain Arthur Heywood. He later has the opportunity to converse with her and finds himself liking her more than he expected. She is kind, unpretentious, and gracious, and the plans her uncle has to marry her off to the Duke of Moreland do not sit well with Arthur at all. But what can he do? He barely knows her and is in no position to object or to be involved at all.

Philly has accepted that her life will be different now. Having been raised by her grandparents in Devonshire, she is more than capable of running a household and has all the required manners and graces of a high-born lady, but was not pressed to have a London season or marry young. With her grandfather's death, Philly has been taken in by her uncle, and has no property or dowry to speak of, and must submit to his plans to prepare her for a season and find a suitable husband for her. She begins to hope that the courteous Captain Heywood might be the one chosen, but is dismayed when she meets the Duke of Moreland. He is notorious as a collector of unusual art, and has a reputation for cruelty and vengeance. When she sees him strike one of his dogs, she is determined that she will not marry him for she knows her own beloved dogs will not be welcomed and may well be mistreated. Her uncle is unmoved by her pleas, so she takes a chance and reaches out to Captain Heywood, hoping that his gallantry and kindness during their brief friendship will move him to offer her some assistance.

Arthur not only comes through to help Philly, he offers her everything he can in order to protect her from Moreland. He offers her a marriage of convenience and the protection of his name, and assures her that she will want for nothing at his home, and that she may bring her beloved dogs with her. He loves her already but because he is crippled and emotionally and physically scarred after his experiences in war, he fears offering her his heart and his full companionship. The two do fall in love, but Arthur continues to worry about the threat that seems to have followed her to his estate, and won't allow himself to love her fully. 

This story seems to resolve relatively quickly, until threats and danger follow Philly out of London to Heycombe, and the tension ramps up again. There is also the romantic tension as Arthur and Philly navigate their relationship and learn to trust each other. The resolutions to the conflicts are not exactly as expected but the promised happy ever after does eventually come. 

From the publisher:

An Uncommon Beauty . . . 

Hidden away in rural Devonshire, Phyllida Satterthwaite has always been considered more odd than beautiful. But in London, her oddity has made her a sensation. Far worse, it's caught the eye of the sinister Duke of Moreland―a notorious art collector obsessed with acquiring one-of-a-kind treasures. To escape the duke's clutches, she's going to need a little help.

An Unlikely Hero . . .

Captain Arthur Heywood's days of heroism are long past. Grievously injured in the Peninsular War, he can no longer walk unaided, let alone shoot a pistol. What use can he possibly be to a damsel in distress? He has nothing left to offer except his good name. 

Can a marriage of convenience save Philly from the vengeful duke? Or will life with Arthur put her―and  her heart―in more danger than ever?

By the same author: The Matrimonial Advertisment, Fair As A Star, The Viscount and the Vicar's Daughter

This is a book written in third person (#35) for The 52 Book Club's 2025 Reading Challenge.

#the52bookclub #the52bookclub2025

This post will be linked at the current BookWorms Monthly link-up hosted by At Home A Lot, and at  the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2025 hosted by The Intrepid Reader and Baker.

#histficreadingchallenge

©2008-2025 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. This post was written by a human.  http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

 This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Recent Reads - A Christmas Charade

A Christmas Charade by Karla Hocker - I found this book on my Kindle while hunting for something with a holiday theme and it obviously fit the bill! The story takes place at Stenton Castle, which has been standing empty for some years since a tragic fire. Clive Rowland, Duke of Stenton has decided to refurbish the castle and host a Christmas house party, but it's a cover to give him an excuse to investigate probable spy activity along the nearby Sussex coast.

Elizabeth Gore-Langton is a somewhat reluctant guest, having come as the paid companion to Lady Astley. A decade earlier, Elizabeth had been enamored of Clive during her first season, and is uncomfortable wondering if and how he'll remember her. 

It's pretty clear that a second chance romance will likely develop between these two, but there is a whole cast of supporting characters with their own storylines, including Lady Astley's son and his wife who are navigating issues in the marriage since his return from war. There are little subplots going on among the other extended family members and close friends at this house party as well. And while all these personal interactions are playing out, Clive is still trying to find out if spies are using the nearby coastline.

An important supporting character is Annie Tuck, the castle's ghost! Annie has her own agenda, now that there are people at the castle again, and to everyone's surprise, she can also contribute to the romances, dramas, and subterfuges. Annie becomes gradually more tangible to the people in the castle, and her part is probably the most entertaining part of the story.

While this was an enjoyable light read, I felt that it was very busy with all the little subplots, and everything about the spy activity and investigation seemed contrived and flimsy. There was an action scene that was confusing and improbable, both in the action itself and the characters' reactions and motivations.

