Miss Serena Forcot and Lord Julian Montague have been friends for as long as they can remember and for most of that time, Julian has been in love with her, something Serena seems completely oblivious to. Now that Julian has been elected into the House of Commons and is becoming noticed in Parliament, the Prime Minister, Lord Grenville has taken notice of him and hinted that he should marry. But there is only one woman who he would even consider and she has no idea he loves her. How can he get Serena to see him as a man and not just her friend? Desperate for help, he asks his sister, Lady Courtney for advice and soon has Serena’s complete attention.
It seems like things are finally going in the right direction, but a matchmaking Prime Minister and Serena’s impulsive nature may ruin their HEA before it even starts unless she can find a way to make things right and save the only man she will ever love.
What a fun introduction to a new series! Ms. Evans not only introduces the reader to all the members of the Sisterhood of Scandal, but she also manages to write a very delightful and fleshed-out romance that never feels rushed or lost in the setup of the series. This story has a lot of emotion, a bit of heartache, jealousy, betrayal, friends who save the day, steamyish love scenes, forgiveness, sacrifice, new beginnings, and a sweet HEA. This novella was a great start to a new series and I am happy to recommend it.
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*
Flora Flowerdew has a secret. The former Florrie Gubbins, music hall dancer, is now Madame Flowerdew, one of London’s most renowned spirit mediums. But it’s actually her beloved Pomeranian dog, Chou-Chou, who can see the ghosts.
One of her most lucrative seances, for the wealthy Petrie family whose daughter is about to marry a handsome young duke, goes chaotically awry. The duke’s late, and very irate, grandfather demands Flora and his grandson Benedict find the long-missing family diamonds—even the search becomes littered with mayhem and murder! Can Flora discover the jewels before she loses her career, her sanity—and her heart?
Sparks fly as Flora, Benedict, and Chou-Chou pursue the truth of the diamonds’ disappearance in this lighthearted, cozy historical mystery set in foggy, gas-lit London
Giveaway to Win an e-copy of Flora Flowerdew and the Mystery of the Duke’s Diamonds & a Victorian necklace (Open to US Only)
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I wanted to read this book because, with a name like Flora Flowerdew, I just knew it was going to be humorous. While it didn’t turn out to be really laugh-out-loud humorous, it was still entertaining and I enjoyed the read. How could you not find a former showgirl who decides to be a ‘medium’, a Pomeranian who really does sense ghosts, a girl who wants to get out of a betrothal to a duke, and a duke whose family diamonds are missing – to be totally entertaining?
Flora Flowerdew, formerly chorus girl Florrie Gubbins, has made a good life for herself as a medium. She makes enough money to afford a nice flat in a good neighborhood and she genuinely helps her clients. Her Pomeranian, Chou Chou sometimes gets a hair-raising when a real ghost might be present, but Flora hasn’t seen one – yet. That all changes when she agrees to do a séance for the Petrie family – A baron, his wife, his pretty daughter, and his spinster sister. The baron wants some assurance that his daughter will have a happy life if she marries the duke who has been courting her.
The séance goes well – until – a REAL ghost makes an appearance. It is the very angry ghost of the duke’s grandfather. He is whirling around the room upsetting tables, candles, glassware, etc., and shouting that his family is cursed and the diamonds must be found. Then – whoosh – he’s gone and the room is quiet again.
Flora realizes she is going to have to solve the mystery if she wants to save her reputation and continue to make a good living as a medium. After all, what client would want to do a séance with a medium who can’t control her ghosts?
The duke and Flora begin visiting anyone who knows any of the duke’s family history. The more they learn, the more confused they become. Is the duke’s father really dead? Then, there is a murder and they know things have to speed up. There are hints dropped throughout the book that will tell you who the villain is – if you follow them and put them together.
There is a nice supporting cast of characters in the book, and I would hope they will continue throughout the series. There is the duke, of course, and I really liked him; Mary, Flora’s maid started on the East End streets just as Flora did; and Evie a reporter who is a whiz at digging up information from old newspaper files. It will be interesting to see if a romance develops between Flora and the duke because they seem attracted to each other despite the differences in their stations in life.
I certainly enjoyed this nicely written story and will be looking forward to the next one in the series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced e-Reader Copy (eARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
About the Author:
Amanda McCabe wrote her first romance at the age of sixteen–a vast historical epic starring all her friends as the characters, written secretly during algebra class (and her parents wondered why math was not her strongest subject…)
She’s never since used algebra, but her books (set in a variety of time periods–Regency, Victorian, Tudor, Renaissance, and 1920s) have been nominated for many awards, including the RITA Award, the Romantic Times BOOKReviews Reviewers’ Choice Award, the Booksellers Best, the National Readers Choice Award, and the Holt Medallion. She lives in New Mexico with her lovely husband, along with far too many books and a spoiled rescue dog.
When not writing or reading, she loves yoga, collecting cheesy travel souvenirs, and watching the Food Network–even though she doesn’t cook. She also writes as Amanda Allen…
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