Tag: historical

Series: Butterfly Palace #1.5

At the turn of the 20th century, Elli Korpela boards The Baltic with hundreds of eager women, all seeking new beginnings and brighter futures in America . . . as mail order brides.

Escaping a forced engagement, Elli seeks refuge in a faraway marriage, desperately needing her new life with a Texan named Nathan White to be safer than the one she left behind in Finland. And as she glimpses her future husband and his darling niece at the train station, she instantly knows her risk will prove the best decision she’s ever made.

Until he became the guardian of four-year-old Hannah, Nathan White never took an interest in marriage, arranging a mail order wife to simply love and care for his orphaned niece. That is, he never took an interest until he laid eyes on the beautiful Elli Korpela.

After a fairytale ceremony in the gardens of the grandest estate Elli’s ever seen, a place called Butterfly Palace, their peaceful beginning takes a disquieting turn as an intruder brutally attacks Elli in the middle of the night. Nathan intervenes, but the devil escapes unidentified, leaving Elli to face two chilling possibilities: either the attack was arranged by strike workers in Nathan’s employ or her shadowy past followed her into the present – and across the sea.

As the danger mounts, Elli and Nathan must face their enemy together, fighting to stay alive – and fighting to stay man and wife. 

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2.5 Drink Me Potions

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After gobbling up the previous novel, Butterfly Palace, I was desperate for more of these characters and in that time period. So frankly, I went out in a crazed search for the next book.

Bluebonnet Bride was mediocre at best. I had wanted to like this novella, but it was so short and the romance between Nathan and Elli was so fast and quick. I knew that it was gonna be fast since this was an extremely short story but I had wanted more.

Coble took on too much by trying to make it into a little mystery as well surrounding Elli’s past that may have come across the seas with her. It just didn’t bode well when the “attacks” on Elli happened so shortly after she just got settled in with Nathan and his little girl.

I loved the glimpses I got to see of the characters from Butterfly Palace but it wasn’t completely worth it. This book may have focused on a secondary character from that novel, Nathan White, but really, I feel Coble could’ve made it into a full novel quite easily if she fleshed out the “mystery” more.

Or you know, write one based on another of my favourite characters from that book. *crosses fingers tightly*

There’s not much more to say considering the story itself had little substance. Nathan and Elli made for a cute enough couple, but I didn’t have enough time to care for either of them deeply in that way. It was just another romp through a familiar setting that I wasn’t quite willing to say goodbye to yet.

Overall Recommendation:
After the glorious finish to its predecessor, Bluebonnet Bride lacked in so many ways, most probably due to its very short length. Coble could’ve extended the mystery and romance in this novella into a very full length novel and I may be able to push up my rating a little bit. But as it stands with how short it was, the mystery and its resolution felt harried due to its shortness, and the romance built too quickly for me to feel anything beyond a small contentment that all is well with this time period I’ve come to love.

Series: Butterfly Palace #1

When Lilly Donnelly arrives at the Cutlers’ famed Butterfly Mansion in 1899, the massive house and unfamiliar duties threaten to overwhelm her. Victorian Austin is lavish, highly political, and intimidating, but with the help of the other servants, Lilly resolves to prove herself to her new employers.

Then, while serving at an elegant dinner party, Lilly recognizes one distinguished guest as Andrew, the love of her life, who abandoned her without a word back home. He seems to have assumed a new identity and refuses to acknowledge her, leaving her confused and reeling.

Before Lilly can absorb this unwelcome news, she’s attacked. Could it be the sinister Servant Girl Killer who has been terrorizing Austin? Or is it someone after something more personal–someone from her past?

Does she dare trust Andrew to help or is he part of the danger threatening to draw Lilly into its vortex?

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4 Drink Me Potions

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For some reason, I’ve been on a historical fiction binge and I’m absolutely adoring it. Butterfly Palace not only lived up to its time period, but it was steeped in intrigue and a lovely romance of second chances.

Lilly was my kind of heroine. She wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty and become a maid in order to survive. Finding her old beau (is that what they called them back then?) who had up and vanished on her was totally unexpected. And awesome.

Drew (or Andy as he was known to Lily back then), I had initially wanted to despise for leaving a girl like that without a word. He had a lot of explaining to do . But I wanted so badly to have their old spark kick up again.

That was definitely no disappointment.

Aside from the rekindled romance, the mystery was delicious. Sometimes Coble’s writings don’t focus on the mystery aspect as much, but this novel was heavy in that department. A killer after maids fitting Lily’s description was on the loose. At the same time, someone (or could it be a group of people?) were plotting the demise of the man who owns the Butterfly Palace. Mystery upon mystery.

And what was all that fascination with butterflies? I used to find such creatures lovely, but imagining myself surrounded by a bunch of them fluttering in the air just gives me the heeby-jeebies.

I loved that the perspective of this novel wasn’t only on the two main protagonists. Belle, the spoiled niece of the household at the Butterfly Palace, also had her own POV. She started off as a princess used to the riches given her, but she has a keen, intelligent mind that was later put to work and truly flowered under the opportunity to help catch a potential killer. It was a refreshing change to see someone else’s view of things beyond the two characters who were falling in love.

Overall, it was a delectable story. The identity of the killer(s) wasn’t immediately obvious, but for a lover of mysteries, I may not be the best example but I could guess it out before the identity was revealed. The only thing I found myself wishing for at the end was a sequel with Belle as the protagonist. She deserves a story all of her own, and a happy ending tagged to it. Maybe Coble will listen to my wish one of these days.

Overall Recommendation:
Butterfly Palace was a beautiful standalone story set in a gorgeous time period in the Victorian era. Both Lilly and Drew were strong characters in their own way, with a rekindled love blooming for both of them. It was a cute romance to watch re-bloom. But, hands down, the refreshing take on the story came from a 3rd POV in the form of Belle, a spoiled heiress, who learns there’s more to life than just finding a wealthy husband. Steeped in not one, but two, mysteries, this novel is bound to make your heart leap as it takes you for a ride.