Amanda McCabe

Good friends-to-lovers/second chance story. Eleanor and Fred were best friends years earlier, and he was her secret crush. She was the vicar's daughter, and he was the earl's youngest son. Then Eleanor's mother died, and she had to leave school to care for her father. Fred joined the army and went off to fight Napoleon, and they lost touch.

After her father died, Eleanor and her sister Mary moved to Bath to join their friend, Lady Henrietta. Together, they established a matchmaking agency show more and have enjoyed some modest success. Imagine Eleanor's shock when she ran into Fred in Bath. As the new Earl of a financially strapped estate, Fred must marry a rich wife, and Eleanor promises to find him one. To do so, she must bury her feelings for him.

As the younger son, Fred joined the army to make his way in the world. He had dreams of returning someday and marrying Eleanor, but between the stupid things he did as a young man and the things he witnessed during the war, he no longer feels worthy of her. He returned to England after the deaths of his father and brother, only to discover that the estate was in dire straits. He needs an infusion of cash; the best solution is to marry.

I ached for Fred and Eleanor. It is immediately evident that they still have feelings for each other but are caught in an impossible situation. Fred needs money, but Eleanor doesn't have what he needs. The more time they spend together, the stronger their feelings grow. There were some sweet scenes of them as they rekindled their friendship, but their inability to find a way to be together was frustrating. I had hope when Fred found a way to raise some of what he needed, and I wanted to shake Eleanor over her determined self-sacrifice of her happiness. I felt like she didn't trust Fred to know his own mind and heart. I loved the surprise solution that enabled Fred to finally convince Eleanor that they could be together.

There was a secondary romance in the book between Fred's stepmother and a man from her past. Anthony was terrific, and I loved watching him fall deeper under Penelope's spell. However, another case of potential self-sacrifice nearly ended things before Pen accepted that she, too, deserved to be happy.

I enjoyed seeing the matchmaking business in Bath rather than London. It is always nice to see the world outside of the nobility and experience the lives of more ordinary people. Another character was introduced near the end that I suspect will play a part in the next book. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

#netgalley show less

Terrific romance of two musicians in the glittering world of 1920's Paris. But there are obstacles to their love thanks to social class and the prejudices of the time. The Paris setting and the inclusion of real-life figures, such as the Fitzgeralds, Picasso, Stravinsky, and others, made the story richer and drew me deeper into the book.

Eliza is the daughter of wealthy New Yorkers who is expected to make a good marriage and limit her musical efforts to entertaining friends and family. But show more for Eliza, music is her heart and soul, and marriage is the last thing on her mind. She is ecstatic when she receives an invitation to study at the Paris Conservatoire and convinces her parents to allow her to go alone. On the trip to Paris, she encounters Jack, a talented jazz musician whom she met at a club in New York.

Jack is excited to return to Paris. He spent some time there after the war and remembers the pleasure of being seen for himself, not for the color of his skin. Back in New York, the prospect of being a successful musician is slight, while the opportunities in Paris are vast. I loved the owner of Club d'Or, his support of Jack, and his plans for Jack's future at the club.

I liked Jack and Eliza's first couple of encounters. They met first as children, their joy in music forming an instant connection. Their second encounter was at a club in New York, where Jack was playing his trumpet. They recognized each other, and a brief conversation cemented their earlier connection. Neither expected to see each other again but discovered they were on the same boat to Paris - Eliza as a first-class passenger and Jack as a member of the ship's band. Once again, they are drawn to each other by their mutual love of music and their forbidden attraction.

I loved watching Eliza and Jack's relationship develop. Eliza is surprised and happy that life is very different in Paris. She is befriended by the Comtesse Chloe, who shows her a new world free of the restrictions and prejudices found back home. She and Jack spend as much time together as possible, learning about each other's lives and dreams. Eliza is sweetly naïve, and I loved witnessing her fascination with everything around her. Jack is more worldly and cynical yet determined to protect Eliza from the harsher realities.

Their relationship progresses happily until visitors from home bring reminders of the obstacles they face. Jack's cousin Leo brings trouble with him that spills over onto Jack. Meanwhile, Eliza's mother unexpectedly shows up after getting "disturbing" letters from a friend in Paris, determined to remind Eliza of family expectations. Even Eliza's cousin Mamie gets into the act, using her experiences to appeal to Jack's fears for Eliza. Everything comes to a head during a frightening scene at the club. I loved how Eliza's newfound confidence allowed her to stand up for herself and what was right for her. I liked the epilogue but would have enjoyed something a little further into the future to see how their lives are going. show less

Terrific book with fantastic main characters, intriguing secondary characters, and sumptuous settings. As the last of the Wilkins sisters unmarried and her parents back in America, Violet believes she is finally safe from her mother's matchmaking. With no intention of marrying anytime soon, Violet prefers to concentrate on her photography and dream of joining the Photographic Society of London. A husband would only interfere with those plans. Unfortunately, she receives a letter from her show more parents, detailing their intention of betrothing her to her father's business partner, a man considerably older than she is.

