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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
2.5 stars
A bit sloppy in places, and a bit contrived in others. Decent but overall not my thing. Hoping I fare better with [b:The Lions of Fifth Avenue|48814109|The Lions of Fifth Avenue|Fiona Davis|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1596545800l/48814109._SY75_.jpg|73431950].
Historical Fictionistas Book of the Month - May
Eat the rich.
A bit sloppy in places, and a bit contrived in others. Decent but overall not my thing. Hoping I fare better with [b:The Lions of Fifth Avenue|48814109|The Lions of Fifth Avenue|Fiona Davis|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1596545800l/48814109._SY75_.jpg|73431950].
Historical Fictionistas Book of the Month - May
Eat the rich.
When Lillian, better known as the model Angelica, finds herself tangled up in the murder of her landlord’s wife, her plan is to make a run for it. However, she doesn’t make it far before she ends up awkwardly and unintentionally accepting a job at the Frick mansion. In the next three months, she finds herself constantly mixed up in one mess after another, but she gets to enjoy the amazing beauty of Mr. Frick’s art collection while dealing with all of it, so….it kinda balances out. Until the sh** really hits the fan.
Flash forward to 1966 (Davis nails the dual timeline, btw). Veronica is a struggling model who actually hates modeling. But she loves her sister, Polly, who due to health and financial issues, has recently had to move into a group home. So, she grits her teeth and does it for the money. Unfortunately, she can’t quite bite her tongue, nor can she quench her love for history. While on a photo shoot in the Frick mansion, she finds herself drawn into the mystery of the house - lock, stock, and barrel.
I really enjoyed the way Davis brought these two timelines together, but she really drove it home with her extensive knowledge of the Frick family and art collection. I was very impressed with her attention to historical detail, the seamless blend between fact and fiction, and the informative author’s note at the end of the novel..
This one comes out on January 25, 2022 and I highly recommend picking it up. It’s perfect for a snow day. I finished it this morning in front of the fire while the snow outside just kept piling up. Definitely suggest you do the same.
Thanks to Fiona Davis, Dutton and Netgalley for this ARC in return for my honest review.
Flash forward to 1966 (Davis nails the dual timeline, btw). Veronica is a struggling model who actually hates modeling. But she loves her sister, Polly, who due to health and financial issues, has recently had to move into a group home. So, she grits her teeth and does it for the money. Unfortunately, she can’t quite bite her tongue, nor can she quench her love for history. While on a photo shoot in the Frick mansion, she finds herself drawn into the mystery of the house - lock, stock, and barrel.
I really enjoyed the way Davis brought these two timelines together, but she really drove it home with her extensive knowledge of the Frick family and art collection. I was very impressed with her attention to historical detail, the seamless blend between fact and fiction, and the informative author’s note at the end of the novel..
This one comes out on January 25, 2022 and I highly recommend picking it up. It’s perfect for a snow day. I finished it this morning in front of the fire while the snow outside just kept piling up. Definitely suggest you do the same.
Thanks to Fiona Davis, Dutton and Netgalley for this ARC in return for my honest review.
I found the characters and the storyline underwhelming but throughly enjoyed the descriptions of the art and the history of the Frick family and the Collection. And I loved the author’s note telling the story of the woman who inspired Lilly’s character. I visited the Frick years ago and look forward to going again when it re-opens.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
This starts out slow. It took me like 4 days to get through the first 100 pages, but the last 2/3 are great! And the transition between time periods is done seamlessly.
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
I started our loving this book and the storyline, but midway it seemed to unwrap itself very predictably. Even though the ending wasn’t rushed it felt like it was and ended a bit abruptly. Love the characters, the New York storyline, and overall a pleasant quick read!
Set in the Frick Mansion in New York City this explores the secrets of the mansion turned museum. Told through the eyes of Lillian Carter, the private secretary of Miss Helen Frick in 1919 and an English model, Veronica Weber, who is part of a photo shoot at the museum in the 1960's. What secrets are hidden? How did Henry Clay Frick really die? What happened to the Magnolia diamond? And who is Angelica?
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc for my honest review
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc for my honest review