A Lady's Guide to Marvels and Misadventure
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Named a Booklist Top 10 Romance Debut
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.
"Utterly charming! What an original and adorable story. Angela Bell's debut is a book I can, without hesitation, highly recommend."--JEN TURANO, USA Today bestselling author
"Bell's voice will draw you immediately into her world, and her characters will hold you there. A must-read!"--ROSEANNA M. WHITE, Christy Award-winning author
Endorsements
Utterly charming! What an original and adorable story. Angela Bell's debut novel, A Lady's Guide to Marvels and Misadventure, is a book I can, without hesitation, highly recommend.
Jen Turano, USA Today bestselling author
Secrets. Intrigue. A swoon-worthy hero and a heroine to cheer for. Add all that to superb writing and what do you get? A story that you'll put on your keeper shelf to enjoy many times in the years to come. With truths that encourage and inspire, A Lady's Guide to Marvels and Misadventure is an absolute masterpiece you cannot miss!
Michelle Griep, Christy Award-winning author of The Bride of Blackfriars Lane
Utterly charming from the first page! This strong debut from Angela Bell will captivate you from the moment you start reading and not let you go until you've finished. Bell's voice will draw you immediately into her world, and her characters will hold you there. A must read!
Roseanna M. White, Christy Award-winning Author
A charming adventure story with a hint of the industrial revolution--gadgets, gears, and a quirky heroine leading the way. Along the vein of Jules Verne's Around the World in Eighty Days, Bell's debut novel is like a treasure hunt, a unique voyage with tiny gems of intrigue and wit along the path. Sure to keep readers on their toes as the story twists and turns, this first offering from a new author promises many more great adventures to come!
Joanna Davidson Politano, author of The Lost Melody and other historical fiction
The Author
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© Tabitha Bell 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...
Continue reading about Angela Bell
Reviews
"Bell's delightfully entertaining debut is a thing of whimsy and wonder itself. From the novel's engagingly eccentric cast of characters . . . to a madcap plot that sends the protagonists careening around Victorian Europe . . . Bell successfully marries faith-based historical romance with an inventive, Jules Verne-like story line. For the right teen, this madcap mash-up of inspirational romance and historical scavenger hunt will be just the ticket."
Booklist
"Full of whimsy and laugh-out-loud adventure, Bell's novel will appeal to readers who like period romances with zany characters and surprising depth, similar to those from Mimi Matthews and Carolyn Miller. She is an up-and-coming author to watch."
Library Journal
"What a refreshingly unique novel! . . . . With its eccentric characters, steampunk vibes, Victorian time period, European scavenger hunt, sweet romance, dash of danger, meaningful themes, and nods to . . . Around the World in 80 Days, it entertains as well as inspires. . . A great choice for fans of Jen Turano, Jules Verne, and Morgan L. Busse!"
Reading Is My Superpower
"A fun read from cover to cover. . . . unreservedly recommended."
Midwest Book Review