I had the chance to visit Central Park in New York last year and this past week, a replication of King Tut’s tomb. I found it went along well with Jocelyn Green’s book, “The Metropolitan Affair”. I have learned so much about Egyptian artifacts, and felt as though I was strolling through Central Park along with the characters. The key part of the story that I’m especially enjoying is the rebuilding of the father/daughter relationship as it is so realistic in its challenges. This story is about restoration and forgiveness in the relationships in the story, along with the amazing mystery of tracking down forged Egyptian artifacts. This book would be incredible for high schoolers that are studying about Ancient Egypt, as a book set in the 20’s and the craze about Egypt would tie in American history with Ancient Egypt. I would highly recommend it!

Dr. Lauren Westlake is the assistant curator of Egyptology for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. And two new opportunities have arisen for her.

One is from her father who has historically been full of empty promises and unmet expectations, has invited her on one of his Egyptian excursions.

The other is from her childhood friend, Detective Joe Caravello, to join him to help sniff out art fraud among New York's wealthiest patrons.

As Lauren works with both men, things get more complicated and the tangle of politics, emotions, and loyalties become more and more complicated. Who can she trust, and how will she stay out of harm's way?
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This story has layers and layers of overlap and of connection. Lauren's relationship with these men that have given her these options really drives her motivations and you get to see the why instead of being told why she does what she does.

I had not read any book that focuses on the Egyptomania during this time before, so this book gave me a new appreciation for all the the information gathered during this time that we still use to look at the world today.

Also New York is a character in it's own right in this book. It is celebrated as well as reviewed with a loving touch.

If you are looking for a unique historical fiction, check this one out!
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This is a closed door historical mystery/romance. It is the first in a series.

Thank you to the author and Bethany House for the gifted book!

This book not only was entertaining to read, but also somewhat informative. I didn't know that, even without social media, collecting Egyptian artifacts and the trading of fakes was a big business before the objects of King Tut's tomb toured in the 1970s. I think this book captured the feeling and the tone of the time period and Lauren was such a wonderful character--even back then she lived on her own with a roommate and held down (I think) what we would think of a high powered job on her own. The tension between Lauren and her father read as real and her romance (finally) with Joe was delightful--I wish there could maybe be a sequel? All told this was a fun book!

4.5 stars

“Death isn’t the end of life – it’s really the beginning of our eternity.”

Jocelyn Green is one of those rare historical fiction authors who writes seamlessly in a variety of time periods … and delivers captivating stories in them all. I first fell in love with her writing through her Civil War series (specifically Widow of Gettysburg) and continued to enjoy the books set in French-colonial North America and then late 1800s Chicago. And now The Metropolitan Affair brings us to 1920s New York City, complete with Prohibition, bootlegging, Egyptomania, forgeries, and high society glitz and glamour…. and I loved it too!

In this series starter, Green introduces us to three savvy New York City roommates who are establishing their careers in the world of historical preservation – Lauren as an assistant curator of Egyptology for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Elsa as an ornithologist at the American Museum of Natural History, and Ivy as a historian at the New York Historical Society. Right away, my interest was piqued by these friends who are bravely and determinedly carving out a spot for themselves in fields that still elevated male expertise over female.

The Metropolitan Affair focuses on Lauren – Dr. Lauren Westlake, to be specific – and I immediately connected with her personality. I found her work, including her reputation in authenticating Egyptian antiquities, to be all kinds of fascinating. The complexities of her relationship with her father gave her even more compelling layers to sort through, and I wanted to hug her through the pages. Fortunately, someone else is there to embrace her, to help her feel loved, and to shine a spotlight on her accomplishments and her inherent value as a person. Enter Detective Joe Caravello, an old friend who needs her expertise on forgeries to help him with his current investigation. Joe is classic ‘good New York cop’, a man of integrity, without being a caricature, and he easily found his way into my heart. His parents did, too, and I could picture their interactions so clearly. I loved watching Joe and Lauren rebuild their once-special connection as they work together to root out the mastermind(s) behind the spate of forged Egyptian antiquities bilking the elite and the curious out of untold amounts of money.

Bottom Line: The Metropolitan Affair by Jocelyn Green fully immersed me in the captivating world of 1920s New York City, Egyptomania, and Prohibition, entertaining me with a multi-dimensional story and characters I loved rooting for. Lauren and Joe’s unique beginning to their friendship provides the perfect foundation for their renewed connection and reawakened feelings. Their romance is both sweet and swoony, as is their respect for each other and the way they build each other up, and it perfectly complements the historical and mystery elements to the story too. Meaningful threads of belonging, pride, extravagance, jealousy, forgiveness, and the deep love of God also touched me. All of it together, plus the various NYC settings, puts readers right in the narrative and keeps them invested in the outcome. The perfect choice for fans of Elizabeth Camden!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

The concept was so cool- integrating history and mystery in just a perfect way. I love the detail Green gives in her description of the setting and I so enjoyed watching the main character's evolution.

