I love the Edwardian era. I love the hats, the dresses, and the history! There aren’t that many books set during that time period so when I see one come up for review, I usually jump on it! This particular author is a new to me author and while I have heard of some of her books, I haven’t read any of them yet! So when I saw this book up for review, I was eager for the time period/setting and because I love discovering new to me authors!
To be honest though, this setting didn’t really appeal to me—a new hotel, the Grove Park Inn in the North Carolina mountains, seemed a little basic and uninspiring. However when I started reading about the hotel, the setting grew on me. The Blue Ridge Mountains feel more rugged and robust to me so when I started reading this book I was thinking it would be more like roughing it camping rather than ‘glamping’. Ultimately I ended up really enjoying the setting which was surprising! I thought it added an interesting change for readers!
If you are a historical fiction fan, I hope this one is on your radar! It’s a lovely novel and I think readers will find something refreshing in the pages! I know I did! I am now eager to read more books by this author! I know she has written a number of other historical fiction books set during similar time periods with promising stories that offer new and untold narratives! I cannot wait to check out some of her other books as this one was wonderful!
Summary
At this wondrous resort, secrets can easily be hidden in plain sight when the eye is trained on beauty. April 1913 —Belle Newbold hasn’t seen mountains for seven years—since her father died in a mining accident and her mother married Indiana gas magnate, Shipley Newbold. But when her stepfather’s friend, Henry Ford, invites the family on one of his famous Vagabonds camping tours, she is forced to face the hills once again—primarily in order to reunite with her future fiancé, owner of the land the Vagabonds are using for their campsite, a man she’s only met once before. It is a veritable arranged marriage, but she prefers it that way. Belle isn’t interested in love.
She only wants a simple life—a family of her own and the stability of a wealthy man’s pockets. That’s what Worth Delafield has promised to give her and it’s worth facing the mountains again, the reminder of the past, and her poverty, to secure her future. But when the Vagabonds group is invited to tour the unfinished Grove Park Inn and Belle is unexpectedly thrust into a role researching and writing about the building of the inn—a construction the locals are calling The Eighth Wonder of the World—she quickly realizes that these mountains are no different from the ones she once called home. As Belle peels back the facade of Grove Park Inn, of Worth, of the society she’s come to claim as her own, and the truth of her heart, she begins to see that perhaps her part in Grove Park’s story isn’t a coincidence after all.
Perhaps it is only by watching a wonder rise from ordinary hands and mountain stone that she can finally find the strength to piece together the long-destroyed path toward who she was meant to be. International bestselling author Joy Callaway returns with a story of the ordinary people behind extraordinary beauty—and the question of who gets to tell their stories. (summary from Goodreads)
Review
One of the things that really stands out to me with this novel is the meticulous historical research! I didn’t really know much about the Grove Park Inn, in fact I thought it was a fictional place until I read this book and went down a rabbit hole of research. If you live on the east coast you will likely know this resort but I didn’t know anything about it so discovering the Inn was a big treat for me! I don’t know if I was living under a rock or what but I just didn’t know anything about this place! It was really interesting to learn more about the whole process of building the hotel and how that impacted the town. It is very clear that the author takes time to tell the story not only of the characters but of that time in history. It was very interesting and I loved going down a rabbit hole to find out more about the Inn and how it came to be. That to me was one of the stand out things about this book. Historical fiction fans will surly fall in love with the time and attention to detail this book has!
Not only is the historical part well researched and interesting, but the characters are well developed and likable. I especially loved getting to know Belle. She was a developed character with likable qualities that readers will instantly connect with. I especially loved watching her romance evolve and grow throughout the story. It had an epic feel to it without feeling like it took too long to evolve. Worth, Belle’s fiancé, was a caring and complex character which matched with Belle really well! They both complimented each other so well and I fully bought into their romance. It came full circle in the end and I was satisfied with how things played out. If you love character driven books this is a very good options for you!
This book was such a delight for me to read and I am so glad I said ‘yes’ to this one. I downloaded two of Joy Callaway’s books and I cannot wait to check them out this summer. I loved her historical research and attention to detail as well as he commitment to writing interesting characters and a ‘will they or won’t they’ romance. I was fully invested early on in the book and loved researching more about the Inn which was sort of like its own character in the book! If you want a historical fiction book that is well written with substance that you can sink your teeth into, then I think you definitely need to get this one! I can’t wait for my next Joy Callaway book!
AUTHOR BIO
Joy Callaway is the author of All the Pretty Places, The Grand Design, The Fifth Avenue Artists Society, and Secret Sisters. She holds a BA in journalism and public relations from Marshall University and an MMC from the University of South Carolina. She resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband, John, and her children, Alevia and John. Visit her online at joycallaway.com.
Book Info and Rating
Format 368 pages, Paperback
Expected publication April 2, 2024 by Harper Muse
ISBN 9781400244317 (ISBN10: 1400244315)
Free review copy provided by publisher, Harper Muse in partnership with Austen Prose Book Tours, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.
Rating: 4.5 stars
Genre: Historical fiction
The Lit Bitch 