American Gilded Age Romantic Mysteries: Book 2
“This proved to be a bit of a disappointment as Evanovich and Kelly try to latch onto the popularity of Downton Abbey with their usual flair of humorous writing. Caroline Maxwell is from an extremely wealthy and influential family in the Gilded Age. They have a home in Newport, Rhode Island, and there is talk of her probably marrying a British noble. Unfortunately, she would like to find happiness in the possibility of a less traditional life. She would like to be involved in business like her brother Eddie.
Eddie's friend Jack Culhane is out to make it rich. He is not moneyed, but he has plans of building an economic empire through beer. He is investigating various brewhouses in Providence and the nearby areas with the hopes that he will be able to life up his father's immigrant poverty to being a real power player.
Not surprisingly, Jack and Caroline find themselves falling madly in love, throwing a major kink into the marital plans Caroline's mother as for her.
The book actually has all of the humor, quirkiness, and action that generally makes Evanovich's books successful. i have no doubt that a lot of her fans will really like this book. I am a fan, but I am also really into historical ficiton, and this book struggles quite a bit with historical accuracy. She really messes up with the geography of Newport. Even worse, the characters read like modern individuals rather than the gentry and immigrants of the Guilded Age. As a result, the book reads as being off for people with a stronger knowledge of the period.
I didn't hate the book, but it does make me want to tell Evanovich that it is probably best for her to avoid historical fiction and focus on what she does great: humorous cozy mysteries with just a touch of romance.”
Aaron Coutu wrote this review Friday, February 15, 2013.
Was this review helpful? Yes | No