This is an involved story of Green's that is visually compelling in the 1925 NYC setting, The Met and the fascination with everything Egyptian. I enjoyed it immensely even though I felt it dragged a little and wonder if it would have been a more impactful story if closer to 300 pages rather than 400.

Dr Lauren Westlake is a clever character who is breaking many societal conventions in her career and personality. Joe Caravello is a New York cop, half-Italian and on the hunt for a forger of Egyptian artefacts as well as solving an existing case regarding a fellow cop who has been charged with murder of a suspect.
For much of the story I found the later case a distraction and questioned it's relevance but hang in there because the onion slowly gets peeled and all makes sense in the end.

The bad guys are really good. A couple of classic mobster hoods and another that breaks Lauren's heart repeatedly. I appreciated how Green connected all the dots, most seemingly no surprise. It was fascinating how Green portrayed an estranged father/daughter relationship, its natural importance to Lauren and her desire for the estrangement to end.

There's a lovely spiritual message at the end but I do wonder if this could have been better explored from our Heavenly Father's perspective during the story and not just the human father. Perhaps a flashback to Lauren's mother's strong faith might have helped with this.

Overall, it was thoroughly engaging with the time period, the various characters and the Egyptian history piece.

I was fortunate to receive an early ebook copy of the book (a while ago) from Bethany House via Net Galley with no expectation of a positive review.

This one is a tough one to review, because it had so many great qualities but it took a long time for me to get into it, and even then it just wasn't drawing me in. This is an author I really enjoy, and usually her books are a five star for me, but this one just wasn't clicking with me.

It was very well written, and researched, with a lush setting that does a good job of evoking time and place. Good themes of faith.

I might try to re-read this in the future as this author is one of my favorites.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions are my own.

The Metropolitan Affair is written by Jocelyn Green. This is book one in the On Central Park series. We are transported back to the 1920's with Metropolitan Museum of Art curator Lauren Westlake. She is specialized in Egyptian history - which was a big interest at this time. This has set forth a craze that New York's richest and elite wanting to buy rare Egyptian artifacts. With this craze, comes those trying to pass off knock offs for high prices.


Detective Joe Caravello asks for Dr. Lauren's help in sorting out the phony vs the real - and trying to find who is behind it. Joe is a second generation immigrant - and his father has been scammed. He really wants to find the person responsible. He has had to work hard to overcome the immigrant stereotypes. The author has done a great job in throwing in twists and turns to keep you guessing.

I really appreciate the amount of research that the author did. I felt like I was transported in time. The book is well written and the storyline is engaging.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read a copy of this book - all thoughts are my own,.

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book. These are my honest thoughts.

The premise for this one sounded like an Indiana Jones type story, which is right up my alley. A hunt among New York City’s elite’s collections of ancient Egyptian artifacts was scrumptious to my way of thinking.

The father-daughter dysfunction was well played. Their family dynamics kept me interested on the personal side of things.

A cop and an Egyptologist—what an intriguing combination! I enjoyed the sweet second-chance romance aspect of this story just as much as how the leading characters’ careers played into the unfolding of the mystery.

I’m a sucker for a good organized crime story, which was a big reason why I chose to read this book. That it visited Little Italy in New York City was definitely a bonus. The complex web of criminals and crimes was superbly written. This aspect kept me turning pages when other portions fell short.

The faith thread was weak and felt much like an afterthought to the main story.

Historical facts were significantly altered. Dr. Breasted was in Egypt rather than Chicago. The author asked in the author note for us readers to forgive her for intentionally altering a major historical fact for convenience’s sake. Maybe the book would have been better suited to the “altered history” genre, as the expectation there is that historical facts would be changed significantly.

Because of the canceling of historical facts, I won’t be continuing this series.

Content: tobacco, alcohol, drunkenness, profanity, speakeasies, miscarriages mentioned, nude statues

Jocelyn Green knows how to write a captivating story! Complete with historical richness and a plot that kept me turning pages, The Metropolitan Affair was an absolute treat to read. I loved the time period and connected with the characters . . . and I'm already eager for her next novel!

This was my first book by Jocelyn Green, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! The historical details were excellent, the characters were engaging, and the plot was riveting. I will definitely be looking for more books by this author!

I received a complimentary electronic copy of this book from NetGalley.

