Great book!! Love the story line and I enjoy Elizabeth Camden’s books. Highly recommend to all. This book will not disappoint.

Mini Review: This was an excellent Historical Christian Romance! A unique perspective, set during a time period I didn't know much about, made this a book I would definitely recommend trying!

I really like these characters, and their stories are so interesting. Caroline and her twin brother are the renegades in this wealthy family, but always seem to land on their feet. Until Luke is wanted for treason and ends up in a Cuban jail. Caroline, with her penchant for giving big parties went to work for President McKinley's wife as her secretary, fitting right into that high profile life. And she met the head of the Presidents' security who is a stickler for rules. Caroline is an interesting mix of spoiled wealth and loyalty to the people she cares about, with a sense of duty and protection. She really challenges Nathaniel. But they find they have more in common than they think, and grow to admire each others traits. So interesting story of behind the scenes life at the early White House, mystery and intrigue. I was easily hooked and ate this right up, finding it hard to put down. A highly interesting and complex family, this is a series to immerse in.
I received this book free from the publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
#AGildedLady #NetGalley

WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS BOOK
I read this book back in March and promptly forgot that I had received it for review. (I get a lot of ebooks from library apps like Overdrive and Hoopla, and thought this was one of those books.) I realized recently that A Gilded Lady was for review, so I get to treat y'all with my thoughts regarding this story which makes me happy because I enjoyed it immensely.

History is something I've always found fascinating, but I have huge gaps in what periods of history I'm familiar with. Obviously, I studied President McKinley at some point during school, but it wasn't until I started reading this story that I realized how little I knew about his life. In fact, other than the fact that he was president, I couldn't have told you anything else.

As usual, while reading a historical fiction book I didn't do any research regarding the period of history because I didn't want spoilers. Therefore, I was basically on the edge of my seat at times, trying to figure out what was going to happen next and how everything would end. I was caught off guard a lot with this book. If you're familiar with the president (like I should have been) then you know the basics of the story, but if you're not, then there are several plot twists that I didn't see coming. The book was fantastic, the plot moved along at the perfect pace, the characters were fleshed-out, and the writing was superb.

Generally, I have a pretty good memory for what annoyed me in a book, even months after reading it. But, in this case, I don't recall anything negative. I know I didn't like the main character very much because I felt like she went about solving her problem in the wrong way, but that didn't lessen my enjoyment of the book because the character was still so complex and multi-layered and captivating.

Learning about Ida McKinley was exceedingly interesting. I had no clue that one of our First Ladies had such a personality, and reading about all the ways the main character covered for her to help keep everything running smoothly was both funny and eye-opening.

Having the main male character be the head of the Secret Service - right when the Secret Service was beginning - was so cool. I learned so much while reading from his perspective. I also enjoyed him as a character and could relate to him a lot more than I could to the main female character.

This book was so engaging and interesting that as soon as I finished it I read the first book in the series (this is the second). The third book doesn't release until early in 2021, but I'm looking forward to reading it when it comes out.
CONCLUSION
Since it's been a while since I read this book I don't remember if it had any questionable content, but as far as the story and writing goes I enjoyed it a lot. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it's one of my next re-reads.
RATING
I’m giving A Gilded Lady 4 out of 5 stars. NetGalley gave me an ebook copy so I could review it for y'all. I wasn't required to provide a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone. Thanks, NetGalley!

A Gilded Lady
by Elizabeth Camden
Bethany House
Bethany House Publishers
Christian
Pub Date 02 Jun 2020



I am reviewing a copy of A Gilded Lady through Bethany House and Netgalley:



Caroline Delacroix, finds herself at the pinnacle of high society in her role as secretary to the first lady of the United States. But underneath the facade of beauty and glamour as well as a dazzling personality she is hiding a dark secret. If she is unable to untangle web of foreign espionage, her brother will face execution for treason.