From the publisher:

A charming Yuletide romance painted with gorgeous Regency detail.

Elizabeth Gore-Langton was hardly in a position to refuse accompanying Lady Astley to the Christmas party at Stenton Castle. After all, a paid companion must follow her employer's wishes. It scarcely mattered that Elizabeth would be forced to face the man who had unknowingly broken her heart years ago during her first season. Most likely, the Duke of Stenton wouldn't even recognize her. But once she looked up into his dark, piercing eyes, she knew this was a man who fogot very little and forgave even less. Well, she was no longer a blushing schoolgirl, and the dashing duke would soon find that a broken heart, once mended, could be formidable indeed!

Clive Rowland, Fifth Duke of Stenton, was in no mood for a holiday gathering. But the Christmas gala would provide the perfect cover as he investigated reports that French agents were doing a brisk trade in stolen documents along the Sussex coast. It would be devilishly difficult to play the host while tracking down traitors, but Clive was up to the task―provided he kept his wits about him and didn't get distracted by yule logs and Christmas folderol . . . or the delightful charms of the disturbingly familiar Elizabeth. She was hiding something, to be sure, and Clive liked nothing better than unveiling a lady's secrets!

This is a book with a time frame of a week or less (#32) for The 52 Book Club's 2024 Reading Challenge.

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This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee. 

©2008-2024 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

 We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Recent Reads - Sisters of Fortune

Sisters of Fortune by Anna Lee Huber - As much as I enjoy historical fiction, I probably would not have picked up this book except that it's by one of my very favorite authors. Also, the cover is just stunning, so that helped! Reading stories about people who sailed on the Titanic and suffered such a great tragedy is just too uncomfortable for me, so it took me awhile to get started on this one, and as I neared the fatal moment for the ocean liner itself, I found it difficult because I knew that a good number of the characters I'd met in these pages would not survive. So . . . all that said . . . 

The story focuses on a family from Winnipeg who had just finished a grand tour that included Egypt and Europe, and were sailing back home on the Titanic. There are three sisters―Flora, Alice, and Mabel Fortune―and their parents and brother. Flora and Alice are both engaged, with plans to marry when they reach home. Mabel is uninterested in a relationship, but wants very badly to attend university, while her parents remain opposed to this course of action. Of course, they interact with many other passengers on the Titanic and strike up some friendships among them. There are descriptions of the ship, its accommodations, and many details of the voyage woven throughout. The younger brother Charlie's exuberant interest in engineering and science provides a seamless way to include the characters talking about what the ship and its voyage were like in a fairly natural way.

Flora and Alice provide a contrast in character, and their expectations of the marriages awaiting them are quite different. Flora is the dutiful and serious older daughter, agreeing to marry according to convention, but beginning to question if there is something more available to her. She knows that she and her fiance do not have any real affection for each other, not the way Alice and Holden do. When Flora meets the dashing and wealthy Chess Kinsey and begins to feel joy and passion, she realizes she will have a bold decision to make if she wishes to embrace this developing romance. Alice has been somewhat coddled because of health problems, and she loves her fiance Holden, but the adventures and new experiences of traveling have raised doubts in her mind about whether she wants to simply settle down to a stolid and respectable life. 

The third-person narrative makes use of each of the three sisters as viewpoint characters, and Chess is a fourth viewpoint character. This allows the experiences of the men and the women to be explored, and to my surprise, it was easy to follow and not distracting. When I started reading, I had assumed that the Fortune family was fictional and loosely based on real people that sailed on the Titanic, but at the end there is an author's note explaining that the family is very real, although relatively little is known about them. 

From the publisher:

April, 1912: It's the perfect finale to a Grand Tour of Europe―sailing home on the largest, most luxurious ocean liner ever built. For the Fortune sisters, the voyage offers a chance to reflect on the treasures of the past they've seen―magnificent castles and museums in Italy and France, the ruins of Greece and the Middle East―and contemplate the futures that await them.

For Alice, there's foreboding mixed with her excitement. A fortune teller in Egypt gave her a dire warning about traveling at sea. And the freedom she has enjoyed on her travels contrasts with her fiance's plans for her return―a cossetted existence she's no longer sure she wants.

Flora is also returning to a fiance, a well-to-do banker of whom her parents heartily approve, as befits their most dutiful daughter. Yet the closer the wedding looms, the less sure Flora feels. Another man―charming, exasperating, completely unsuitable―occupies her thoughts, daring her to follow her own desires rather than settling for the wishes of others.

Youngest sister Mabel knows her parents arranged this Grand Tour to separate her from a jazz musician. But the secret truth is that Mabel has little interest in marrying at all, preferring to explore ideas of suffrage and reform―even if it forces a rift with her family.

