I loved Art of the Chase. Author Tracy Brogan revisits fictitious Wenniway Island again, where her Trillium Bay contemporary series is set, but
goes back to 1888 when the Imperial Hotel was first open for business. The resort island
is based on Mackinac Island in Michigan, so some of the settings are familiar to me, as a Michigander. Chase Bostwick is sent to the island with his mother and younger sister for the summer. He would rather be home in Chicago working for the family business, but his father feels that Mrs Bostwick needs supervision. Once on island, he literally runs into the Imperial Hotel art instructor, Mrs. Emerson Talbot(Jo). Chase and Jo cross paths frequently, and sparks fly, but this being the 19th century, society frowns on romances between wealthy young men and hired help with a mysterious past. Their story is amusing and enjoyable, and I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

One of the first historic books I’ve read, I love Tracy Brogans writing. I will always read her novels! I fell in love with every single one of the character but jo is definitely my favorite. Chase is my second favorite. I cannot believe how quick I get transported to another universe when I read with tracy.

Jo McKenna's dream is to study art in Paris. To fulfill her dream she needs money. With a little help from Chase Bostwick and a white lie, she has a summer job teaching art at the Imperial Hotel on Trillium Bay. Too many secrets in her past discourage her from looking to a future with Chase. He's in love and determined to right the wrongs that prevent her from being his wife. He won't give up! Mild descriptive sex.
VICTORIAN ROMANCE
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley.

I really loved this new series set in the Golden Age of the turn of the Century in America (think Gilded Age the show). All the action takes place on a fictional island fashioned after Mackinac Island in Michigan, where the elite of Chicago go to vacation during the summer. Jo, a down on her luck, dare I say “starving” artist, has a last chance in the form of a job at the posh Imperial Hotel on the island. The only problem is that she may have told a white lie to get the position. Then she quite literally runs smack into the very handsome Chase Bostwick, of THOSE Bostwicks of Chicago, and lands on her behind in the mud, in her nicest interview dress. However all hope is not lost as Chase feels responsible for the accident and helps Jo, even though they are both wondering why he is assisting her.

There is a lot of intrigue because Jo is actually hiding a lot about herself, and Chase’s mother has plans for him to marry very well, not some no name art teacher. But there is a lot of comedy as well, especially with Daisy, Chase’s very fun teenage sister.

This is a great start to the series and I can’t wait to read more about Chase’s twin brother in the next book.

I was expecting a romance but this has so much comedy. Great for a laugh out loud romance need evening.

I very much enjoyed Chase and Jo's story in Book 1 of this series! I had read Tracy Brogan's Highland Surrender a few years ago and wanted to read more of her books. This one during the Gilded Era did not disappoint! Chase and Jo are a wonderful couple who were not looking for love. Chase is upset that his father has 'forced' him to accompany his mother and sister, Daisy, to Trillium Bay for the summer when he would rather be in Chicago with his father and twin brother managing their business. Jo is the daughter of a famous artist, and she too is quite talented. While she was married before, she hides many secrets and finds herself unwillingly falling in love with Chase. With the help of Daisy, hotel staff, and two pampered dogs, Chase and Jo will find that they don't want the summer in Trillium Bay to ever end.

The word that kept crossing my mind as I read this latest offering by Tracy Brogan was delightful. She set this historical romance on an island in upper Michigan at a luxury hotel with an extremely likable, recently wronged artist, Jo McKenna. She is as plucky as she is resourceful, fighting her way to solvency and the right kind of recognition. Chase Bostwick has been sentenced to a summer on the island where he is managing his boredom, taciturn mother, and irrepressible sister, Daisy. From their first encounter, the reader is eager to see how these two very different people will come together and ease each other from the safety of their preconceived notions. Brogan’s writing is delightful, witty, and true to the time period. I very much look forward to the next book in the series.

A great start to a wonderful new series from author Tracy Brogan. Emerson "Jo" McKenna and Chase Bostwick come from two different worlds. But from the time the two literally collide in Trillium Bay, you can't help but root for them to make it, regardless of the challenges they may face. Like its modern counterpart, this series has already drawn me in and I can't wait for the next installment!

Tracy Brogan uses charm, laughter, heart-tugging emotion, and an immersive sense of place to bring the Gilded Age version of her popular Trillium Bay to life in Art of the Chase, book one of her new historical romance series: The Bostwicks of Trillium Bay.

