Nothing shapes glass like fire.
Theresia
Dvorak has nothing left of her parents—nothing save her dowry, a
priceless crystal vase stolen and sold by her own stepmother. Theresia
will do anything to secure what is rightfully hers—even assume a false
identity and steal her future back. When she gains entrance to a house
party and has a memorable run-in with the handsome naval captain Rolland
Reese, her mission is compromised. She swore never to trust an
Englishman again, but when he makes a daring proposal she cannot refuse,
she must work side by side with him if either of them is to achieve
their aim.
Rolland is stunned when his homecoming from the war
takes a decidedly deadly turn. The quickest solution is to throw a house
party and invite all the suspects. With the stakes incredibly high,
Rolland must root out the killer before they turn their sights to the
next potential victim: his own father. The mysterious Theresia is
undoubtedly the most suspicious of his guests, but against all odds, he
finds himself risking everything to protect her. As Rolland unravels a
tangle of clues, he faces the greatest threats of all: a heart of fire
and a future as fragile as glass.
My Review: 5 Stars
"Why are you keeping a woman under your bed, Rolland?"
I adore a fairytale retelling that is full of unique aspects and twists, and when a mystery is added to this Regency Cinderella? I'm all in. From the very first meet cute to the very last page, I was invested in the characters, the romance, and the secrets.
Theresa, a violinist, has a very difficult step-family and is determined to find a stolen crystal vase that her father left her. There is a killer on the loose and Rolland and his friends decide to host a house party to contain the suspects and try to stop another death from occurring. This duo works and reasons together so well. Theresa agrees to pose under a false name to help them as a spy and I loved the vibe that results from this whodunit tale. I felt like I was watching a historical Clue game in real-time and it was so much fun to see everything unfold. And I loved the glimpses of Godfather.
This author does a great job of weaving together complexities that are both entertaining and engaging. I also found myself laughing at Theresa's spunk and swooning over the dangerous interactions. Such a fun story that left me with a satisfied smile on my face.
Content: death/mild violence; mild romance
*I received a complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given*
