{first of 4+3 in [[[Lady Travellers]]] series; fiction, Victorian romance, Paris, steamy}(2017)

It certainly did not look like the type of place where genteel, older ladies were bilked out of their life savings. Nonetheless - India Prendergast narrowed her eyes - it was.

India has come to a meeting of the Lady Travellers Society to find her aunt, whom they seem to have misplaced.

Lady Guinevere Blodgett, Mrs Persephone Fitzhew-Wellmore and Mrs Ophelia Higginbotham founded and run the Society but have not answered India's written queries.

Derek Saunders is Lady Blodgett's great-nephew and, alerted by India's letters to look into the Society, is concerned that the three elderly ladies are running a fraudulent enterprise - especially considering that none of them have ever actually travelled themselves.

’Then you are aware that she and two of her dearest friends have started an organisation ostensibly to assist women with information and travel arrangements but in truth does little more than provide her and the other ladies a steady income? …
And did you know they are offering services they are not competent to provide nor do they feel compelled to provide? Which might be well seen as, oh I don’t know - fraud?’

And far from denying it when he tries to question them, they are evasive and try to deflect his attention. To prevent authorities looking into the Society too closely, he decides to go looking for Lady Heloise himself. India decides to take matters into her own hands and accompany him to Paris.

I'm afraid this was a chore to get through. I was hoping it would pick up and it did lift a little bit at around the three quarter mark but not enough. The banter, far from being witty, was wittering and rather than being sharp was repeated in different ways to ensure the message was hammered home (why India would be an unsuitable wife for Derek was detailed about five different times to various characters, for instance). I found the 'banter' pointless, the characters annoying - especially the three old ladies who seemed not only unhelpful but unrepentant - and the behaviour improprietous for the period (for all that we're constantly told that India is the model of propriety). The steamy scene towards the end looked like it was awkwardly shoehorned in afterwards just because it was obligatory. And I felt that Sir Martin was done a disservice; his character was changed almost completely between when we first see him and the end of the book.

The scattered tidbits about Paris at the height of the 1889 World's Fair are fun. I like the characters of Derek and his brother; the women in this book not so much. I was looking for romance (not steam) with this read but didn't get any. The trope is antagonists to lovers but I'm not sure what Derek sees in India; I suspect he doesn't either.

India Prendergast was the exact opposite of everything he'd ever wanted in a woman. She was soundly practical, terribly sensible and horribly annoying. She knew everything, or at least she thought she did. She was stubborn and determined and overly concerned with propriety. And he had serious concerns over whether she ever indulged in anything he would consider fun. In very nearly every way he could think of, she wasn't at all his type of female, not the type he was usually attracted to.

Though the narrative improved a touch towards the end, the steamy scene didn't help (I was a bit disappointed that Derek didn't stay in character as a gentleman and firmly but politely decline). The prequel I read a couple of months ago (which is included at the end of this edition, too, and is the story of how his parents met and married) had the improvement of being a novella so the shorter format kept the waffling to a minimum. Other than that, this novel is probably almost on par, really, with the majority of other novels (by modern day writers) in this genre. (To be honest, I've given up on authors (who mostly seem to be from outside Great Britain) following the ways of speaking or of behaving that guided people in Regency/ Victorian times, unless it's to poke ridicule at them.)

I didn't enjoy this one - but maybe it's to other people's taste.

(October 2023)
2.5 stars

I previously read and reviewed the prequel which is included at the end of this edition:

The Proper Way to Stop a Wedding (in Seven Days or Less)

{prequel of 4 + 3 in Lady Travelers Guide series ; Victorian romance, novella} (2017)

Celia's half sister, Katherine, is engaged to marry Henry Saunders, the brother of an earl. However, Celia, having met him in a bookshop prior to his meeting Katherine, loves Henry and he reciprocates the feeling but they are both too honourable to end his engagement to Katherine. But Katherine is a fortune hunter who only wants Henry for his money - enter Celia's aunt Gwen who plots with her good friends Effie and Poppy to bring about Celia's happily ever after.

Short, sweet and (thankfully) no steam. Oddly, both Celia and Henry feel the spark of instant true love though they both question it - but the both still succumb to their feelings. I suppose this was a way of moving the action forward while keeping the story short as this is a novella.

