Another thoroughly delightful book by Elizabeth Camden! I'm loving this Hope and Glory series beginning with The Spice King, and now A Guilded Lady. Right off the bat, I am drawn into the whirlwind life of Caroline Delacroix living in the White House as secretary to First Lady Ida McKinley and Nathanial Trask, head of President McKinley's secret service team. The story is so intriguing, and all the characters in the main story, as well as those in the several side stories, are well developed and entertaining. Her characters and story stay with me long after I finish the book. Elizabeth Camden has a beautiful way of writing that puts you right in the story, making it easy to imagine life in the guided age. I found it so interesting to think about how things were done in our country in that time period compared to now. I could not put the book down! Stay tuned at the end of the book for the Historical Note, for a great place to learn more about the history in the story. I am really looking forward to The Prince of Spies, Book Three of the Hope And Glory series releasing next year. I highly recommend A Guilded Lady if you'd like to escape into a completely engrossing historical fiction story by the incomparable author Elizabeth Camden.

I didn't realise till the end of the book that there was really such a person as President McKinley. There was also a person by the name of Ida McKinley, his wife! (I am not American and am only vaguely aware of American history)

These facts sent me to look up on these two characters that are portrayed in The Gilded Lady to see how much of the stories about them were true. My goodness, I must say to me the most touching romance in the book was the one between the President and his wife because it really happened. It seems that the President's devotion to his wife was very real.

Elizabeth Camden has once again captured history and made the historical characters come alive in her books.

I enjoyed The Gilded Lady, much more so than The Spice King. It was nice for a change to read about a female protoganist who's charming, confident and sometimes cheeky.

Looking forward to the third book!

Thank you Netgalley and Bethany House for the ARC. This is my honest review.

Caroline Delacroix is the personal assistant to First Lady Ida McKinley in 1900, and has her hands full with the demands placed upon her by her job. In addition to juggling the first lady's social events and schedule, she now has to deal with new White House security measures put in place by the new chief of security, Nathaniel Trask. As their views about safety precautions clash, a spark of something more begins to grow into undeniable attraction. When Nathaniel learns that Caroline's brother is imprisoned in Cuba, charged with treason against the U.S. government, tensions increase even further. As 1900 spins into 1901 and President McKinley's fateful cross country train trip is initiated, will Caroline and Nathaniel be able to withstand the coming tragic events which unfold? Will their faith in God be shaken?

This fascinating novel, set in a volatile time in United States history, provides a behind-the-scenes glimpse of life at the White House during the McKinley administration. The historical notes from the author after the conclusion of the book provide insights into which portions of the story were based on fact and which details were fictionalized. This work would be an excellent addition to any library's historical fiction collection.

After falling in love with the Delacroix sibling dynamic in The Spice King, I could hardly wait to continue their story in A Gilded Lady. (Note: read this series in order) The Spice King ends with Luke still in prison and his twin sister Caroline holding animosity towards their older brother Gray's love interest (now wife in A Gilded Lady).

Those two themes continue through this book, and were subplots that I found almost more interesting than Caroline's developing love story. Elizabeth Camden's strength has always been finding unique places in history and bringing them alive; in this case, the McKinley administration. I love history, and I found it fascinating to imagine along with Camden what daily life in the White House would have been like in 1899. We even get a cameo glimpse into the Roosevelts as their place in history begins, which was super fun.

Caroline is a woman who's overcome most of the habits of her wild youth and is now a force to be reckoned with as Ida McKinley's personal assistant. She's a go-getter who gets things done with grace and poise, but her weakness is the two brothers she adores and who need her to use her position to save their family. She quickly attracts the rather stuffy new head of security, the rule-following Nathaniel Trask. Nathaniel is good at what he does, but in the moments that mattered most in his life, he failed on a large scale and daily lives with the consequences.

Things I loved about this book were the unique storyline and characters, the humor (intercom on the train, anyone?!), and the fact that you really didn't know what the characters were going to choose to do until the end. Nathaniel and Caroline are so different from each other, I had no idea how they would make a relationship work and the extent that each one of them would willing to give for the sake of the relationship. Because admit it, while a life partner should definitely be someone who helps fill in the gaps, it also requires a great deal of giving, and Caroline and Nathaniel are both characters who aren't likely to budge for anything. I liked that this was a relaxing read with no really hateful villain blackening the mood. And on a personal preference level, I liked that after Caroline's time at the White House ended, she admitted that she was tired and didn't rush into another career; she seemed to me like someone who would have been likely to do that, and I liked the humanity of a character as strong as she prioritizing self care over a career for a period.
My cons for this book again are personal preference: I felt like I was on the outside looking in on the romance and did not feel connected to it at any point in the book, and while faith did play a role, God didn't have as strong of an influence in these characters' daily lives as other, favorite Christian fiction.

