Elizabeth Camden is the queen of Gilded Age-era novels. She’s written some fantastic stories, and A Gilded Lady is no exception.
Set against the backdrop of the McKinley administration, Camden entwines real-life events in the White House with the fictional storylines of Caroline and Nathaniel.
Camden packs the story with romance, intrigue, and plenty of emotion. After reading the first book in the series, The Spice King, I was interested to find out what would happen to Caroline’s twin Luke. His imprisonment has a large impact on Caroline throughout the story. I won’t spoil anything, but you do find out what happened and why he’s in jail. He provides the largest motivation for Caroline in the story, and I liked seeing their bond and learning more about Luke.
Nathaniel’s tragic backstory also provides his motivation, and what a humdinger it is. His stoic personality rubbed me the wrong way at times, but I appreciated his loyalty and sense of duty. His adherence to the rules balances out Caroline’s rebellious and impulsive nature.
Their relationship is well-developed, even with the bumps in the road. Spanning the novel over a year helped develop their relationship and make it realistic. I liked seeing their personalities clash at times then finally work together.
The intrigue of the story, though, held my attention the most. Between Luke’s dilemma and the constant pressure to keep President McKinley safe, this book was hard to put down.
Once again, Elizabeth Camden has crafted a novel brimming with strong characters and rich historical detail that won’t disappoint. If you love historical romance, you’ll love A Gilded Lady.
Further Information
A Gilded Lady releases June 2. You can pre-order it by clicking on the book cover.
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Note: I received a complimentary copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
