Book Synopsis
"Excellent historical detail, high-stakes suspense, and lovely familial relationships, including Simon's young nephews, make this proper romance an enjoyable and page-turning read. Teens who like historical fiction, particularly Anglophiles, will enjoy this intriguing romance." -Booklist
Romance blossoms when Isla Crawford steps into McQuivey’s Costume Shop in London and is swept back in time to 1605, where she and Lord Bancroft attempt to thwart Guy Fawkes’s Gunpowder Plot.
One moment, Isla Crawford is inside McQuivey’s Costume Shop trying on a Jacobean-style gown for the parliamentary Autumn Ball, and the next, she is standing in an unfamiliar garden, barefoot, coatless, and at the mercy of a fierce storm. Confused, she seeks refuge in a Tudor manor, where she discovers that she has inexplicably traveled back to 1605, mere weeks before the culmination of Guy Fawkes’s infamous Gunpowder Plot.
Simon Hartworth, Lord Bancroft, finds his orderly seventeenth-century life disrupted when a mysterious woman appears on his sister’s doorstep during a storm. Intrigued by the stranger’s quirks and bewildering speech, he feels compelled to protect her and heed her warnings about a fatal plot against Parliament. As Simon is drawn into Isla’s dangerous scheme to stop the evildoers, he can’t help but also feel drawn to her.
With seemingly no way to get back home, Isla uses her twenty-first-century knowledge of the past to try to thwart Guy Fawkes and his coconspirators without altering the course of history forever. She and Simon must race to unravel the threads of the treasonous plot even as they wonder how their hearts will navigate their deepening connection and the seemingly insurmountable four centuries that separate their lives.
Book Details
- Publisher : Shadow Mountain (April 1, 2025)
- Series : Proper Romance-A McQuivey’s Costume Shop Romance
- Language : English
- Paperback : 296 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1639933824
****I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, NetGalley, book tours, and or authors. A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.****
My Review
Time Travel has long been one of my favorite themes. I was thrilled to learn that Proper Romance was launching a "Time Slip" series. It was even more exciting because Author Sian Ann Bessey was writing the first book.
The story begins inside McQuivey’s Costume Shop. Isla searches for a Wendy costume from Peter Pan. The shopkeeper suggests she try on a Jacobean-style gown. Suddenly, Isla is no longer in the shop. She finds herself in a garden, transported to a different time and place. Soon, she meets Lord Bancroft, Simon Hartworth, and his family. They are curious about her origins and reasons for being there.
I loved how the story mixes real history into a tale set in 1605, just weeks before Guy Fawkes’s Gunpowder Plot. Isla’s goal is to prevent this dangerous plan against Parliament and the King.
The relationship between Simon and Isla develops slowly, making it feel genuine. They both face tough challenges and must learn to trust each other. Their bond grows deeper as they uncover more about their separate worlds. The romance feels real and sincere because it takes time to blossom. As the date of the plot gets closer, the tension rises. Readers will wonder if Isla, Simon, and others can stop the impending threat.
This first book in a new series left me excited for more. I can’t wait to see what adventures await inside McQuivey’s Costume Shop.
****Meet Author Sian Ann Bessey****
Sian Ann Bessey was born in Cambridge, England, and grew up on the island of Anglesey off the coast of North Wales. She left her homeland to attend university in the United States, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in communications, with a minor in English. She is a USA Today best-selling author. Sian and her husband, Kent, are the parents of five children and the grandparents of four girls and two boys. They live in Idaho, and although Sian doesn’t have the opportunity to speak Welsh very often anymore, Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch still rolls off her tongue. |
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