I will be the first in line to get my hands on Luke's story when it comes out; I can't wait!

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley for promotional purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.

The Gilded Lady is book two in the Hope and Glory series, Elizabeth Camden's newest series. I absolutely adored book one, The Spice King, so I was thrilled to receive a copy of book two!

The Hope and Glory series follows three siblings--Gray, Luke, and Caroline Delacroix. Of course, the sibling aspect has major appeal to me. This book follows Caroline's story and picks up either directly after Gray's story, or even a little before. It continues Luke's story from book one, and the suspense of that storyline had me on the edge of my seat! I loved the sibling relationships and loyalty.

Caroline is a very intriguing character, much different from me, but I found her relatable nonetheless. Her job as the first lady's secretary was fascinating to read about and I loved the history aspect. Nathaniel Trask, Caroline's counterpart, was also a very well-rounded and interesting character. His strong moral compass and sense of duty was endearing, even if you did want to slap him on occasion. I love the pacing of Camden's romances, particularly in this series. The characters fall in love relatively early in the series, but it never feels rushed or unrealistic. The ups and downs the relationship goes through throughout the rest of the book is also very realistic and makes for some heartbreaking moments as well as some comedy.

Camden's sense of humor that shines through in both her descriptions and word choices as well as her characters is one of the things that makes her books so fantastic! Another thing is the rich history Camden includes. I always learn something from her novels, without ever feeling like I'm getting a dry history lesson. The up-close view of McKinley's presidency was fascinating, and knowing Camden's books, I can count on the historical information to be entirely accurate and completely researched.

Caroline and Nathaniel's story wraps up, leaving the opening for the continuation of Luke's story in book three, which I will be eagerly anticipating! If you love rich historical fiction with deep characters and sweet romance, you definitely need to check out the Hope and Glory series! I cannot recommend Camden's book enough.


FTC Dislocsure; I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley for promotional purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.

“Memories crowded as she watched him walk away. They had been living in a gilded age but hadn’t realized it until it was over…Her heart was full to the breaking point, for echoes of that gilded age would live with her forever.”

In A Gilded Lady, the second installment of her Hope and Glory series, award-winning author Elizabeth Camden creates a fascinating historical fiction novel filled with faith, romance, and patriotism. Elizabeth Camden is a master at taking relatively unknown parts of history, such as the presidency of William McKinley and the revamping of the Secret Service, and weaving an intriguing tale of politics, treason, and sacrifice. Portions of this storyline run concurrently with events from The Spice King, the first book in the series, so it is helpful to have read it prior to reading A Gilded Lady to get the full backstory of the characters.

After the assassination of a foreign head of state, charming and strong-willed Caroline Delacroix, secretary to the First Lady, and rule-following Nathaniel Trask, the new head of the president’s Secret Service, find themselves working in close quarters together at the White House. Meanwhile, Caroline is also on a mission to save her beloved twin brother Luke from charges of treason.

Elizabeth Camden is one of my go-to authors for historical fiction, and her Hope and Glory series is my favorite of hers. The Spice King was on my Top 10 List of 2019, but I enjoyed A Gilded Lady even more! The intriguing characters and action-filled storyline will keep readers captivated until the very last page.

“Yes, Luke had always been the naughty one, but he was also charming and generous...He had demons inside, and it was anyone’s guess if he’d be strong enough to conquer them now that he had a new lease on life.”

Ever since reading the first book in the series, Caroline’s brother Luke Delacroix has captured my interest with his charming personality, his recklessness, and his powerful determination and strength. His portrayal in A Gilded Lady has solidified his place as a favorite character of mine. Now I am eagerly anticipating Luke’s story in the third book in the series, The Prince of Spies. A Gilded Lady is highly recommended for readers of historical fiction.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.

“While her corner of the world was shrouded in darkness, she needed to remember that somewhere the sun was shining.”