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I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.
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MY REVIEW:
A whimsical masterpiece that will take you on the adventure of a lifetime! Historical romance writing at its finest with characters that you can easily fall in love with! This is a book I will revisit often because it made me so happy throughout the entire thing.
“Don’t get so busy tending the garden that you never sit back and enjoy the view.”
A Lady’s Guide to Marvels and Misadventure by Angela Bell
Character Spotlight:
- Clara – the main female character
- Grand – Clara’s grandfather and a masterful inventor
- Mrs. S – Clara’s mother and a vigilant animal rights supporter
- Mr. Arthur – Clara’s grandfather’s new apprentice
- Mr. Forrester – Clara’s ex-fiance and indebted to his late father’s creditors
Clara is a young woman in the 1860s trying to keep her family safe from the label of “insanity” by her ex-fiance who wants her family’s money. But she resists and is faced with a dangerous situation when he is beyond desperate for money to pay his late father’s creditors.
Amidst the strain, Clara must follow her grandfather’s clues across Europe as he tries to remind her how to have fun and return to her imaginative and carefree ways. Her grandfather is an amazing inventor and has recently hired a scraggly guy from the streets that shares his love of clocks, but causes Clara to immediately distrust him as a potential spy from her ex-fiance.
Over the course of the book Clara, Mr. Arthur (the new apprentice) and Clara’s mother (Mrs. S), follow the grandfather’s clues across locations in Europe and find happiness again. Not just with themselves, but also with the life granted to them.
“Care to get lost with me, Miss Stanton?”
Clara stared at his outstretched arm, every fiber of her being immediately hesitant. Every thought in her mind immediately wary of letting down her guard.
A Lady’s Guide to Marvels and Misadventure by Angela Bell
This was a beautifully written story with so many important messages and wonderful scenes that I adored. A hearty book at 372 pages, but reads quickly and is easy to get lost in the adventure that the main characters go on throughout important historical landmarks.
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Miss Clara Marie Stanton’s family may be eccentric, but they certainly aren’t insane.
London, England, 1860
When Clara’s ex-fiancé begins to spread rumors that her family suffers from hereditary insanity, it’s all she can do to protect them from his desperate schemes, society’s prejudice, and a lifetime in an asylum. Then Clara’s Grandfather Drosselmeyer brings on an apprentice with a mechanical leg, and all pretense of normalcy takes wing.
Theodore Kingsley, a shame-chased vagabond haunted by the war, wants a fresh start far from Kingsley Court and the disappointed father who declared him dead. Upon returning to England, Theodore meets clockmaker Drosselmeyer, who hires him as an apprentice, much to Clara’s dismay. When Drosselmeyer spontaneously disappears in his secret flying owl machine, he leaves behind a note for Clara, beseeching her to make her dreams of adventure a reality by joining him on a merry scavenger hunt across Europe. Together, Clara and Theodore set off to follow Drosselmeyer’s trail of clues, but they will have to stay one step ahead of a villain who wants the flying machine for himself–at any cost.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Angela Bell
Angela Bell (authorangelabell.com) is a 21st-century lady with 19th-century sensibilities. She resides in Texas with her charming pup, Mr. Bingley Crosby. One might categorize her books as historical romance, but Angela likes to describe them as a cuppa Victorian whimsy. Whenever you need a respite from the 21st-century hustle, you’re welcome to visit her imaginary parlor at authorangelabell.com, where she can be found waiting with a pot of tea and a great book.
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Looking for book recs…
Adventures in Literature 
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