Each sister grapples with the choices before her as the grand vessel glides through the Atlantic waters. Until, on an infamous night, fate intervenes, forever altering their lives.

By the same author: The Anatomist's Wife, Mortal Arts; A Grave Matter, A Study in Death, A Pressing Engagement, This Side of Murder, As Death Draws Near, A Brush With Shadows, Treacherous Is The Night, An Artless Demise, Secrets in the Mist, Penny for Your Secrets, A Stroke of Malice, A Pretty Deceit, A Wicked Conceit, A Perilous Perspective, A Fatal Illusion

This is a book with at least four different points of view (#4) for The 52 Book Club's 2024 Reading Challenge.

#the52bookclub #the52bookclub2024

©2008-2024 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee. 

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Recent Reads - The Lady of Bolton Hill

The Lady of Bolton Hill by Elizabeth Camden - In the opening pages, Daniel's family faces tragedy when his father is killed in a factory accident. Daniel is comforted by his unlikely best friend, Clara, the daughter of a minister in one of the wealthiest neighborhoods of Baltimore. The two are separated by time and circumstance and years later Clara has made a name for herself as a journalist in London, but her articles exposing the truth about child laborers in the mines has landed her in prison, and when she's released, she must return to Baltimore and continue her work there.

In the intervening years, Daniel has become successful and wealthy as an inventor and businessman, but he is still driven by a desire to punish the man he holds responsible for his father's death. Daniel and Clara renew their friendship and rekindle the budding romance of their youth, but Daniel cannot give in to Clara's belief that he should listen to God's voice and forgive those past wrongs.

Between Clara's journalistic efforts and the machinations of Daniel's rival and an enemy, he is faced with difficult choices and having to deal with growing unrest from the labor unions. When Clara goes missing and her life is in danger, Daniel goes into action to rescue her but saving her will mean making choices to do hard things, to forgive, and to trust God.

Clara is a strong and opinionated lead character who makes mistakes and has fears, but not very many flaws. Her character does grow and change, but it is a more subtle development from good to better. Daniel, however, is a wonderful romantic hero with one major flaw - his stubborn refusal to do business with a man he considers an enemy. The danger to Clara, and the surprising way she escapes it is Daniel's crisis moment, and the catalyst is the surprising transformation of an enemy. Courage and grace are themes throughout. 

From the publisher:

Female journalists are rare in 1879, but American-born Clara Endicott has finally made a name for herself with her provocative articles championing London's poor. When the backlash from her work forces a return home to Baltimore, Clara finds herself face-to-face with a childhood sweetheart who is no longer the impoverished factory worker she once knew. In her absence, Daniel Tremain has become a powerful industry giant and Clara finds him as enigmatic as ever. However, Daniel's success is fueled by resentment from past wounds and Clara's deeply-held beliefs about God's grace force Daniel to confront his own motives. When Clara's very life is endangered by one of Daniel's adversaries, they must face a reckoning neither of them ever could have foreseen.

*********************

By the same author: A Daring Venture, A Dangerous Legacy, Beyond All Dreams, To The Farthest Shores, Against the Tide, Summer of Dreams, From This Moment, Until the Dawn, Into the Whirlwind

This is a title starting with the letter L (#12) for The 52 Book Club's 2024 Reading Challenge.

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©2008-2024 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

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Recent Reads - Once Upon A Prince

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Once Upon A Prince by Rachel Hauck - I've had this book in my Kindle library for a very long time and finally decided it was time to read it. And I'm glad I did. It's a sweet romance that combines fairy tale charm with a contemporary setting and strong characters. 

Susanna considers herself just an ordinary young woman, working hard to succeed in her career and waiting patiently for years to marry her high school sweetheart (now a Marine). But all her carefully laid plans for her life crumble in the opening pages when he breaks up with her instead of proposing. Susanna is disturbed to realize that she was more in love with her plan than with her young man, and sets out to figure out what she really wants to do with her life. And then she meets Nate when she's in need of help, and he seems to show up as a sort of knight in shining armor for her, leading to a friendship.

While on holiday in America, Prince Nathaniel isn't looking for a romance, especially since there are restrictions on who a member of the royal family can marry. He enjoys lending a helping hand to Susanna though, and getting to know her. They do seem to get along so well, and as the days go by they both find themselves considering the possibility of love . . . but Susanna doesn't even know Nate is really a prince. 

Both Susanna and Nathaniel have many choices to make and must learn to trust God's purpose and timing for their lives. Both character arcs feature loyalty, honoring commitments, and being willing to obey God and follow him in everything. 

From the publisher:

The story that inspired the Hallmark Original movie! He's a royal prince. She's an ordinary girl. But this holiday could change everything.

