A trio of teens experience love, loss, and laughter in this Regency coming-of-age story.
It’s 1817, and hopes and expectations are running high as Thalia and Kalliope, the Aubrey sisters, head to London for their first season. Joining their cousin, Charis Elphinstone, who would rather be home studying birds and insects at Elphinstone manor in Oxfordshire, the trio embark on adventures and scandals with equal measure. Alternating third-person narration highlights the young people’s personal loves—Thalia’s for poetry, Kalli’s of home and hearth, Charis’ of the natural world—and their dreams for the future. Each one seeks happiness in a world that abounds in rules and regulations for women’s lives. Heroes—and a scoundrel—are no match for the cousins, who, most importantly, have each other. The trio’s friendships with one another shine throughout the story; their fights and loving interactions are true highlights. The heroes, for their parts, are kind and thoughtful, making them matches worthy of cheering on. Outings to Regency hot spots and balls are entertaining and include historical details for readers to enjoy. Regency fans will enjoy this comfortingly familiar feeling story of endearing young women chasing happy endings through a maze of societal rules. Main characters default to White.
A delightful romp.
(Historical romance. 13-18)