I won't lie i was disappointed the book was full of potiental Orient Express and Dracula .. i didn't really see the point and the ending was to quick, the main character was annoying as was her brother..

This is the first book in a series by some of my favorite authors. The Orient Express is the backdrop for this tale that takes place at the turn of the 20th century. It is full of Gothic overtones, wonderful characters, and a fascinating detour into the heart of Transylvania. Molly is a delightful and quirky character that uses Bram Stoker's "Dracula" as a guidebook to find a cure for her ill twin brother. Percy Hunt is the American hero and self-proclaimed protector of Molly. This is a wonderful love story about a girl who feels she is unworthy of love and the man brave enough to prove her wrong.

Julie Daines' novel has a fanciful premise - Molly is searching for a vampire, following Bram Stoker's Dracula as a guide, to cure her brother, Matthew.  The references to Dracula throughout the story are intriguing and the story itself is full of wisdom and insights.  The settings are clearly described - the various trains she travels on differ in comfort and decor - and the characters are an eclectic mix of people that come together to tell a wonderful story of love and acceptance.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Molly Cooper takes a trip on the Orient Express with her family with the goal of getting medical attention for her twin Matthew, who is sickly from birth. Having read the book Dracula by Bram Stoker she is convinced that only a vampire would be able to help her brother get better. Using the book Dracula as a guide she begins an adventurous trek in the mountainous regions of Romania. She is not alone in her trek, as Mr. Percy Hunt, whom she had met at the Great Paris Edition, decides to follow her, and give her aid.

Take a trip through the past with this fairy-tale like novel on the Orient Express and through the wilds of Romania.

The setting and premise of this story is what drew my interest. The Orient Express is a rare experience, as well as exploring the region of Transylvania, and that is why I wanted to read this. The story is about two people, Percy and Molly, who accidently meet on a train platform in Paris, and again on the Orient Express.

Percy is a wonderful young man. He is intrigued by Molly from the moment they meet and is extraordinarily helpful in helping her deal with her eccentricities. Molly has a lot of "baggage." She is burdened with feelings of guilt because she is healthy, but her twin is sick. She also has a strange fear of anything white. Percy never judges her. Every time she embarks on a foolish and dangerous quest, he is right behind her saving her life. He is chivalrous, patient, caring, and very protective, but I just can't understand why.

Molly is possibly the most immature, naive, and downright stupid character I have ever read about. She believes that she will meet a vampire and offer him money for some of his blood to save her brother. Another idiotic thing she does is to travel with a small fortune in her reticule, and is not discrete about showing it to strangers. In spite of the fact that Percy has proven over and over that he cares about her, she keeps throwing up unnecessary obstacles to their relationship. The trope used throughout this book is that both characters tell stories to each other as a way to give the reader insight into their past, but it is very cheesy.

I am happy they got together, but I just couldn't feel happy for Percy. And I was very upset that the author never addressed the issue of her money being stolen. That was a HUGE problem for me.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."
# ItStartedinBudapest #NetGalley

What a story! I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I greatly enjoyed this thrillingly haunting tale from Julie Daines. The premise is interesting, as it is inspired by Dracula, and the heroine goes on her own noble hunt for a vampire to save her dying brother. Each character was wonderfully unique, but I especially enjoyed Molly’s sense of humor and depth. From her fears to her triumphs, she was relatable and exciting. There were times when I wanted Percy’s point of view as well as Molly’s, just so the reader could get to know him a bit better, but Daines incorporated another layer of storytelling by having the characters reveal themselves by telling each other “bedtime” stories. Each relationship was portrayed so well, from familial bonds to a budding romance. This story took me by surprise in the best way, and I’m very excited for the rest of the series! 4.5/5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Covenant Communications for providing me this ARC.

It Started in Budapest by Julie Danes is a story about a girl named Molly who takes the help of her favourite story-Dracula to find a cure for her sick brother. For this book, I liked the plot, the setting, and the characters. Although, the book ended on a good note, a few things could have been elaborated better.

I liked the historical period of the story. The story is set in the early 1900s, which is one of my favourite time periods to read about. The story is set long before the World War era, but it also mutes other tumultuous events occurring during that period. Although, I prefer some hint of real facts in historical fiction, I liked this story too much to mind the lack of real life occurrences. Second, I liked how the story contains various train journeys. I have never travelled by train, so reading about train journeys is very appealing to me especially about those of the Orient Express.

It was nice to read about the protagonists’ journey through mainland Europe in search of a cure for death- eternity. The narrator does not go into heavy detail about the physical aspects of the places the protagonists travel through, but s/he goes into sufficient amount of detail so that the reader can understand the essence of the characters’ surroundings. Another thing that I liked about the setting was the introduction of an ancient and old church, which relates to the Romantic theme of celebrating traditional and old architecture. Both aspects of the setting enhanced the adventure of the story.