Nathaniel Trask has become the newly appointed head of the president's Secret Service team. He becomes suspicious of Caroline right away, despite being attracted to her quick wit and charm. In order to keep the president safe Nathaniel must battle to keep his focus fully on his job as the threat to the president rises.





Amidst the glamorous pageantry of Gilded Age Washington D.C Caroline and Nathaniel will face adventure, danger, and heartbreak in a race against time that will span the continent and the depth of human emotion.



I found A Gilded Lady to be a spellbinding novel, one worthy of five out of five stars!



Happy Reading!

I received an ARC from Bethany House Publisher, via NetGalley this review is my opinion.

Note to readers: Please read The King Spice first before reading this book, Sorry for any spoilers.
A Gilded Lady. Book 2 of Series Glory and Hope

In this story is the time of Caroline Delacroix's story, although we meet her briefly on the first book of the series and here we have an inside to her life as a secretary of Ida McKinley and the challenges that came within. And we also have Nathaniel, who has been working for the Treasure Department and he is assigned to direct and created a team for the security of President William McKinley. In this story we have two very distinct characters, Caroline who has grown up with many possibilities, used to get her way and to not follow the rules and also has taken her job as an opportunity to help her brother Luke, and this situation is delicate she needs to keep hidden from everyone; in the other hand, we have Nathaniel, who is determined and focus on following the rules while performing his responsibilities and from the beginning we see has reservation about Caroline reasons to work on the White House.

In this book, we have many interesting historical details, of what life inside the White House and how was for those who work there. Through the book, we learn more Nathaniel has his own personal situation and his guilt for this has kept his focus on a specific and clear goal. We see in Caroline's case how she learns to trust God, even when connections and money seem fillable. I really like how Elizabeth Camden took time and season as an important element in the story. We can see how the characters change throughout the story. In my opinion, each element in this story work together like a big puzzle, more than a typical love story, we have real-life important historical events, intrigue, faith, forgiveness, and family with real human relatable characters and a beautiful an unexpected end. Elizabeth Camden did a great job with this book. Looking forward to reading Luke’s story.

After reading the first book in the series, I could not wait read about Caroline’s story. It was definitely worth the wait! Such an interesting plot! It was neat to have a book set in the White House during this time period - getting a glance of what it was possibly like to work there. Caroline’s character was multi-faceted and her love story was sweet though complicated. There’s a lot of suspense in this book as well. I could not put it down!

A Gilded Lady, the second installment from the Hope and Glory series, is by far my favorite I have read by Elizabeth Camden to date. It was a fabulous read.
Five plus stars.

Review not yet completed. Will be submitted to Amazon and Kindle soon. All Elizabeth Camden books are amazing. Her books are a win every time. So it will be a positive review.

As I read the last page of A Gilded Lady I felt as though I had been on a historical trip of epic proportions. Elizabeth Camden doesn’t just write a story on the surface of the page, if you will. She writes the details of history deep into the covers of a book. She digs long and hard in the annuals of American history and comes up with stories that would make any patriot proud to live in this great country. She finds professions that do not quickly come to mind as a day to day job and uses them to fascinate her readers. The ins and outs of those trades will astound you and have you wishing you were some small part of them.
I learned aspects of my American roots that I was never able to learn as a girl in school. If I had had Elizabeth Camden books back then, I would know a lot more facts now. Get your hands on this book when you can and indulge in it’s pages, savor the words, and learn more about God’s Grace as you read.

I was gifted a copy of this book by Netgalley and was under no obligation to post a review.

This Christian historical series, set in Washington, DC, in 1900 has been an intriguing one. Caroline is a beautiful young woman who has both wealth and social standing in Washington society. To help her twin brother, Luke, obtain a presidential pardon, she becomes the secretary to Ida McKinley, the “First Lady” of the country. Ida is not the easiest person to work for, and Caroline is diligently trying to control Ida’s image and behavior as President William McKinley campaigns for his second term. Nathaniel has been appointed to increase the security around the McKinleys, and he and Caroline do not always agree on the restrictions he’s imposing on the White House. A romance blooms between them, but tragic circumstances hinder their growing relationship.

