Tag: Maya Rodale

An Heiress to Remember by Maya Rodale

On By TracyIn America's Gilded Age (1870-1900), American Historical, Tracy's Reviews2 Comments

An Heiress to Remember (The Gilded Age Girls Club, #3)An Heiress to Remember by Maya Rodale

Tracy’s rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Gilded Age Girls Club, #3

Release Date: March 31, 2020

Young and in love with Wes Dalton, Beatrice Goodwin makes a decision that changes her life and sets Dalton on a journey to gain revenge. Years have passed since Wes asked her to run away with him and she has barely thought of him in the sixteen years she has been gone – but now she is back in New York, a scandalous divorcee who threw over a duke and dared to be her own woman. She is stunned to learn the poor boy she loved is now one of New York’s richest men and is trying to buy her family’s store – the store she has come back to run – the store that is to be her dream, her mission, her independence! Former love or not, there is no way Beatrice is going to surrender without a fight!

For sixteen long years, Wes Dalton has devoted his entire life to revenge against the woman who broke his heart and her family. He took the payoff her mother offered when she got engaged to the duke and turned it into an empire. He is now the third richest man in New York City and has a department store that is so well known, he doesn’t even have his name on the building. His crowning achievement is at hand – Edward Goodwin (Bea’s brother and current President of Goodwin’s) wants to sell the store and Dalton is going to buy it and destroy it. But his grand plans are thwarted when Bea sweeps in and says that she will not let Edward sell the store – she checked with a lawyer and it was clear in her father’s will that both she and her mother have to agree to a sale. She then takes things further and has her brother committed to get treatment for his drinking and takes over as President in his absence.

Dalton finds himself exhilarated by the prospect of going up against Bea and welcomes the competition. But soon he realizes that revenge was never what he really wanted and he needs to decide what he is willing to pay to get what he really wants. For her part, Bea will find herself and hopefully realize that her dreams and success won’t keep her warm at night or ward off loneliness before it’s too late and she is left with nothing.

I really enjoyed this story, I loved that they didn’t have a misunderstanding in their past – they both made choices and stood by them. I loved catching up with the Ladies of Liberty and I thought some of Bea’s stunts were awesome. I was rooting for her at the beginning and loved that she didn’t give up on her dream. And Wes – OMG – LOVED HIM, he was funny, smart and pretty much perfect. The book has a lot of emotion, a little intrigue, a villain I didn’t see coming, some steamy love scenes, some serious girl power and a very sweet HEA. My only complaint is I felt Bea held onto her past experience a little too long and had an all or nothing attitude – like there is no compromising when you love someone – it made her come off a bit selfish – but it all works out in the end. This is the third book in the series, but it can easily be read as a stand-alone. I am happy to recommend this book and hope there are more installments to come!!

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an uncorrected eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley/Edelweiss and the publisher.*

Some Like It Scandalous by Maya Rodale

On By TracyIn America's Gilded Age (1870-1900), American Historical, Top Pick - Highly Recommended, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

Some Like It Scandalous (The Gilded Age Girls Club, #2)Some Like It Scandalous by Maya Rodale

Tracy’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Gilded Age Girls Club, #2

Release Date: June 18, 2019

I really loved this book – Daisy and Theo are such an amazing couple and I LOVED their banter.
Daisy Swan has never been considered pretty, unlike her gorgeous mother and sister, but she is smart and believes in herself. She has also hated Theodore Prescott the Third since she was 13 years old and he gave her the nickname Ugly Duck Daisy, on that day she decided three things, she will never marry, she will find a way to cut ties with society and she will hate Theo until the day she dies.

12 years later at 25 Daisy is still not pretty, but she is in college and hopes to get a degree in chemistry, be declared a spinster and start a cosmetics company. Her plans are progressing nicely until her mother demands that she marry and not just anyone – Theo the Worst (as Daisy likes to call him) – her mother explains that her father is up to something that is sure to cause a huge scandal and Daisy needs to be married to protect herself. NO – Daisy refuses to even consider the idea and needs to get away – she runs outside and enters the park.

Up the street, Theo has been called into his father’s library, his latest scandal is the final straw for Prescott the Second. He demands that Theo marry Daisy or he will cut him off – NO! He refuses and also ends up in the park – only to find Daisy – they exchange words and when it begins to rain they take shelter in a gazebo – she asks what they will do, she thinks they should get engaged to shut up their parents and then find a way out – he refuses to even consider the idea. That is until he learns that his father has suspended his club membership. Theo decides that he has had enough, he wants to be his own man and will need Daisy to help. They agree to pretend to be agreeable and form a truce to reach their common goal of not marrying each other.

Their first outing together is an eye opener for Theo, he never really considered what his cruel words years ago did to Daisy. He apologizes, but she still doesn’t like him. But when he learns of her dream to start her own company, he offers to help – Theo knows women and has a gift with words, together, they will be successful. Reluctantly, Daisy agrees to a partnership and begins to respect Theo and Lord Forgive her, even like him. Somewhere between bickering and kissing, they fall in love and just when it looks like they might actually marry, her father’s scandal breaks and everything begins to unravel – can Theo forgive her lies by omission? Or will they bend to their parents wishes once more?

What a great book! It is well written (I had an uncorrected arc, that did have some little errors, but I am assuming those will be corrected by publication), the story is unique and fast paced – the banter between them is priceless, there are laugh out loud moments, steamy love scenes, moments of triumph and moments of devastation, but through it all, even when they hated each other, Theo and Daisy stuck together and earned their HEA. This is the second book in the series, but it can absolutely be read as a stand alone, I loved it and am happy to recommend it!!

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an uncorrected eARC that was provided to me by the publisher*