I really wish that this book had focused on the tie in to Katherine Parr rather than the nonsensical relationship that formed between the two main characters. That would have been the better story, in my opinion.

I could not get into this one at all. It seemed to jump around and I could not follow who was who and what was going on. This one was not for me.

I do not know what I was expecting when I requested The Long Lost Jules, by author Jane Elizabeth Hughes, but as I started to reading, the book never stopped serving up interesting surprises! The two prinipal characters are Amy Seymour and Leo Schlumberger.

My first surprise, was that Leo Schlumberger is Israeli, and, then he is also, possibly, (I do not want to give too much away), a Mossad agent. He was born in Paris (and moved afterwards to Israel), so he speaks French. Finally, Leo is an Oxford scholar, with a PhD in History, and that is how he intersects with thee other main character of the novel, Amy/Jules, aka, the long lost Jules. Her own family, her father and grandfather, worked for the CIA, in fact they were considered CIA royalty.

Leo's research brings him to Amy. She is a "private banker", in London, who is having her own issues with her only client, a sheik. As she tries to dig up intel on her sheik, Leo seems to always show up, (ready to rescue her), every time she runs into trouble. Not only does Amy have to dig up intel on her sheik, she also now has to try and find out who Leo Schlumberger really is.

Part mystery, part thriller, part romance, The Long Lost Jules is hard (obviously) to pinpoint to one genre. It was honestly a unique and interesting read.

Thank you #netgalley and @sparkpress for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

Amy Schaumann lives a quiet life as a dowdy London banker amongst pretty and vapid coworkers. When Leo shows up insisting she’s the long-lost descendant of the late Queen Katherine Parr, she’s convinced he’s a stalker. He keeps showing up wherever she is, insinuating himself into her life. Her stepsister shows up, further upending her quiet life The next thing she knows, she is getting involved in scrapes and going all over Europe as they investigate Queen Katherine’s lost baby, dodge people chasing them, and figuring out what’s happening between them.

At first, Leo showing up is definitely crossing the line into creepy stalker tendencies. He tries to be charming, and it’s only the fact that he backs off when she asks him to and tries to help Amy that saves his character from turning me off. Then more of the mystery comes in, drawing me in and allowing me to see Amy’s point of view and what she sees in him. As much as he annoys her, she does crave excitement and a release from the drudgery of her life. The mystery of Juliette and the lost baby also draws me in as well. When we found out more about the spycraft and money laundering plot threads, I was utterly hooked.

I love the subtle glimpses of Amy’s wilder side in the beginning, and that Leo is more than the bumbling almost-stalker from the beginning. When we find out why as the novel progresses, it’s certainly a lot more fun. The spycraft and historical mystery aspects laid over the budding romance is an interesting twist, and seeing Amy think of her hero worship for her father in a new way also made her see herself and her needs in a new way. She never once backed down when she felt betrayed, which I really liked about her. She knew what she wanted and tried to go for it, and had a protective streak over family, friends and the career she worked so hard to build. Leo didn’t talk down to her about those concerns, which also increased my estimation of him, and he cared just as much about his family and career. Once that was out in the open, it was a lot more fun to read about, too.

The Long-Lost Jules: A Novel by Jane Elizabeth Hughes

📓Genre: Thriller | Romance | Women's Fiction
Star: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 (3.8 stars rounded to 4 stars)

🔖I personally don't think 'Romance' should be the primary genre describing this book, since it was more of a thriller, and a good one at that.
🔖London private-banker Amy, serves as the primary protagonist of the story. The book is an even-paced, well-written thriller, which starts off when a mysterious stranger approaches Amy and introduces himself as an Oxford professor, Leo, who believes the protagonist is the long-lost descendant of Henry VIII's last Queen, Katherine Parr.
🔖Amy – who tries her best to keep her life in order and out of any form of trouble – finds herself in the midst of 'trouble itself', as ensuing circumstances lead her and Leo on a quest for the truth.
🔖Leo had initially reminded me of Robert Langdon (one of the primary protagonists of Dan Brown's books) – since both are professors and well-versed in history. But the characters are way different. With his own secrets and history – Leo is quite an interesting one to read.
🔖I also liked Amy. Her character shows enough growth as the story progresses, and she is both realistic and likable.
🔖I must say – the blurb of this book hasn't done proper justice to the story.
🔖Overall, it was an engaging read, complete with well-presented twists and turns.

🔸Final Verdict: Good
🔸Book Cover: That was the only part which I personally thought – could've been better.
🔸Writing Style: Engaging
🔸Character Development: Good

✨Many thanks to SparkPress (Publisher) and Netgalley for sending me the ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

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#TheLongLostJules #NetGalley #arc #bookreview

What a fun read. Jammed full of espionage, history, and bantering, The Long-Lost Jules will appeal to a broad array of readers. I was attracted to the historical aspect of the plot. What happened to the daughter of Queen Katherine Parr? The historical part does tend to get submerged with all of the spy parts of the book, but it’s what fascinated me the most. I’ve long been a fan of the Tudor Queen stories. I would have liked a more concrete ending, but it’s not my book so I’m sure others will like the book as much as I did.

She thinks he’s either a stalker, a nutcase, or a harmlessly eccentric Oxford professor. He thinks she’s the long-lost descendant of Henry VIII’s last Queen, Katherine Parr. Amy is living a cautious life as a London private banker to wealthy oil sheikhs, but her quiet solitude is upended by the sudden appearance of two people: a half-sister who is virtually a stranger to her, and Oxford don Leo. Both need something from Amy, who has been emotionally frozen for years and isn’t sure she has anything left to give. She also harbors deep secrets—as does Leo. Even so, the two join forces to investigate the mystery of Queen Katherine’s lost baby, and soon long-suppressed emotions start to surface—and enemies start to close in. As they crisscross Europe in a quest for answers, Amy and Leo find themselves in danger of losing control of their secrets, their hearts—and maybe even their lives. Instantly hooked… I literally couldn't put it down…

Many thanks to author Jane Elizabeth Hughes, to SparkPress , the publisher, and to NetGalley for this ARC giveaway. This is my honest review.

Mousy Amy the private banker meets the TD&H Oxford history researcher Leo. At first he seems like a cross between a really persistent researcher with an historical itch, and a stalker who keeps calling her Jules. Then things get complicated.
This was a fun read and a fast page turner, but I felt it could have been a little more than that if the story and the characters had been better developed.
Bottom line - an entertaining poolside thriller with a side dish of romance.