(September 2023)
3-3.5 stars ( )

4.5 stars.

Brimming with humor and set against the backdrop of Paris, The Lady Travelers Guide to Scoundrels & Other Gentlemen by Victoria Alexander is a highly entertaining historical romance. The Lady Travelers Guide series is off to a strong beginning with this first full-length novel that stars a marvelous cast of characters.

India Prendergrast is incredibly worried when she stops receiving letters from her cousin Lady Heloise Snuggs. Heloise booked her adventurous trip through the Lady Travlers Society and when her inquiries about her cousin go unanswered, India is convinced the society is defrauding its members of their money. She is also certain the widows who run the organization are a front for the real mastermind of the nefarious scheme. When she discovers Derek Saunders discussing Heloise with the club’s founders, Lady Guinevere Blodgett and her two best friends, India is convinced her suspicions have been confirmed. However, unbeknownst to India, Derek has figured out what the ladies are up to and he is determined to protect his aunt and her friends from any legal repercussions from their actions. India and Derek join forces to find Heloise and their first stop is Paris, but locating the missing woman amongst the crowd of visitors enjoying the World’s Fair is a daunting task. Will Derek be able to stall India long enough for his uncle’s detectives to locate her missing cousin?

India is a very independent and no nonsense young woman. Unlike most women of the time period, she has no interest in marrying so she works for Sir Martin Luckthorne as his secretarial assistant. She is extremely well-organized with a fairly rigid viewpoint of life. Convinced she is always right, India tends to rub people the wrong way with her propensity to speak her mind and her unbending attitude.

Derek is in line to inherit his family’s title and he has recently begun to change his rakish ways. In order to clean up his reputation, he has been working on his uncle’s estate and much to his surprise, he finds he is enjoying his new duties. Very protective of his great aunt, he will do whatever it takes to prevent the truth about her scam from becoming known.

Derek and India rub each other the wrong way right from their very first meeting. Derek thinks she is opinionated and unbending; India views him as an unrepentant scoundrel. As they begin their search for Heloise, they bicker endlessly as they trek from one hotel to another. Derek convinces India to take time to savor the beauty sights of Paris and slowly but surely, she begins to realize that she might have misjudged him. Over the next several weeks, India becomes much more self-aware once she recognizes how narrow her viewpoint is. Her once adversarial relationship with Derek gradually turns into a friendship as he challenges her to broaden her horizons. A mutual attraction also simmers under the surface but will Derek and India take their relationship to the next level?

The Lady Travelers Guide to Scoundrels & Other Gentlemen is an absolutely charming historical romance with an eclectic cast of likable characters. The story’s premise is refreshingly unique and the storyline is quite engaging. Delightfully witty banter will keep readers laughing as Derek and India set off on an adventure that leads to a journey of self-discovery for the erstwhile heroine. This first installment in Victoria Alexander’s The Lady Travelers Guide series is an exciting and fun-filled romance that is sure to be a hit with fans of the genre. ( )

3.5*

Review in Portuguese:http://pepitamagica.blogspot.co.uk/2017/08/livro-lady-travelers-guide-to.html

First time I ever read anything by Victoria Alexander. It may be a bit too big – if had 50-100 pages less, it might have been better.

It was a bit slow to start, but when the plot starts to develop, it gains some strength. This “guide” is about a girl/woman who was always very serious and never enjoyed the good things in life – and a trip to Paris is going to change that.

I liked Derek Saunders from the very beginning, and India Pendergast as I started reading a bit more and more of the book, just like I think it was supposed to be. She starts to realize that she doesn’t treat people – and herself – very well, as well as understands that there is a place for everything in her world, be it a practical dress or a ruffled, very feminine dress.

India’s evolution is very well done and the mystery of Cousin Heloise, although a bit strange and too easily resolved in the end, also had its degree of interest.

In the end, it was a fun book that I thoroughly enjoyed. ( )

This was an amusing Victorian romance. The reader knows both sides of the story, except for the true mystery -- what happened to India's aunt. That is satisfactorily resolved by the end of the story.

I thoroughly enjoyed this piece of froth with a touch of mystery. In fact, the sequel is on order now.

If you enjoy light historical romances, you would probably enjoy this. ( )