This book is not at all was I suspected it would be when I first started to read it. It has mystery and intrigue. Molly is a very quirky character who has a fear of anything white. It seems silly as first but as you hear her story you understand and love her. Mr Hunt is very mysterious at first. I loved how he anticipated Molly’s needs and tried to support her even though he did not always agree with her. I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it!

I enjoyed this book and thought it was quite unique. I can see how some people wouldn’t enjoy it since it was more gothic and had some almost magical aspects to it. I personally had no problem with it. This author always has awesome stories that have magical elements in them. I was happy with the ending and am excited for the next book in the series. And now I want to go read Dracula!

Using the novel "Dracula," as her guide, Molly Cooper sets off to save her twin brother, Matthew, from a terrible sickness that has plagued him since birth. Her. She knows that she took his health from him, so it must be up to her to save him. Along the way she meets Percy Hunt, a kind American who quickly learns of her plan and joins her as she embarks on her quest to Transylvania.

There are so many different things to love about this novel. You quickly come to adore Molly's spunky and naive personality. She is the embodiment of hope in this story. She couldn't be swayed in her belief and in her journey to help her brother. She is filled with courage and love towards her family. She is stubborn in the face of adversity and brave when she wants to break. I loved the nuance of Molly's fear of white. It created an additional depth to her character and reminds us that each of us deal with trauma and trials in our own way.

Percy Hunt is another fun character that you meet right from the start. He is kind, and patient towards Molly. He respects her decisions and her fears even if he doesn't understand them. He is a true gentleman towards those around him and I loved that he followed Molly along instead of telling her family.

Julie Daines always creates a masterpiece and "It Started in Budapest" is no different.The mysterious Nicholas was a favorite of mine and I hope he is in the next installment of "Romance on the Orient Express." He added a fun touch of unknown to the story. I love the feeling of mystic and supernatural that she adds to her stories. They always leave me believing a little bit more than when I started the story.

Molly Cooper is haunted by the medical struggles of her brother. Ever since she read the novel, Dracula, she finds herself the vampire in the story- always stealing the life from her brother who deserves to happiness. She decides to take charge of the future by finding a real life vampire to help save her brother's life. Throughout the course of her adventures she finds herself as well as love. Julie Daines wrote a story of overcoming strong obstacles. Molly is no weak heroine as she works hard to change the struggles her family deals with.

This story has a beautiful setting. From the world fair in Paris to the woods in Transylvania, there is beauty in different ways supporting the story. The romance is subtle and slowly builds until the two find their way towards a happily ever after. While Percy Hunt is more of a bland character, Molly Cooper's unique personality traits show a bright contrast to him. They fall in love as they support each other and Percy finds ways to save Molly again and again. The cover of the book is gorgeous and the read was entertaining with a Gothic feel.

I'm not a fan of vampires, but this book almost had me sold on reading Dracula. I love the idea of this series. There are plenty of books based in Western Europe, but not so many in the East.

Molly is an interesting character. She's very loving and selfish in a way, but also very naive and impressionable. I loved Percy's character. He was such a gentleman from the very beginning, but he also showed Molly over and over again how much he cared for her, even when he felt she may be acting foolishly. I'm not sure what drew him to Molly, except maybe her eccentricity, but he is the perfect guy for her. I liked Molly, but I also was frustrated with her many times. She was very naive and so lucky Percy was there to rescue her. I felt the book wrapped up a little too quickly at the end and wish there had been more with Molly's family, but the ending was very sweet. I'm anxious to see what the rest of this series holds.

I received a complimentary copy from Covenant Communications through Netgalley. All thoughts in this review are my own.

A unique journey aboard the Orient Express that offers an original story about a girl looking for a cure. Molly loves her twin more than anything and is desperate to save him. She is also a master storyteller who is captivated by Bram Stoker’s newest release, Dracula. When these two passions unite, she concocts a plan to deboard the Express and find Dracula in order to get a drop of his immortal blood, believing this will heal her brother. Along the way, she meets Percy Hunt who sees through her eccentricities and commits to helping her at all costs. While the writing feels more YA, it is an enchanting historical fiction rich in pearls of wisdom and finding beauty from the brokenness. I definitely recommend this enjoyable story and look forward to the next installment from the Orient Express. I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own and freely given.

4.5*

Two words...Orient Express! I think that pretty much sums up how awesome this series is going to be. I'm sure there are many people who have riding the Orient Express on their bucket lists. I know I do! But until I can be there physically, I'll ride it and enjoy it in my imagination while I read this series. The authors slated to be writing books in this series are all my favorites so I'm doubly excited, great setting and great authors! Add in some mystery, gothicesque stories and some sweet and clean romance and I'm beyond excited!

