I am so excited to see a new Lisa Kleypas book is here! I think it’s been five years since her last book and this is a real treat! This story was inspired by real-life trailblazers and has brought their history to life.

Reina, the FMC of the story, grew up the illegitimate daughter of a bank director and a Spanish flamenco dancer. Her mother recognized how clever she was and provided her with the best tutors available. She told Reina that women have ruled empires and she could be the queen of her own castle. Reina took this to heart and grew up to be an economist who wrote for magazines and published a book of financial advice for women. But when she tries to open a bank account at Farlows, to deposit her earnings, she is turned down because she doesn’t have a male relative to sign with her. William Farlow, the bank owner and a widower, becomes her mentor as she dreams of starting the first all-women’s bank in Britain.

Reina buys a rundown home with plans to fix it up. Her best friend becomes her cook, but when they have difficulty finding servants, they go to the Second Chance Agency and hire former prisoners looking for work. John is a Welshman who is hired to be their butler. He is also working undercover for Ransom (Hello Stranger) as part of an investigation into William Farlow. Their home is lively, with a found family of quirky characters and Alan, the dog.

This has a sweet romance and a few more plot lines that all come together and make an entertaining and uplifting story. The author’s note has a list of women pioneers that inspired the story and impacted our history.

It was really special to get this new story from Kleypas and I look forward to seeing what she does next. Many thanks to the author, @AvonBooks and NetGalley for this ARC.