Susanna Truitt never dreamed of a great romance or being treated like a princess―just to marry the man she has loved for twelve years. But life isn't going according to plan. When her high-school-sweetheart-turned-Marine-officer breaks up with her instead of proposing, Susanna scrambles to rebuild her life.

The last thing Prince Nathaniel expects to find on his American holiday to St. Simons Island is the queen of his heart. The prince has duties, and his family's tense political situation means he won't be able to marry for love or even choose his own bride.

When Prince Nathaniel stops to help Susanna, who is stranded with a flat tire under the fabled Lover's Oak, he is immediately enchanted by her. And even though he's a total stranger, Susanna finds herself pouring her heart out to him.

Their lives are worlds apart, and soon Nathaniel must face the ultimate choice: his kingdom or her heart?

This is a character-driven novel (#9) for The 52 Book Club's 2024 Reading Challenge.

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©2008-2024 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

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Recent Reads - Silencing The Siren

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Silencing the Siren (Ever After Mysteries) by Denise L. Barela - This novel is part of the Ever After Mysteries, a series of fairytale retellings with a mystery element. It is also a debut novel for author Denise L. Barela. It is a retelling of The Little Mermaid, set in 1920s New York City. I was curious as to how the character Annabelle would be similar to a mermaid, and how figurative that aspect would be. Annabelle has a disability - she has a deformity in her legs which confines her to a wheelchair, but as part of a Coney Island "freak show" she dons a costume and performs as a mermaid. Andrew Grayson is the "prince" who is mesmerized by the mermaid's beauty and quickly falls in love with her. Since he is from a wealthy upper crust family with domineering, controlling parents, he sneaks away from home to visit Coney Island and spend time with his little mermaid and her troupe. 

It's the prejudice and snobbery of Andrew's parents and the young lady they want him to marry that puts the challenges in the way of his relationship with Annabelle. The Graysons view Coney Island and the freak show troupe as being socially so far beneath them that they are horrified that Andrew spends time there. They are especially repulsed by Annabelle's disability. Andrew, however, has found friendship and acceptance with the troupe, and is determined to marry Annabelle. Instead, the Graysons arrange a marriage for Andrew to a wealthy socialite, Valerie. Andrew is trying to figure a way out of his dilemma when Annabelle suddenly goes missing and her father is told she is dead. In his grief, Andrew determines to find out what really happened, and he has to finally stand up to his parents to do so.

I loved that the female lead character, Annabelle, was shown as a strong and gracious heroine who happened to have a disability and was in a wheelchair. I also loved that despite his pretentious and sheltered upbringing, Andrew was a kind young man who wasn't deterred by Annabelle's much lower socio-economic standing or her disability. Both are likable and sympathetic characters who rise above the limitations and obstacles they face. In contrast, Andrew's parents and Valerie were more like stereotypical and one-dimensional fairytale villains. Andrew's age was a bit of a puzzle to me, as he was old enough to drive and to be married, but at times he acted like a very young teenager in his compliance with his parents' demands. He withdrew his own funds from a bank and opened a new account of his own, and engaged an investigator, but obeyed when he was sent to his room as if he was a small child. I would have liked to see his character developed with a bit more emotional depth and consistent with his age and circumstances.

I felt that I did need to keep in mind that this is a fairytale retelling, and as such, the characters were not as fully developed as one might expect in a novel, and there were plot devices that were coincidence straight out of a fairytale rather than fully believable occurrences in a more realistic world. It's a sweet and clean fairytale quality romance, and in my opinion would be suitable for young readers.

From the publisher:

Andrew Grayson thought he had everything . . . until he met her.

The indulged son of wealthy parents, Andrew has always gotten whatever he wanted almost before he knew he wanted it - clothes, gadgets . . . even a car! What more could a young man desire?

Enter Annabel Thompson. Freakshow mermaid extraordinaire . . . in a wheelchair!

Of course, her beauty attracts him. How could it not? Add to that a kind heart, and Andrew can't help but fall for her.

Annabel's connection with the freakshow repels his parents and their society friends. They want him to sever all ties with her and his new friends. Oh, and marry the "right" girl with the "right connections." But he won't do it. He'll defy them and marry his little mermaid.

When Annabel turns up missing, declared dead, things don't add up, andrew begins asking some difficult questions, the most important being, "What happened to the little mermaid of the Coney Island freak show?"

Find out in this next book in the Ever After Mysteries, combining beloved fairy tales and mysteries. Silencing the Siren offers a retelling of "the Little Mermaid" that will keep you gripped to the edge of your seat as you watch the story unfold.

I received a digital copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a book that includes a wedding (#44) for The 52 Book Club's 2024 Reading Challenge.

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©2008-2024 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

 We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.