Blog tour: No. 23 Burlington Square

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Welcome to the blog tour for No. 23 Burlington Square by Jeni Keer!

More about the book…

London. On the morning of Friday 5th August, 1927, Miss Agnes Humphries – the landlady of the attractive, if-slightly-shabby, white-fronted townhouse at Number 23 Burlington Square – has a decision to make.

The rooms of the second floor lie empty, since poor Mr Blandford’s unfortunate demise, God rest his soul. And Agnes must make up her mind as to who will be her new lodger… Will it be her spirited, young niece Clara, who drifts through the glamorous world of London’s Bright Young Things? Or Stephen, the sensible, church-going, respectable banker who seems just be too good to be true? Or the timid war widow named Mercy, who is clearly running from something – or someone…?

Agnes must choose between them. But what will her decision lead to? One of the choices could result in scandal, one in devastation, and one could even lead to happiness. If only she gets it right…

More about the author…

Jenni Keer is the well-reviewed author of historical romances, often with a mystery at their heart. Most recently published by Headline and shortlisted for the 2023 RNA Historical Romantic Novel of the Year.

My impressions…

I don’t know where to begin so I’ll start at the end: I loved this book. No, more than loved! I guessed from the synopsis that I would enjoy this time slip novel but I couldn’t imagine how brilliant it was going to be.

All characters are so vividly portrayed that they felt incredibly real, and the house is described in a way that it became a character in itself rather than a simple background. If you told me that I’ve been to 23 Burlington Square instead of having just read about it in a book, I would believe you!

As for the three alternate timelines that explore what would have happened had Agnes chosen one lodger over the other, I found them so engaging that I couldn’t turn the (digital) pages fast enough! I was completely invested in the future of the characters. I felt, at turns, protective, suspicious, hopeful, amazed, joyful… this book is a true rollercoaster of emotions!

I don’t always like when a book ending is too tidy because life is not like that, and not everything finds a neat resolution so that it can be shelved away. In some cases, however, it works, and this is one such case. By the last sentence of the novel, every loose end is tied, and it is done in such a clever way that it doesn’t feel forced at all.

Three words to describe it. Unique. Emotional. Clever.

Do I like the cover? Yes, it’s gorgeous!

Have I read any other books by the same author? No, and I want to right this wrong as soon as possible! 

Comments

  1. Jenni Keer9 November 2023 at 17:34

    Awwww! Your beautiful words have made me so happy! Thanks you so much for this.
    Jenni x

    ReplyDelete

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