If you've ever visited Mackinac Island, stayed in the Grand Hotel, or viewed it in photos - or on the big screen in Somewhere in Time - you will no doubt recognize it's elegant influence on Trillium Bay's Imperial Hotel. Brogan brings every nook, cranny, sweeping lake-front lawn, and iconic front porch niche to life in her fictional version, evoking sweet memories for those of us who have visited the real thing and vivid mental paintings of how it - as well as her fictional version - might have been in years gone by. The hotel, like the island itself, is a nuanced character is its own right in this book, helping to offer insight into the lives and personalities of both hard-working staff and privileged guests.

As for the actual characters, Brogan offers up a collection of diverse, well-developed individuals who open windows into the lives of the rich and famous of the time and those whose job it is to serve them. There's the snobbish society maven, who may or may not be more complex than she seems, a teen society miss with a kind heart and unexpected ambitions, a supercilious desk clerk, hyper social director, business-savvy hotel owner, awkward wallflowers, and more. But at the heart of the tale are Chase and Jo (Emerson), two characters from different social classes with more in common than one would imagine, an undeniable attraction, and future plans that do not include the other. I really enjoyed the deft touch Brogan used in bringing them to life, how she slowly unfurled their layers, allowing us into their thoughts and hearts as they, and their relationship, evolved; the light hand she used that celebrated the laughter and joy of falling in love while at the same time keeping the realities of their situation firmly in play. It's a delicate balance between the magic of a summer romance on the island and the reality of city life within an elite society that is likely to never accept the choice of Chase's heart.

Art of the Chase is a story that is charming, humorous, thought provoking, glittering, heart-tugging, and utterly romantic. I turned the final page with a smile on my face, a happy sigh in my heart, and eagerness for the next chapter of The Bostwicks of Trillium Bay.

ARC received. Fair and unbiased review.

This book had it all—romance, mystery, and all the feels. I’m not a huge fan of historical romances, but I’m a huge Tracy Brogan fan, and she did not disappoint. The characters were well developed characters and the writing was wonderful! I was captivated from start to finish! Huge thanks to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book!

1888

Charles (Chase) Bostwick, 25, has a twin brother, Alexander, who was born first and has recently become engaged to Isabella Carnegie, a beautiful woman whom Chase also desires. Chase and Alexander both work for their super wealthy father, A. J. Bostwick, in Chicago. Now, Chase’s father has decreed that he spend the summer escorting his mother, Constance, and sister, Daisy to the Imperial Hotel on Wenniway Island. As Chase loves his job, he is very bored.

While walking his mother’s two dogs in the rain, he bumps into a young woman knocking a box of art supplies from her hands. Apologizing, he offers to get a carriage to take her to the Imperial Hotel where she says she is the new artist in residence.

Emerson Joan McKenna Talbot goes by the name of Jo. She will be offering drawing and painting lessons for residents of the hotel. She says she is married but secretly after her father died, her husband vanished. As Jo settles into her new job, she finds many people who want to take painting lessons with her. Daisy is quite enamored by Jo and loves her painting lessons. She also gains the admiration of Chase who likes her take on life.

I absolutely adored this story. The building of a love story is told so well and the characters are so real. Ruth’s friendship with Jo is solid and I especially loved Daisy with her intelligence and zest for life. I can certainly say that I cannot wait to read more of the books in this series. A delightful book. Enjoy!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Art of the Chase is the first of The Bostwicks of Trillium Bay series and I just LOVE it!!!!!
It’s a lovely story, full of romance, funny parts and great characters.

Charles Bostwick or Chase as his family calls him is this workaholic and competitive person who suddenly has the dull task to bring his mother and younger sister to a holiday in Wenniway island. One a rainy night, he physically collides with Emerson Joan McKenna who is the daughter of a famous deceased painter hired as painting teacher at the Imperial Hotel.
Their different backgrounds, and past presents obstacle after obstacle threatening their happy ending.

The descriptive way in which the story is narrated helps you feel so immersed in the book that at times you feel like traveling in time. The final chapter and epilogue is enough to let every reader feel satisfied with the ending of the story but also excited about the following books in the series. I personally can’t wait for the next book.

Thanks NetGalley for allowing to read an early copy.

Art of the Chase is the first book I've picked up by Tracy Brogan and it won't be the last. I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read more by her.