Some of the characters in this book were well-developed, but some were not. Although, the protagonist- Molly is like every other naive and innocent heroine, her character development really appealed to me. The author has efficiently developed why she is the way she is and why she does the things she does. I particularly liked how the writer explores Molly’s fear of white by slowing revealing the psychological trauma as the root of this fear. Mr Hunt’s love and support for Molly is adorable and amazing and his back story is sad, but I wanted him to be more than just that. Also, Matthew-Molly’s twin is not given enough space in the story. He is the reason for Molly’s quest, but I wanted the writer to give him more space before and after Molly’s journey. Other than these characters, the villain is untrustworthy, but a real charmer so it was really frustrating to read how easily Molly trusts him. Therefore, some characters are well-developed, but more space is really needed for some characters in this story.

For me, this is another story which had a unsatisfying ending. It was another one of those endings where the writer quickly wraps up everything. I wanted a proper farewell for Matthew and something more holistic than a cliche romantic ending. I was happy about the happily ever after, but a more complex ending would have worked better.

It Started in Budapest by Julie Danes is a story with a great plot, a good setting, and some sweet characters. Although, the ending could have been better, I am happy Molly got her happily ever after. I recommend this book to anyone who wants a short and sweet read for quarantine. I really expected this book to have supernatural elements (a vampire obviously), but it turned out to be a completely different story and a very good one.

An atmospheric gothic romance, "It Started In Budapest" is not technically a vampire tale, although "real" and figurative vampires are woven into the story. Nineteen-year-old Molly Cooper is convinced a vampire's blood will cure her chronically ill twin brother Matthew and sets off to get some, following the path of the protagonist from "Dracula". Her naive belief lands her in much trouble. The handsome American Percy Hunt rescues her repeatedly; his innate goodness and intuition know no bounds. Molly is delightful, determined and shows great character growth.

Interspersed throughout the book are little stories told by both Molly and Percy in which they divulge more about themselves. This plot device is both charming and effective.

Characters are well-drawn. Descriptions are vivid and once Dario Ruso enters the picture, they're downright eerie. The Countess and the mysterious Nicholas are both fabulous secondary characters. This is the first novel in a new series taking place on the Orient Express, and I hope Nicholas is a continuing character. Themes of acceptance, misplaced blame, and self-forgiveness are important.

This novella is well-written and clean. I look forward to the next installment of this series.

Thanks to NetGalley and Covenant Communications for an ARC of this delightful novel.

A young woman with a sick twin brother and a love of the book Dracula decides to sneak off the train and away from her family in Budapest and attempt to find a Vampire with the theory that a Vampire's blood could heal her brother. I excepted this to be more gothic, macabre, fantastical, and generally dark than it was. It is not a book about the mythical vampires, but instead a book about love. I felt that the book description was slightly misleading in that sense. I expected something far more dark and action packed and instead I got a romance story. The romance was lovely and the story was sweet, I enjoyed the story and the writing was great, but because I had a different idea of what I was getting when I started this book, I ended up rather confused. However the book was a delightful historic romance novel.

This story was beautifully written. It has it all, adventure, romance, family tension...vampires-ish :).

I must admit the premise of this story seemed completely unbelievable to me at first. However the more I got wrapped up in the beauty of Molly and Matthew's relationship, and Percy's character, the more believable it all became. The connection and love of the siblings and her willingness to go through any kind of adventure for him was so well written.

This being the case I almost felt like the romance between Molly and Percy was not quite as well developed. It was sweet and I loved their interactions, but it almost took a back seat to Molly's drive and connection with her brother. Due to the nature of the story this dynamic worked well, and ultimately made Molly's self discoveries that much more poignant.

I am in the minority when it comes to Julie Daines’ It Started in Budapest. Most readers have expressed a great deal of admiration for the book, and I completely respect that, but my experience of the novel inspired mixed feelings.

It Started in Budapest is a sweet and chaste romantic narrative that flirts with gothic romanticism against a central Romanian backdrop. Molly’s devotion to Bram Stoker’s Dracula takes centerstage, thoroughly eclipsing the majesty of the luxury train line, but I hesitate to call it gothic literature as the story lacks the macabre thematic resonance I associate with the genre.

Tonally speaking, I found Daines’ writing light and pleasant. That said, the novel’s lack of complexity, historical detail, and depth failed to captivate my imagination or satisfy my interest in dynamic and layered storytelling. I understood what the characters were doing, but I could not envision the world they inhabited, and I struggled to believe the emotions that drove them forward. Simply put, I wanted to sink my teeth into this book but found the author put too little meat on the bone to do so.

It Started in Budapest has an audience, but the novel proved a poor fit for my tastes, and I doubt very much that I will continue the series forward.

This story took me to places I have not yet been. It was different than anything I have ever read.

There is a certain magic and mystery to the Orient Express. Add in the macabre of Vampires and you have a story quite unlike any other,

Molly is the twin sister to Matthew, who has been ill his whole life, Much of the family’s time and fortune has been dedicated to keeping Matthew alive and seeking a cure. Molly has felt the guilt for his illness her whole life and takes it upon herself to find a cure for him.

Using Dracula by Bram Stoker as her guide, she sets off on an adventure with some unexpected help, an American named Percy Hunt.

Julie Daines tells a masterful story with mystery and the search for something better. It is a story of growth and acceptance for Molly. She defies what she has known and meets others on her way that offer her compassion and help.