This first book in the series was a great way to start it all off. I enjoyed the characters as well as some of the secondary characters whom I'm looking forward to seeing more of throughout the upcoming books. Especially Nicholas. So mysterious. I'm hoping to see a lot more of him and getting some backstory about him. I've got my predictions but we'll see if I'm close or far off with them.

Molly and Matthew are twins. I really liked seeing the connection that they have with each other. And their devotion to each other. Which devotion leads Molly to plan something way crazy and out there. Anything to save her brother who has very serious health concerns. Thankfully she has a hero in Percy, who is another passenger on the train. He has a good sense of what crazy scheme she's planning and intervenes to make sure she stays safe.

There's adventure and mystery and surprises along Molly's search for that elusive vampire in Transylvania. Between Molly, Percy, Nicholas and some strangers, readers are in for a very gothic read with suspense and some sweet romance to balance it all out.

Content: Clean. Nothing more than kisses. Some talk about vampires.

I received a copy from the publisher, Covenant Communications, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I was intrigued by the premise of It Started in Budapest, from the Dracula name-drop to the promise of a continent-crossing Gothic adventure. However, the execution simply wasn’t there.

I felt Molly’s concern for her twin brother was well-conveyed, and her romance with Percy was cute, if not completely memorable.

But I never got the sense of fully being immersed in the setting, whether it be the Orient Express, or Budapest itself. There were some bits about the vampire mythos, but I never got the sense it was from a place of at least reasonable expertise into the subject.

While I was disappointed by this book, I don’t rule out trying more from this author in the future, if the premise is appealing. And given my opinion is not really a popular one, based on a quick glance at the reviews in Goodreads, I do encourage anyone who is interested in this book who likes sweet romance to give it a try to see if it works better for them.

4.5 stars rounded up.

This book has a lot to love about it. A great author, a gorgeous cover, a wonderful story with a mysterious kind of Gothic feel, and it's part of a new four book series by some of my favorite historical authors!! The theme of the series is the Orient Express which is where this story starts.

Molly and her family are on the Orient Express to go to the Black Sea for yet another treatment to try and help her brother, Matthew. Unbeknownst to her family, Molly has her own plan to try and help Matthew, which involves getting off the train in the middle of the night at Budapest, and going off on her own. Luckily for her, another passenger, the handsome Percy Hunt, follows her on her journey to Transylvania where they have several adventures and he saves her life.

I loved learning about the iconic Orient Express, which was the most opulent train at the time. I liked how Percy helped Molly with her fear even though he didn't understand it, and how we find out how it developed through her memories of Matthew's prior treatments. Molly was naive and her plan was a fool's errand, but she learned that she and Matthew were "stronger together"; that they had been each other's strengths all along.

We meet a few of the other passengers on board the train. Among them the mysterious Nicholas, who I can't wait to learn more about. I'm really excited to read the other books in the series as they're released.

I received a complimentary copy from Covenant Communications via NetGalley, but also ordered a copy for my personal library. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Molly and Matthew are twins. Molly has always been healthy and Matthew sickly. Molly's love for the book Dracula leads her to a daring and possibly foolish decision to try to help Matthew. Enter Percy Hunt. He is so incredibly lovable, kind and smart. After a chance meeting with Molly, where he accidentally spills his iced lemonade on her, he is smitten. When he encounters her once again on the Orient Express, he decides to do something about it. This is a book full of delightful twists and turns. It is a book of self discovery and love. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Will her stubbornness see her harmed or saved ...

What a fun and entertaining read this book is, I liked following Percy and Molly in Bram Stoker’s hero footsteps in this coming of age tale.

And while I would have loved to shake some senses in Molly’s brain more often than ever, it was entertaining.
Sure the heroine is worse than naive, she is so very gullible she got herself nearly killed. Does her youth and sheltered life can explain it, of course, after all she is after a vampire.
Yet when everything is put to right, she adds more dents and holes on her road to her happily ever after, believing herself to be the one behind everyone’s life challenge.
She is lucky to have wiser persons to help her see the light and choose the right path.
From her phobia of the color white or leukophobia to her misguided idea to save her twin brother, she embarks on the adventure of her life chasing after an impossible chimera, a journey she will come back changed forever.

Percy while having no say in this tale is quite the knight in shinning armor, he stands by her side, a shoulder to rest her head in moment of weakness, an ear when she needs to clear her thoughts and a loving soul just waiting for her to be ready to accept him.

Mrs Daines with this romantic road trip gives her heroes the time of their life to face their ghosts and heal their heart.
4.5 stars

I was granted an advance copy by the publisher Covenant Communications, here is my true and unbiased opinion.

