I enjoyed this introductory book to the forthcoming Lady Helena series. The characters were entertaining and I look forward to following them in future installments.

Lady Helena is newly widowed and surrounded by a multitude of older siblings (it's a bit difficult to keep track of them all at first), who all have advice for her. I liked that although she somewhat resents their influence at times, she mostly maintains warm family ties with them and communicates with them in a way that increases their respect for her. The story is at its best when it is focusing on her interactions with her family...and with Dr. Fortier.

Who is Dr. Fortier? A French physician with a certain air of mystery, rather disliked by the town, but intent on winning Lady Helena's trust. He comes to tell her of his suspicions about her late husband's death, and the two of them continue to cross paths throughout the novel.

Although Lady Helena is somewhat forward-thinking, she is not overly anachronistic or modern in her attitudes. Her personality hit the right balance for me, as being appropriate to a historical setting with modern readers.

The mystery and the scandal in the book felt very undeveloped to me. As they were revealed, I continued to find myself very puzzled by motive. I also could have done without the sordid aspect of the scandal. It got rather icky but, again, the motive for the actions didn't seem fully explained.

I will definitely be on the lookout for the next book!

Thanks to NetGalley and Aspidistra Press for the digital review copy! ( )

This isn't a mystery, and Lady Helena doesn't do any sleuthing at all, so the description is very misleading.
That said, it was a nice enough romance, and there were some unnatural deaths.

The narration was very nice, so I enjoyed it although it isn't a mystery. ( )

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I was intrigued by the characters and well developed historical details. I would recommend this book to friends and gave it 4 stars. I will be looking forward to future books from the author. ( )

This is a very solid, enjoyable novel. The type of cozy mystery that you can curl up with on a rainy day, and have a nice time. I’m hoping the author continues this story in some way. And I may even read some of her other novels, soon!
3.5 stars, and recommended to anyone who loves Victoriana. ( )

What a wonderful find! This is a great YA book to introduce historical fiction. I felt like a Georgette Heyer Regency, except not. The main characters were fully fleshed. The book began slowly as each of the 7 (70?) siblings were introduced. Luckily, I read it on my kindle app, so I good look up names that I had forgotton to keep my place.

I'm not going to write a book report...you will just have to take my word for it: this is a great escape light read. ( )