I was especially interested in reading this book and seeing how the author presented the events around the assignation of President McKinley. The author did a great job incorporating her historical research and making me feel as if I were personally watching these events take place. I liked both Caroline and Nathaniel, and I’m really quite interested to read Luke’s story, which should be in the next book.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

This turned out to be wonderfully sweet! I loved how the characters were still true to their characters in the first book, The Spice King.

I enjoyed reading about a former president and first lady, though the ending of their story was of course very sad, the historical plotline pulled me in right away.

I highly look forward to the next book!

There were some mentions of smoking and stopping smoking.

I voluntarily received and reviewed a complimentary e/copy of this book which I received from the author/publisher/review company. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

Elizabeth Camden is one of my favorite authors, so this is a book I was excitingly waiting for. This story had a very interesting plot that kept my interest, and I loved seeing where the twists and turns would take me. Caroline, Nathaniel, and the others really brought the story to life. And I enjoyed getting to know them.

I also really enjoyed getting a closer look at this point in history through the viewpoint of the characters. Especially since it took place in Washington during a very interesting era. I would probably recommend reading book one in this series before beginning this one. But I definitely recommend this book, and I am already looking forward to the next one in the series!





I received this book free through NetGalley from Bethany House Publishers for my honest review. The opinions are my own.

As always, I was extremely eager to dive into a new Elizabeth Camden novel! Her stories are always set in such unique historical times and filled with fascinating and unusual characters, and "A Gilded Lady" started out no differently. I was completely enthralled for the first half of the book. It changed, however, about 2/3 of the way through the story, as the intricate plot mystery seemed to unravel with all the crucial points being resolved "off screen" and then, suddenly, it was the end.

The Gilded lady is about forgiveness and redemption and vulnerability.

The Hero is a Secret Service agent who’s has just come from a long term counterfeit investigation. He’s been assigned to implement a security system for protecting the president in the White House. He only wants to be there six months before moving on to his next assignment.

However, while there he meets the First Lady’s assistant— our heroine Caroline. After several less than pleasant run ins , they learn to work together despite their differences. This eventually blossoms into love but they both has secrets they’re hiding from each other.

I enjoyed it very much. We were introduced to Caroline back in the first book The Spice King but this can for the most part, be read on its own. Our hero is likable and strong, a. Little gruff and not the most pleasant person to be around but that just makes him human.

I was able to connect well with the characters through Camden’s gift for storytelling and the well structured character growth from beginning to end.

I almost didn’t read this novel, and that would have been my loss because it was excellent. I didn’t find the monochrome cover particularly appealing, and I’m somewhat tired of reading about the lifestyles of the privileged in the Gilded Age (the 1890’s aka the late Victorian era).

So what interested me about A Gilded Lady? Simple. Caroline Delacroix is the secretary to the First Lady of the United States, and the promise of a glimpse inside the White House of 1900 was enough to hook me. I have been consistently impressed with Elizabeth Camden’s ability to weave a compelling romance around a combination of a little-known historical fact and a heroine with an unusual occupation.

And I was not disappointed. Caroline works for Ida Garfield, a First Lady with a temper who suffered from epilepsy and probably depression, a result of losing both her daughters. Caroline basically runs her life, organising social events from a simple morning tea to an inaguration ball. She will do anything to maintain her role because her twin brother, Luke, has been jailed in Cuba for treason, and Caroline believes a presidential pardon is his only hope.

Life is not made easier by Nathaniel Trask, the new White House head of security, appointed after the assassination of the king of Italy. (Those familiar with US history will see the irony, as they will know what happens.) Caroline is attracted to him, but obviously can’t do anything about that without giving up on her brother.

So what did I like about A Guilded Lady? I liked the inside look at the historical White House (I was less impressed by the cost of Ida McKinley’s ball dress—$8,000 is astronomical now. How much was it in 1900?) I liked Caroline, who was a lot more intelligent and practical than the heroines in most Guilded Age novels I’ve read. I liked the compelling yet understated developing relationship between Caroline and Nathaniel, and the equally compelling yet understated faith aspect.