Our fmc in this book is Emerson McKenna (Jo) and she has not had an easy time of things lately. She's in Trillium Bay for a job at the majestic Imperial Hotel but she's doing it a bit under the radar. They offered the job to her well-known father by the same name but he's since passed away and she sees this as her one opportunity to get some money so she can go to Paris to study her art further.

Chase Bostwick is driven. As the younger twin in a competitive family, the last thing he wants to do is be in Trillium Bay babysitting his mother and younger sister while his twin brother gets to work and show how valuable he can be to his father and their business. Never mind that his brother recently got engaged to a beautiful socialite Chase had an eye on and ultimately lost. Now he's just trying to find a way to keep busy while waiting for the go-ahead to get back to Chicago.

The way our characters meet was well-done and how their relationship builds throughout the book was wonderful. Emerson is down on her luck and Chase does whatever he can (he says just because he's bored) to help her get what she needs all along the way from the minute she's covered in mud to the very last page.

I loved how Brogan not only built out these characters and their relationship but also those secondary characters around them. Chase's mother and sister, the missing Mr. Talbot (and what his story is), Ruth...and so many more had such an impact on the story and how Jo and Chase's story moves forward. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and will definitely pick up more books by this author in the future.

A fun, enjoyable read set in 1881 in northern Michigan.

Chase, wealthy financier, is tasked with keeping his mother and sister out of trouble on vacation, while his father and brother remain in Chicago working. He's rich, handsome and bored not being in the city. He meets Emerson, an artist who's hired by the hotel to teach patrons to paint. It's an entertaining setting and the side characters are so fun. It's a great start to a new series. Excited to see more from this series.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

Well written story!
I really enjoyed this novel!
She is a struggling artist with a dark past, he is a rich businessman. After the two collide (literally) Chase helps Emerson out of a jam. When the two are continually thrown together, will they find something much more than ever thought possible?
I really loved this book! My only critique is the romance was a bit heavy for my taste. I felt like the story took a turn and moved into only about hooking up and not the story itself.. I would probably recommend to my friends and family.

Enjoyed!

Although I generally don't read this genre, I enjoyed this novel set in the Gilded Age. Everything is fancy, everyone is civilized and shows no imperfections (in public, anyway), and the rich and famous are VERY rich and famous!

Emerson McKenna is a woman whose ideals are more suited to present day than the day she was born into. While she is completely different from the women he normally is attracted to, Chase Bostwick finds himself drawn to Emerson. Alas, she is married and out of bounds.

I enjoyed the interactions between Emerson and Chase, and their story. I will be looking forward to the next book in this new series.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

A woman trying to put her life together and a man who is trying to find his place in his family, family business.nthis story is filled with so many interesting characters, likeable ones, irritating ones, brilliant but boring, snobs, kindhearted, etc. All add to the story of two hearts that are forever changed when their worlds collided. Splendid read.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and leaving my review voluntarily.

Hard-working Chase is bored vacationing for the summer with his wealthy family. Then, he crosses paths with secretive Jo, who's teaching painting classes at the resort. Chase is drawn to uncover the mysteries surrounding her absent husband. As the bond between Chase and Jo develops, can they overcome the obstacles presented by their class differences and Jo's past to build a future together?

This is a compelling and unpredictable novel for fans of forbidden love. Jo and Chase are complex and very different people who push each other to grow. The storytelling is brilliant and the side characters add richness and a hint of fun.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

A book which will make you cry, laugh and get a feel of go and hug the heroine kinda book. It’s a must read and I am definitely going to recommend it to all the HR lovers for sure. So in love with all the characters..The characters and the story you created will last forever in my mind. Thank you Ms. Brogan for this beautiful masterpiece.

This is a little scandalous since the heroine is married to another man, but don’t worry, everything turns out well at the end.

Jo is an in-house art teacher in a fancy hotel, Chase is one of the wealthy hotel guests. Since she’s married there’s gossip, a scandal brewing and a general air of “we shouldn’t”. However, as we all know, things that shouldn’t be done can be done if you really, really want to do them. And Chase and Jo really want these things 😏

There was some miscommunication going on, which was frustrating, and a lot of self-sabotage on Jo’s side which was completely unnecessary and lasted way too long. However overall it was a very well paced book with a great set of supporting characters (I can’t wait to read Daisy’s book!) and a captivating storyline. The relaxed holiday setting worked well too and I will definitely continue with the series.

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