I didn't like this book as much as Daines' other books, but I think that's partly due to the fact that Gothic stuff doesn't really appeal to me. I would never pick up a book BECAUSE it was Gothic; I might (as in this case) read it in spite of it having Gothic elements. Molly's search for a vampire (and her deep belief in vampires in the first place) didn't really appeal to me and it was a little hard for me to get on board with that element on the story. I really liked Percy, though, and the backdrop of the Orient Express (and other trains) was appealing. I wish the romance had been a little more developed--particularly why Percy was so drawn to Molly)--but all in all, I enjoyed it. This is a good choice for those who like clean romances, and fans for clean romances who really like Gothic elements will really like this one.
3.5 stars.
I read an ARC provided by the publisher. All opinions are my own.

The cover and premise of the series enticed me to read this novel.  I thought it was creative and a great idea for a story to have a main element be the Orient Express.  Despite the creativity of the plot, I could not get in to this story.  I found I could not connect to the characters.  Molly was very naive and had a few peculiarities that made her difficult to relate to.  I did like that she had a great love for her brother and would do anything for him.  I would have loved to see more growth from her throughout the novel though.  I also had a hard time buying the romance between the main characters. I wish that could have been shown in more depth. I did like the ending and thought it was sweet.  I think I am in the minority as most people seemed to really enjoy this book, so I would still recommend trying it out!  I am looking forward to the other books in this series!

This was an unusual story about a young woman who was desperate to find a cure for her ailing brother and decided she needed to find a vampire (having just read Dracula) to save him.

I couldn’t quite figure out if it was supposed to be fantasy or reality. Several elements made it seem like there was magic and other fantastical elements, but then . . . there wasn’t (i.e. the guy with the pipe and the strange smelling smoke).

The other books I’ve read in this time period make it seem like everything Molly did was very much not in line with her social class and upbringing. A character going against that isn’t unusual, but her parents’ reaction was very surprising. It sort of downplayed the severity of her actions (and didn’t address certain things that earlier had sounded like they would be a big deal).

The romance aspect was ok, but I wasn’t quite sure what drew Percy to Molly. He seemed pretty intelligent and was a great rescuer. She seemed very immature and naive.

I’m not sure what to say about this book. It’s definitely a romance, but it also wanted to have a fantasy element and then didn’t. The heroine was so naive that it was almost laughable - I can’t believe the hero was interested in her. I like the idea of a series set on the Orient Express, but I can only hope the next book (by a different author) is better thought out.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I read this book in a single day (which is kind of rare for me). It’s an enjoyable story, perfect for historical romance fans. Molly is a little obsessed with the novel DRACULA, and is convinced that if she can find a vampire and get a little of his blood, she can save her twin, Matthew, from his life-long frail health. A handsome new acquaintance joins her when she sneaks away from her family and slips off the train in Budapest. Molly and Percy start off on a journey of romance, adventure, and self-discovery. It was a fun book to read and now I want to reread DRACULA.

It’s not very often that I give 5-star reviews, but this story definitely earned it. I hated having to put it down, and came back to it as often as I could. I don’t always love books that deal with vampires and things like that, but I love the author’s other books, so I was willing to give this one a shot. I’m so glad I did. The story is captivating and I loved Molly. Her quirky mannerisms and funny sayings had me laughing out loud in several places. The relationship between her and her brother was heartwarming, and heartbreaking.

The story definitely didn’t go like I originally thought it would, and I kinda loved it for that. I think this makes a good stand-alone story, but there are some loose ends that I hope get tied up in future stories. Definitely a story I recommend.

This is the story of Molly and her brother Matthew, and really of their overbearing, blame casting mother. Molly has been led to believe, for the entirety of her life, that she's the reason her brother has never been well. Somehow, the family is convinced that she stole the nutrients and developmental gumption from him within the womb. Therefore, Molly takes it upon herself to figure out a supernatural cure.
However, forewarning, there is no aspect of the uncanny in this book. If you were hoping for some Anne Renwick style science meets myth combination of strong, smart woman and steamy, unconventional romance you're sure to be disappointed. Molly is naive, the romance takes a total of two weeks to develop and lacks even a degree of heat, and Matthew is dying without hope.

Overall, I enjoyed the story. I did stay up way to late because I just had to finish the story & find out what happened to our h & H. I wondered how would Julie Daines weave this tale of searching for a vampire without coming across ridiculous or silly. I think the author did well & found the unfolding of the story creative. The author did well in crafting sympathy for the h's quirks. This is a collaborative multi author series and I'm excited to read the next title. I liked the connecting character in each of the stories. (The man with the distinguishing mustache, accent & pipe). I did give it a 4 & not 5 star since sometimes the dialog or flow of the story felt a bit staccato to me & I had to reread a few passages becuase it felt like a detail was missing to help move the story along. Though there was a sweet message the heroine learned by the end.

#ItStartedInBudapest #NetGalley
I couldn't stop reading this book. The story drew me in. Molly and Matthew are twins. Molly was born strong and Matthew has always had health problems. Their parents are on a quest to cure Matthews, but Molly has a plan all her own, one that she is following from the book Dracula. A book that is a little on the dark side, but well written and a good plot.