William, Duke of Charteris, grew up knowing his duty to his land and his people. His serious, sometimes stuffy attitude earned him the nickname "The Duke of Bore" by some debutantes. During a trip to Egypt, William learned the benefits of balancing work and play, allowing himself to have fun and relax. Though he knows he needs a wife, he's not quite ready to take that step.

When they meet, William and Violet feel unexpectedly comfortable with each other. When Violet overhears another woman plotting to trap William into marriage, she knows she must warn him. When she confesses that she knows how it feels to be trapped, William suggests an unusual collaboration. If they enter into a fake engagement, each will be protected from others' machinations. They can end things when they are safe.

I enjoyed seeing the development of the relationship between William and Violet. Though they seem like such opposites initially - Violet is the bold, independent American, and William is the reserved and serious Duke - they turn out to be perfect for each other. Violet helps William find his sense of fun, and William provides Violet with the desire to tone down some of her boisterousness. One of the things I loved about William was his complete support of Violet's photography. Several fantastic scenes show how he makes it possible for Violet to meet people who can further her interest. At the same time, Violet helps William see the world from a different perspective. He finds himself more willing to go along with Violet's suggestions. Though they enjoy each other's company, they begin their fake engagement convinced that a real relationship would be impossible, with Violet being all wrong as a duchess.

When Violet, her sister and brother-in-law, and William become part of the wedding entourage of Prince Alfred and the Grand Duchess Maria, they are whisked off to opulent St. Petersburg and the Russian Winter Palace. The more time they spend together, the more the attraction they felt began to grow, and the more each begins to think "what if?" Violet worries that she'll somehow cause a scandal, but William is there by her side to boost her confidence. But Violet's fears and desire to do what she thinks is best for William make her pull away from him, just as William realizes the truth of his feelings for her. His big moment at the end comes as he saves her from danger, and Violet finally believes she can have it all.

I enjoyed Violet's work as a photographer. Her passion for the subject leaps off the page, from creating the perfect pictures of her subjects to learning new technology to talking to other photographers. The vivid and detailed descriptions of her actions conveyed the complexities without feeling like a lecture. I loved her joy in finding a kindred spirit in Prince Alfred and her excitement in being invited to take pictures of the bride and groom.

I also loved the use of historical figures and events in the book. The journey from London to St. Petersburg, via Paris and Berlin on the elegant Royal train, made me feel part of the story. The descriptions of the stay at the Prussian court in Berlin, with all of its hidebound stuffiness, made me ache for Princess Vicky. The arrival at St. Petersburg and the over-the-top opulence of the Winter Palace were so vivid I could easily picture each scene. I adored the scenes with Violet and the Grand Duchess, as they showed Violet's talent for bringing out the best in her subjects.

I can't wait to read Rose's story. show less

Phillip, Earl of Royce spends most of his time in his library where he is working on a definitive collection of works describing ancient Greece. His interest in scholarly pursuits (and his disinterest in all matters fashion) have left him with a distinct distaste for the insipid conversations of Society - and a tendency to dismiss anything that is not strictly logical.

So when Jamaican-born Cassandra Richards comes to visit his family home with the daughter of a Yaumumi priestess in order to show more speak with the ghosts that live there, Phillip's life gets turned upside down. Especially when they actually make ghosts appear! But despite the upset to his orderly world, Phillip can't help but appreciate Cassie's cleverness and her fresh way of bringing joy and life into his household.

It's lovely to see Phillip be studious, but a genuinely nice sweet guy who is gracious to those around him - even when he would rather be working on his book. And it's also nice to see Cassie NOT be taken in by the handsome face and idle chatter of one of the charming fops first, but appreciate Phillip's quiet strength - even when he irritates her to no end.

The ghosts bickering about who has the more impressive death, plotting to throw the lovebirds together, and generally saving the day was great fun and it provided a way to shake Phillip's complete faith in only what is rational, but it seemed to me that he adapted altogether too quickly to an event that must surely have shaken the foundations of his scholarly pursuits. This wouldn't have been a problem had the book been a little more over-the-top romantic comedy, but the author decided to use the ghosts and the main characters to impart lessons about learning from one another and from life's mistakes. The moralizing wasn't exactly subtle, but luckily the reader isn't beaten over the head with it either.

All in all, this was nothing really special. A decent enough falling in love story with an intelligent heroine, but nothing that stands out. Not even the ghosts. show less