Review: Timeless Victorian Collection: The Orient Express by Elizabeth Johns, Annette Lyon, Nancy Campbell Allen

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

Synopsis

From the publisher of the USA TODAY bestselling Timeless Romance Anthology series, comes our new Victorian Romance collection: THE ORIENT EXPRESS.

TO BREAK A BETROTHAL by Elizabeth Johns
Recently orphaned heiress Kate Worthington must travel to England from her home in India to break an outdated betrothal contract. Surely the lure of money will tempt Lord Darlington to release her! A gentleman befriends her whilst she is aboard the luxurious Orient Express, and the attraction she feels firms her resolve to break the betrothal. What she does not count on is Lord Darlington’s hidden depths. She has so much to lose, least of which is her heart.

DETECTIVE GRACE MEETS HER MATCH by Annette Lyon
Even private investigator Grace Thomas needs a vacation, yet she can’t exactly turn off her detective skills at a whim. Boarding the Orient Express might be a vacation for some, but Grace finds that her senses are on high alert. She prides herself in being one step ahead of any flirtatious gentlemen, and fellow passenger Marshall Bailey is no exception. When Grace discovers that Marshall is traveling under another name, she learns that her first impressions aren’t always correct, and that she’s mistakenly allowed him to play havoc on her heart. Marshall will just have to convince Grace to give him a second chance.

MARRIED ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS by Nancy Campbell Allen
Detective Vincent Brady must recover a priceless statue before it falls into the wrong hands. The only problem is that the American woman who’s carrying it for her brother has no idea the value. Vincent catches up with Emily Grant, but convincing her that he’s not out to harm her or her brother is harder than Vincent expected. Finally, Emily agrees to travel with Vincent on the Orient Express, and they plot how to rescue her brother while keeping themselves out of harm’s way. Vincent soon discovers that out of all the hardships he’s overcome in his lifetime to rise to his current detective status, convincing Emily to take a chance on him even harder.

My Review

Before I read this collection I hadn't heard about the Orient Express, so I found the history fascinating and loved learning more about this era. Each story shared various details about the train and its stops, and they also had a common element of one of the main characters being a detective. The first story has a fun twist with hidden identities and an exciting plot that played out beyond the journey on the train. The second story also had a twist with the female being the detective, although her jaded attitude about men was a bit off-putting. There is much more internal dialogue than shared dialogue and I missed the bonding between Grace and Marshall that could have occurred when they were angsting instead. The last story was my favorite, and one I plan to read again in the future. There is a great connection between Emily and Vincent, and I loved seeing them grow closer together as they worked together to save her brother and solve his case. The romance is awesome and I loved the way the story wrapped up. Another great collection from Timeless Romance!

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

Books in the Timeless Victorian Collections:
SUMMER HOLIDAY
A GRAND TOUR
THE ORIENT EXPRESS

Books in the Timeless Regency Collections:
AUTUMN MASQUERADE
A MIDWINTER BALL
SPRING IN HYDE PARK
SUMMER HOUSE PARTY
A COUNTRY CHRISTMAS
A SEASON IN LONDON
FALLING FOR A DUKE
A NIGHT IN GROSVENOR SQUARE
ROAD TO GRETNA GREEN