Sophia Martin (1) (1973–)

Alt-pre/early WW2 analogue era, in an Europe that was mostly subjugated by nordic countries.

The protagonist is a young woman in an arranged marriage. She doesn’t see her noble husband much as he seemed content until now to let her live with their young son on his estates. That changes quite abruptly as she is taken to the capital and strong-armed into being the highly visible and pliant wife at her husband’s arm that the new political climate she has yet to fully grasp apparently requires her to be.

Initially in shock and with few other apparent choices but to adapt and outwardly submit, her determination to recover her son doesn’t waver and eventually leads her to juggle a quite interesting double life.… (más)

Veronica in Paris by Sophia Martin is the charming and heart fluttering novella introducing us to Miss Veronica Barry. A junior in college, Veronica has set out to spend a semester abroad in the city of love, Paris, France! She finds herself surrounded by stunning runway fashion, exquisite artwork and delightfully quaint cafes around every corner. As nervous as she was to travel so far from home and stay with her unknown exchange “family”, she was more excited than anything! This was a dream come true. A dazzling, Audrey Hepburn inspired dream that she was going to enjoy until the very moment she had to leave.

Madame Pauline Richard was allowing Veronica to stay in her home while she absorbed and engaged in the Parisian culture. She had a hard exterior, rarely smiling or showing any signs of excitement, but Veronica knew there was a fire inside of Madame Richard. A glimmer of warmth she saw whenever the two would discuss the city’s history, sites to see and the fellow students Veronica was steadily becoming friends with. She quickly grew close with a young woman from London, Felicia Davies. Felicia was outgoing, quick-witted and very fashionable. She was also dating a man Veronica couldn’t keep her eyes or mind off of! Eric was certainly hard to resist, with his gorgeous looks and extreme charisma. Yes, he was Felicia’s boyfriend and that was enough for Veronica to keep her distance, but would that be enough for Eric to keep his?

This story was very cute and certainly caught my interest. The story was paced quickly but it didn’t feel rushed or vague. Sophia does a fantastic job showing the reader Veronica’s experience and leaves you wanting to pick up the first novel in the Veronica Barry series, The River and the Roses. If you’re looking for something fun, flirty and quick to read, I definitely recommend Veronica in Paris!

~Hazel O'Shea
Written for the Juniper Grove Blog… (más)