A fine novel set in the 1920's. This is my first Jocelyn Green novel and it was enjoyable. The story has a lot of moving parts and a lot of characters to keep track of. There are also seems to be a lot of back story that made it feel like I had missed a prequel to the series but those questions are all cleared up as the novel progresses. All in all, it was enjoyable, although I don't think I will continue the series. I really enjoyed the premise of the story but I did find it a little hard to track all the secondary characters.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

Thanks to Netgalley for a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I love Jocelyn Green's books, and I especially loved this book!
Set in NYC, in 1925, at the intriguing Met.
I enjoyed learning about Egyptian antiquities and archaeology.
I also enjoyed reading about and getting to know Lauren Westlake.

This story has lots of interesting facts mixed into a mystery.
And there is also a splash of romance mixed in.

Lauren and her friend Joe, who is a police detective, are looking for forgeries among the many Egyptian pieces hitting the market during the Egyptomania craze days. Not everyone appreciates their poking around, and this leads to Lauren being threatened.

Unexpected twists and turns kept me glued to the book.
Mix in some difficult family relationships, and you truly have a book worth reading.
Disclaimer: I receive complimentary books from various sources, including, publishers, publicists, authors, and/or NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review, and have not received any compensation. The opinions shared here are my own entirely. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

"The Metropolitan Affair" by author Jocelyn Green, is one book that seemed extremely difficult to read..It was a good story but so slow and hard to get into.



I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and I was not required to write a favorable review. All opinions are my own.

A bit of a slow start for me, but once I got caught up in the mystery, relationships, and history, I couldn’t put it down.

The Metropolitan Affair
by Jocelyn Green
Pub Date 14 Mar 2023
Bethany House, Bethany House Publishers

With The Metropolitan Affair, Jocelyn Green captures you in a dazzling novel of secrets, betrayal, and romance set within one of New York City's most prestigious museums.


The explorer father of Dr. Lauren Westlake has promised her for years that she would accompany him on one of his Egyptian expeditions. In spite of the empty promises, Lauren determined to earn her own way. Lauren receives two unexpected invitations while working as the assistant curator of Egyptology at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.



The first is her repentant father's offer to bring her to Egypt as a colleague on a new expedition. Another opportunity is to gain access to the world of New York's wealthiest patrons who have been victims of art fraud.



As Egyptomania sweeps the city following the discovery of King Tut's tomb, Detective Joe Caravello is on the lookout for a notorious forger preying on the open wallets of New York's high society. Dr. Westlake is just the expert he needs to assist him in locating the criminal. The closer Lauren and Joe get to discovering the forger's identity, the more entangled they become in a web of deception and criminal activity.


I give The Metropolitan Affair five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

‘The Metropolitan Affair’ was my first book by author Jocelyn Green, but most certainly not my last. This historical fiction story takes place in NYC during the 1920’s during prohibition, and introduces us to Egyptology at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and a forgery ring that is discovered and infiltrated. Extremely historically accurate and and a love story to round it out. Thank you Ms. green fir an enjoyable read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC of this title.

I enjoyed this book, though it was not particularly special (for me).

The Metropolitan Affair by Jocelyn Green is the first book in the On Central Park series. It was my first book by this author, and I found it had a very slow beginning and was hard to be motivated to continue reading it. I put it aside at 47% complete and will revisit it.

Hurrah! Jocelyn Green is back with a brand new series, this time set in New York City at the height of prohibition. Lauren and her two room mates work in museums next to Central Park, and are fortunate to have an apartment on Central Park West. She’s known Joe since they were children exploring the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He might be a cop, and the son of Italian restauranteurs, but that doesn’t mean he can’t socialize with the best of them. He can’t fail when he’s with Lauren, and he might just learn why his ex-partner went off the rails and shot someone at point blank range during a police raid.

At first, I wondered where the plot was headed. How could Joe’s ex-partner be connected to fake artwork? In the fifth chapter, however, an event took place that I felt could develop into something, and we were off to the races! From then on, The Metropolitan Affair was so very difficult to put down. One day I told myself I’d read until the battery of my ereader ran down. In the end, it was a race to see which would happen first: me finishing the book or the battery going. Finishing the book won. I had 2% left of the battery! No, I won’t tell you what that event in chapter five was; you need to discover for yourself.

The Metropolitan Affair is about secrets and lies, and heartbreak and betrayal. It shows us that reputations and characters can be as fake as a vase with the wrong type of hieroglyphs on it for its style. It also reminds us how wealth doesn’t always equal happiness. As I said earlier it is the first in a new series, one called On Central Park. I’m hoping the next titles in the series are about the roommates Elsa and Ivy. After all, they do live and work… on Central Park.

Disclaimer: Although I received an electronic advance copy of this book from the publisher, the opinions above are my own.

*Review went live on March 23, 2023