In fact, I enjoyed the novel so much I then bought and read The Spice King, the first novel in the Hope and Glory series (and one I had discounted because of the uninteresting monochrome cover). It was equally enjoyable, although there are probably advantages in reading The Spice King first …

Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

Elizabeth always come through for her readers by telling stories that is full of intrigue, romance, and history. During the course of the wonderful book Caroline and Nathan goes through so many emotions but they keep their focus on doing their jobs. Elizabeth ha a way of not preaching but you can tell her stories are filled with the love of Christ. Thank you for being my favorite author. Can’t wait to read Luke’s book.

What an interesting job Caroline Delacroix has! Secretary to the first lady of the United States. When Secret service agent Nathaniel Trask has to update security Caroline gives him trouble from the first day. The White House security for the first lady was generally up to her and not checking in with him began a relationship that was full of danger, suspense and a tragedy. I really enjoyed this up close and personal look inside the White House, it was interesting and enlightening.

Caroline Delacroix is at the pinnacle of Washington high society in her role as secretary to the first lady of the United States. But beneath the faade of her beauty, glamorous wardrobe, and dazzling personality, she's hiding a terrible secret. If she cannot untangle a web of foreign espionage, her brother will face execution for treason.

Nathaniel Trask is the newly appointed head of the president's Secret Service team. He is immediately suspicious of Caroline despite his overwhelming attraction to her quick wit and undeniable charm. Desperate to keep the president protected, Nathaniel must battle to keep his focus fully on his job as the threat to the president rises.

Amid the glamorous pageantry of Gilded Age Washington, DC, Caroline and Nathaniel will face adventure, danger, and heartbreak in a race against time that will span the continent and the depth of human emotion.

I have read several of Ms. Camden's books and have enjoyed them. I just couldn't get involved in this book. I really can't give a good reason. I just didn't grab my attention. I would read it for awhile, put it down and read another book, and then come back to it. Other reviewers seemed to enjoy it. So may it is just me.

I was given this book by Bethany House Publishers via NetGalley for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way.

Elizabeth Camden is on my “Must Read” author list, which is why I review her books so often. Her Hope of Glory series continues with the second book, A Gilded Lady.

Caroline Delacroix comes from a monied background, a society background. She has no need to work, but she took a job in the White House as secretary to President McKinley’s wife, Ida. Not only does she enjoy working for the difficult woman, she has an ulterior motive—freeing her twin brother, Luke, from a Cuban prison through a presidential pardon.

Nathaniel Trask hunts down counterfeiters…until his boss appoints him head of the Secret Service detail to protect the president. His answer?

"Absolutely not. I’ll never work as a bodyguard. You know that."

Um… Yeah. That worked out as planned. But it did put him in the company of Caroline.

I absolutely adored this story, more than The Spice King, actually. Caroline was a combination of class, compassion, and courage. In many ways, Nathaniel was single-minded, highly competent, and driven.

An added bonus was the historical tidbits regarding the McKinleys and the administration. Of course, I knew of the assassination, but not of the couple’s history and Ida McKinley’s issues. So, I did a little digging on the side. That’s why I enjoy Ms. Camden’s books. Her topics instill a desire to know more.

In this book, we get the explanation of Luke’s story, which I won’t go into. Spoilers and all. I can only say I’m ready.

Have you seen that if you put The Spice King and A Gilded Lady together, the covers came from one large photo (see Book One’s Gray Delacroix’s elbow?). With Luke’s story yet to come, I couldn’t wait to see the rest of that photo. 🙂 Then I noticed it’s already up for preorder on Amazon! So, here’s your look at Luke (with Caroline’s reflection in the mirror).

The Prince of Spies (Hope and Glory Book #3) by [Elizabeth Camden]

I give A Gilded Lady a well-deserved 5 stars!