This is the first of a multi-author series that I can’t wait to see what comes next. I recommend this to anyone that is looking for a good story with a happily ever after.

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was a historical fiction set on the Orient Express and Translyvania. Main character Molly Cooper leaves her family trip to go looking for a vampire to cure her I'll brother. Gentleman, Percy, is there to help her on her journey and the two fall in love. It was a clean romance and I appreciate that so much! The writing was well done as was the character development. I thought the ending was a bit rushed and I kept waiting for more on the Nicholas character who clearly was "influencing" situations. I'm excited to see the next book in this series.

With enough gothic wonder and atmospheric detail to satisfy those who want to travel during our unending lockdown, It Started in Budapest is careful to draw out its Dracula themes. From Molly believing that she has literally stolen her twin's strength and thrives while he is poorly. A trip on the Orient Express en route to seek treatment for Matthew in Bulgaria, introduces Molly to Percy (love the name, love the meet cute) a man who will become an unlikely ally, friend and romantic connection through a well-researched historical that edges with danger and sighs and takes us into the heart of Transylvania.

A perfect examination of the more gothic and less horrific tenets of Stoker's Dracula, the author's obvious fascination for her subject definitely sparks through even while some of the characterization does not.

This is the first in a new series featuring some of the most talented historical romance writers around and will take us on to Vienna!! (YAY ) and Salzburg (YAY) among other places.


thanks to Covenant Communications!

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I enjoyed this beginning of a new series with different authors. I have always loved books about the Orient Express, but to throw in a desire to find Count Dracula to save her brother was so fun! I love the person growth that happened during the book. Most if the book was spent wondering who the true villain if the story was. What a fun book!

I love a great Gothic romance and this one did not disappoint!

First, that cover. So beautiful and atmosperic!

The location, the setting, and the ambiance were just perfect—turn of the century Europe on the Orient Express, the cities, the forest, and even the Paris Exposition.

All of these made the perfect backdrop for Molly. She wants her twin brother to be healthy and feels guilty for this condition (on account of TTTS). After reading Dracula, she comes up with the plan of going to Transylvania and getting the blood of a vampire to restore her brother's health and make him immortal.

Her family is traveling to the Black Sea on the Orient Express and she plans to exit in Budapest.

Percy is an American Molly met in Paris when she bumped into him. They meet again in the train and he becomes aware of her plan, and decides to follow her so she's not alone. Percy is the best companion to Molly and comes to her aid at the worst of times, saving her life.

Even though their friendship is new, it turns deep and into something more.

Can't wait for the next books in the series!

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

#netgalley #itstartedinbudapest
I’m a huge Julie Daines fan, so I was really excited to receive an ARC for this book. I can’t say enough good things about this storyline. Romance, intrigue, suspense, humor! This book has it all. I love that the book wove the Dracula story throughout, made for a creepy feeling which I loved. Julie Daines hit it out of the park for this one!

I like to read novels that happen on trains, and the Orient Express is the best train of all. The real action of this novel takes place when the heroine Molly sneaks off the train to try to find the cure for her brother's illness. Molly is following in the footsteps of Jonathan Harker in the book Dracula in hopes of obtaining vampire blood to make her brother immortal Handsome Percy Hunt learns of this gullible plan and assigns himself the task of protecting Molly.
In reading of the plot, I was a little worried about whether I'd enjoy reading the book. Molly sounded like a real ninny to me. She does rather seem one as the story begins. She dramatically overreacts to the color white and does she really believe in vampires? Also, the beginning bits on the train were not atmospheric enough for my tastes. I was intrigued, however, by what might happen when she tried to use fiction as a map. The adventure into the countryside was atmospheric and the playing with the idea of how humans can be vampires by using others was interesting. I knew the publishers deal with religion, so you have here a squeaky clean romance, occasional and well done discussion of faith, and possibly vampires! Interesting. I ended up pleased with my trip into these pages. This is to be the first of a series of romances on the Orient Express and I would be interested in reading others.
Thank you Netgalley for providing me a free copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC to review!
Rating (on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being excellent)
Quality of writing: 4
Pace: 4
Plot development: 4
Characters: 4
Enjoyability: 4
Ease of Reading: 5

Overall rating: 4 out of 5

It Started in Budapest by Julie Daines is an excellent historical romance that also includes mystery, suspense, and a mythical aspect that creates a fascinating story.

I truly enjoyed meeting Molly, Matthew, Percy, and Madame de Beaumont. I enjoyed the plot, the twists and turns, the suspense, the mystery, and the intrigue. I also enjoyed the dark and gothic component that was added throughout the plot. You could almost feel as if you were surrounded in the mists, shadows, and mystery yourself. I truly loved Molly and her chemistry with her newfound other half, Percy. Both characters had complicated paths, had strong moral compasses, and brought out the best in each other. I loved the ending!!!!

5/5 stars. Excellent book. This is the first of a series,Romance on The Orient Express, and I cannot wait to read the rest!!!!!

Thank you NetGalley and Covenant for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately (as of 6/16 there is not a listing under author for this book) and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.