My not so bad habit of judging a book by it’s cover had me snatching this book up at the local drugstore where it has languished in my TBR pile for a few years. I was always going to get to it, but the library prevailed.
With no library access and after finishing the last three books that I had checked out, I finally cracked it open. Turns out, it was just the right amount of intrigue, witty banter and smoldering looks to keep me focused on reading while out of sorts and quarantine-antsy.
When independent and tightly wound India Prendergast (who is in no way as exotic as her name) stops receiving letters from her cousin Heloise who is travelling abroad, she sets out to find her. Blaming Heloise’s disappearance on the agency that supposedly arranged her travel, India is on a mission to expose the “The Lady Travellers Society” as a fraudulent enterprise that pilfers monies from unsuspecting ladies and leaves them to flounder in foreign climes.
Run by a handful of eccentric wealthy widows, The Lady Travellers Society has also recently become the pet project of founding member’s young nephew. Seeking to redeem his past scandalous behavior and prove to his Uncle that he can handle the responsibility of his inheritance, Derek Saunders sets out to Paris to retrieve Heloise, save the reputation of his aunt and solidify his newfound maturity. India, however, insists on joining him on his journey. I’m sure you can guess what happens next.
Victorian-era London and Paris backdrop the “will they, won’t they” here. Clueless guardians, flirty step brothers, missing luggage, questionable attire and heaps of misunderstanding keep the story afloat nicely. While it could be a wee bit shorter, I enjoyed the book. The ending did get a little more comedy of errors than was necessary, but it was a pretty solid historical romance with just the right amount of cheek. I like these kinds of books to be sassy and it delivered.
This is the first in a 4 book series, so there is something else to look forward to.
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