very enjoyable, loved the setting of Paris in 1889

great plot, good characters, nice twists ( )

1.5 stars ( )

This book reminds me of the first hill of a roller coaster. The is a long slow climb then a fast exciting drop. I thought the book started out a little slow but then when it finally caught on it was wonderful fun. The characters were amazing. India Pregergast is wound as tightly as the bun on her head. She is strong-willed, obstinate, organized, stubborn and ALWAYS right - except when she's wrong. Derek Saunders is delicious as an honorable man who cultivates a bad boy image but is really a wonderful person. The other characters are equally delightful - Derek's great aunt who gets Derek into his predicament in the first place, India's cousin who gets lost and causes everyone to search for her, Derek's family, their chaperones and even Sir Michael (although he wasn't so much delightful as he could have been).
This book was fun to read and I totally enjoyed it. I received an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest review. ( )

4.5 stars.

Brimming with humor and set against the backdrop of Paris, The Lady Travelers Guide to Scoundrels & Other Gentlemen by Victoria Alexander is a highly entertaining historical romance. The Lady Travelers Guide series is off to a strong beginning with this first full-length novel that stars a marvelous cast of characters.

India Prendergrast is incredibly worried when she stops receiving letters from her cousin Lady Heloise Snuggs. Heloise booked her adventurous trip through the Lady Travlers Society and when her inquiries about her cousin go unanswered, India is convinced the society is defrauding its members of their money. She is also certain the widows who run the organization are a front for the real mastermind of the nefarious scheme. When she discovers Derek Saunders discussing Heloise with the club’s founders, Lady Guinevere Blodgett and her two best friends, India is convinced her suspicions have been confirmed. However, unbeknownst to India, Derek has figured out what the ladies are up to and he is determined to protect his aunt and her friends from any legal repercussions from their actions. India and Derek join forces to find Heloise and their first stop is Paris, but locating the missing woman amongst the crowd of visitors enjoying the World’s Fair is a daunting task. Will Derek be able to stall India long enough for his uncle’s detectives to locate her missing cousin?

India is a very independent and no nonsense young woman. Unlike most women of the time period, she has no interest in marrying so she works for Sir Martin Luckthorne as his secretarial assistant. She is extremely well-organized with a fairly rigid viewpoint of life. Convinced she is always right, India tends to rub people the wrong way with her propensity to speak her mind and her unbending attitude.

Derek is in line to inherit his family’s title and he has recently begun to change his rakish ways. In order to clean up his reputation, he has been working on his uncle’s estate and much to his surprise, he finds he is enjoying his new duties. Very protective of his great aunt, he will do whatever it takes to prevent the truth about her scam from becoming known.

Derek and India rub each other the wrong way right from their very first meeting. Derek thinks she is opinionated and unbending; India views him as an unrepentant scoundrel. As they begin their search for Heloise, they bicker endlessly as they trek from one hotel to another. Derek convinces India to take time to savor the beauty sights of Paris and slowly but surely, she begins to realize that she might have misjudged him. Over the next several weeks, India becomes much more self-aware once she recognizes how narrow her viewpoint is. Her once adversarial relationship with Derek gradually turns into a friendship as he challenges her to broaden her horizons. A mutual attraction also simmers under the surface but will Derek and India take their relationship to the next level?

The Lady Travelers Guide to Scoundrels & Other Gentlemen is an absolutely charming historical romance with an eclectic cast of likable characters. The story’s premise is refreshingly unique and the storyline is quite engaging. Delightfully witty banter will keep readers laughing as Derek and India set off on an adventure that leads to a journey of self-discovery for the erstwhile heroine. This first installment in Victoria Alexander’s The Lady Travelers Guide series is an exciting and fun-filled romance that is sure to be a hit with fans of the genre. ( )

I feel like this book took me forever to read. Some of that was life distractions. Some was the slow nature of the story. I'm still not certain I liked the overall arch of "unwind the spinster" in this case. The romance is definitely a slow burn. Good payoff, though. I don't know. I definitely have mixed feelings. I trust the author enough, though, to read the next one. ( )