Joan W. (justreadingabook) reviewed The Lady Travelers Guide to Larceny With a Dashing Stranger (Lady Travelers Society, Bk 2) on + 1726 more book reviews
Bravo! I loved this story from the first to the last page. Exciting, engaging, complex characters and no whiny females!
Excellent series so far!
Excellent series so far!
Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
This is a fun book to read, with an abundance of interesting characters. The most interesting were Willie and Dante. Willie is a young widow in financial difficulties. She and her husband had been part of a fast set, and before his death, he ran up quite a lot of debt. By selling everything possible, Willie paid off George's debts, but there is little left for her. If she can get to Venice and pay off the last loan, she can retrieve a family heirloom, sell it, and have enough to live on for a reasonable amount of time. Her godmother offers Willie the job of hosting a tour for the Lady Travelers Society which will get her to Venice. Willie has never set foot outside England, but how hard can it be to lead two American women and their daughters, an Englishwoman and her daughter, and the Englishwoman's brother.
There is more to Dane Montague than Willie knows. From a long line of art-loving men, Dante recently became the director of his grandfather's little known art gallery. He spent years in the study of art and business and is determined to make a success of his grandfather's legacy. His best option is to locate and retrieve a missing painting from a famous trio of artwork that he believes was stolen, which he has traced to Willie. He will do anything to get it back, including inveigle himself into the tour group.
I thoroughly enjoyed the development of the relationship between Dante and Willie. Their first meeting set the tone, with amusing banter and obvious sparks between them. Dante finds himself unexpectedly intrigued by Willie, who is not at all what he expected. He's a bit wary as he was burned by another woman who turned out to be not what she seemed either. Willie is equally drawn to Dante but is also cautious. She has learned from the mistakes of the past and doesn't intend to repeat them. Dante plans to use the time to befriend Willie and therefore keep track of her and ultimately the painting. He doesn't expect to actually like her, and it throws him entirely out of kilter. I loved watching their friendship develop as they discover how much they enjoy being together.
Dante is caught in a dilemma. The stronger his feelings grow for Willie, the guiltier he feels about his deception. He knows he needs to tell her the truth, but he keeps putting it off. His sister regularly scolds him about it, warning him of what will happen if he doesn't tell her. When the truth finally comes out, it's even worse than he expected. I ached for both of them. Willie feels used and betrayed, and the loss of her trust in the man she came to love was heartbreaking. I hurt for Dante too. He loves her deeply and regrets his mistakes. Unfortunately, both of them are incredibly stubborn, and the painting becomes an insurmountable obstacle. There's a brief truce involving the actual retrieval of the painting, but it continues to come between them. There are some exciting twists in the resolution of the problem before Willie and Dante find their way back together. I loved Dante's grand romantic gesture. It was sweet and over the top, as well as showing his vulnerable side. The epilogue was great, though it did contain a bit of mystery I'd love to have the answer to.
The secondary characters were fantastic and a huge part of the story itself. The friendship that developed between Willie and Roz, Jane, and Marian was fantastic. I loved how it showed the changes that Willie experienced as she embraced her new life. Their support of her when she had her troubles with Dante was fun to watch. They also looked out for her and provided some much-needed advice to Dante. They were instrumental in retrieving the painting in an unexpected way. I enjoyed their relationships with their daughters, which weren't all that different than similar relationships today. The daughters were great, each with their quirks and issues. The story of the unsuitable suitor was an excellent addition, and I liked the method Dante used to deal with it. The brief appearance of the Marquess of Brookings was hilarious, and I laughed out loud at the scenes where he "helped" move Willie's relationship with Dante along.
Another important "character" in the book is the travel itself. I loved the details of the Paris Exhibition and the Eiffel Tower and the shopping at Worth. The scene at Notre Dame was especially poignant considering the recent fire there. I enjoyed the trivia from Genoa and Verona, and the descriptions of Venice were vivid. I loved the changes in Willie as she coped with all the challenges that arose during the traveling, and the difference it made in the way she saw herself.
There is more to Dane Montague than Willie knows. From a long line of art-loving men, Dante recently became the director of his grandfather's little known art gallery. He spent years in the study of art and business and is determined to make a success of his grandfather's legacy. His best option is to locate and retrieve a missing painting from a famous trio of artwork that he believes was stolen, which he has traced to Willie. He will do anything to get it back, including inveigle himself into the tour group.
I thoroughly enjoyed the development of the relationship between Dante and Willie. Their first meeting set the tone, with amusing banter and obvious sparks between them. Dante finds himself unexpectedly intrigued by Willie, who is not at all what he expected. He's a bit wary as he was burned by another woman who turned out to be not what she seemed either. Willie is equally drawn to Dante but is also cautious. She has learned from the mistakes of the past and doesn't intend to repeat them. Dante plans to use the time to befriend Willie and therefore keep track of her and ultimately the painting. He doesn't expect to actually like her, and it throws him entirely out of kilter. I loved watching their friendship develop as they discover how much they enjoy being together.
Dante is caught in a dilemma. The stronger his feelings grow for Willie, the guiltier he feels about his deception. He knows he needs to tell her the truth, but he keeps putting it off. His sister regularly scolds him about it, warning him of what will happen if he doesn't tell her. When the truth finally comes out, it's even worse than he expected. I ached for both of them. Willie feels used and betrayed, and the loss of her trust in the man she came to love was heartbreaking. I hurt for Dante too. He loves her deeply and regrets his mistakes. Unfortunately, both of them are incredibly stubborn, and the painting becomes an insurmountable obstacle. There's a brief truce involving the actual retrieval of the painting, but it continues to come between them. There are some exciting twists in the resolution of the problem before Willie and Dante find their way back together. I loved Dante's grand romantic gesture. It was sweet and over the top, as well as showing his vulnerable side. The epilogue was great, though it did contain a bit of mystery I'd love to have the answer to.
The secondary characters were fantastic and a huge part of the story itself. The friendship that developed between Willie and Roz, Jane, and Marian was fantastic. I loved how it showed the changes that Willie experienced as she embraced her new life. Their support of her when she had her troubles with Dante was fun to watch. They also looked out for her and provided some much-needed advice to Dante. They were instrumental in retrieving the painting in an unexpected way. I enjoyed their relationships with their daughters, which weren't all that different than similar relationships today. The daughters were great, each with their quirks and issues. The story of the unsuitable suitor was an excellent addition, and I liked the method Dante used to deal with it. The brief appearance of the Marquess of Brookings was hilarious, and I laughed out loud at the scenes where he "helped" move Willie's relationship with Dante along.
Another important "character" in the book is the travel itself. I loved the details of the Paris Exhibition and the Eiffel Tower and the shopping at Worth. The scene at Notre Dame was especially poignant considering the recent fire there. I enjoyed the trivia from Genoa and Verona, and the descriptions of Venice were vivid. I loved the changes in Willie as she coped with all the challenges that arose during the traveling, and the difference it made in the way she saw herself.
