With thanks to netgalley and the author

Sadly I didn't download this title in time.

So can't really give a review

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas fun e books for an advanced copy of this book. This book has a beautiful cover that will draw you right in. I like that this book was based on a true story and was fascinated by the historical pieces. She really researched them which showed in the story. It is an interesting story and great characters.

I picked this up after reading Michelle Gable’s first, The Paris Apartment. I’m happy I did as this was a great mix of mystery and historical fiction. Beautiful writing and I can’t wait to pass along the recommendation.

This is an enjoyable book, kind of a mystery book within a book. The book in the book is actually a true story and honestly a little more intriguing than the main tale. It's worth reading though, good women's fiction.

Firstly, can I say that I got a little confused between all of the characters and timelines in the beginning? Saying that, it all started to come around for me as I delved further into the storyline and all became clear. I really enjoyed the sense of mystery, what went down in the past.. This really kept me wanting more and more, I couldn't put it down!

Good escape book. Liked the story line and characters. Good read

Based on the real Gladys Spencer-Churchill, the Duchess of Marlborough lead an interesting life that, nearly a century later, is getting revisited by a young woman who happens upon Gladys’ biography. Annie joins her mother on a trip out to the English countryside. While her mother attends to business, Annie becomes consumed with finding out more about the elusive Gladys Spencer-Churchill. Told in alternating POVs, the mysterious and storied life of the Duchess of Marlborough unfolds.

First off, despite the title of this novel, the majority of it is actually set in Oxfordshire, a countryside in England. I thought the format was an interesting way to tell this tale, at times utilizing the writing of a biography as the way to get Gladys’ story out. In one way, it worked as it allowed for multiple characters to flush out the narrative, however on the other hand, it sometimes felt too dense with information overload.

Additionally, one element of the book that I felt didn’t quite fit with the rest of the story was the ongoing theme of war. It worked in the 1970s POV, but the inclusion of it in the 2001, post-9/11, timeline felt out of place. There was even one point where one of the characters got a bit heated about the “present-day” war that it felt like it was the author trying to insert a personal opinion about it. I’m certainly not begrudging the opinion, but it seemed out of place and oddly specific of an issue to rant off on a tangent about. Especially when, in the end, it really didn’t have a whole lot to do with the bigger picture anyway.

Overall, while I think the book could have been a little bit shorter, it was still an interesting story nonetheless. I enjoyed learning about this woman from history that I had previously not known about and I loved how the two time periods connect with Annie’s research. This would be a great read for those who love a more modern-day historical fiction.

An easy, fun, historical beach read, this book had a lot of my favorite elements: old mysterious book, multiple narratives, family secrets, and quaint settings. However, at times, the pace felt slower than I wanted, and the twists were very predictable. Still an enjoyable escape.

(Source: Thanks to St. Thomas Dunne and Net Galley for providing the copy. This will not affect my reviews.)

A story of love, heartbreak, and second chances. When Annie and her mom – Laurel went to London for some business appointments, Annie discovers the mystery underlying in the book she had and the real story of her mom’s past.

The book was told in two POV’s in different time. First is the year 1973, when Pru lost his fiancé during Vietnam War, she saw the ad in a newspaper looking for a personal assistant to a cultured older woman living alone in England. In order to forget all her bad experiences, she applied for it. While she took care to an older woman who happens to be Gladys Spencer-Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, secrets and mysteries unveiled when the writer step on the house. Second is the year 2001 during the post 9/11 attack. Annie is engaged to her US Marine boyfriend and her mom disapproves with the engagement without no reasons. The relationship between them is on the rocks.

Though there are characters that are bit annoying, they connect to each other and there’s no doubt you’ll not love them. One of the characters that I really loved is Laurel. Her story is really interesting (well, aside from the story of Gladys Spencer-Churchill) – from her past and to the present. It’s a shocking revelation, in fact, even her daughter couldn’t imagine the real story of her mom. Plus, Laurel is a strong woman despite all of the challenges she faced and since she is a single parent.

Another highlight of the story is the writer – Win Seton. Even if he’s a cold blooded, there’s something about him that attract the most. And the character of Gladys Spencer-Churchill in the book is such a phenomenal. Because of her life story, everyone creates their own path in life and she is such an inspiration to the them.

Although this book is a fictitious, I admired how the author put all of these series of events together and how she mixed the mystery to a love story. The writing of the story is outstanding and I loved how the characters touch my heart. This makes me want to read some of the author’s books.

For a casual historical fiction reader like me, the pacing of the story will make you bored however, the story is worth it once you finish reading it.

Read this if……

You are a fan of historical fiction, and an earth-shattering love-story.

Places it was set:

England, Paris, and Virginia USA.

I didn't love this quite as much as the author's debut, but am looking forward to reading her next work.