The Winged Tiara by J’Nell Ciesielski (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

Title: The Winged Tiara

Author:  J’Nell Ciesielski

Narrated by:  Ann Marie Gideon

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Length: Approximately 9 hours and 31 minutes

Source: Thank you @jnellciesielski @thomasnelson @austenprose for the physical review copy and @netgalley audiobook review copy of of The Winged Tiara.

What book are you most likely to gift to a friend?  I like to give books to friends or family that I think they will like.  Sometimes I read a book, enjoy it and immediately think of who else I know that will also enjoy the book.  The Winged Tiara was a book I instantly knew a few friends and family members would enjoy.

Jasper and Esme were caught up in celebrations after the end of WWI and had a quick alcohol filled marriage.  Esme slipped away the next morning.  Years later, the two meet up again as both are famous jewel thieves on the hunt for the elusive winged Valkyrie Tiara. Will they find the tiara, and will they find their way back to each other?

My thoughts on this book:

·       I loved the witty banter and romantic tension between the two main characters.  Sparks definitely fly in this novel.

·       This book reminded me of many of my favorite movies that had romantic tension, witty dialogue, a love/hate relationship, and one upmanship among the leads including To Catch a Thief, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, The Thin Man, or The Thomas Crown Affair.

·       I loved the constant adventure with their pursuit of the winged tiara.

·       The audiobook had a great narrator with unique voices for all the characters.  It was so fun to listen to this audiobook!

·       The narrative was fast paced.

·       I loved the roaring 20’s setting among the elite and glamorous in Europe.

·       This was a clean read.

·       Two of my favorite tropes were in this novel including enemies to lovers and second chance romance.

·       Esme and Jasper were both great characters.  They were both interesting with flaws, fears, and ambitions.

·       There is a nice set of discussion questions at the end of the novel which would be great for a book club.

Overall, The Winged Tiara is one of the best books I’ve read this year.  I highly recommend this historical romance.  I would love to see this as a movie.

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Diamonds and danger dazzle in Ciesielski's latest enchanting romp through post-war Europe as estranged spouses and jewel thieves hunt an elusive Valkyrie tiara.

November 12, 1918. It was a match made in champagne-soaked heaven, but all too soon the bubbles dried up, and Esme Fox awakens the morning after celebrating the end of the Great War to find herself shockingly and accidentally married. She gathers her belongings and slips out before her new husband can stop her. After all, she knows it's best to leave before he does.

Four years later, Jasper Truitt, after having made a name for himself in the underground world of jewel thieves, is on the hunt for a valuable heirloom: a one-of-a-kind winged tiara--the last Valkyrie tiara ever created. So it's with great surprise that he discovers it at a charity event atop the head of a woman he's never forgotten. His long-lost wife . . . who happens to be pursuing the tiara for a vengeful opera diva desperate to obtain the jewel for herself.

The reunion is cut short when Esme vanishes--again--but their separation is temporary. With a hitman on their heels and a deadline looming, the pair find themselves in an epic game of cat and mouse across Europe following leads from the French Riviera to a shop of wonders in Venice, a fairy-tale castle in Bavaria, and a veritable circus thrown by a champagne heiress, all before a dramatic horseback flight through the French countryside.

In the end only one can win, and with both of their hearts on the line, the winner may well turn out to be the loser.

In her latest glamorous historical romance, J'nell Ciesielski spins a sparkling story filled with her signature snappy dialogue and vivid atmosphere that will keep you reading late into the night to see what happens next.

AUTHOR BIO

Bestselling author J’nell Ciesielski has a passion for heart-stopping adventure and sweeping love stories while weaving fresh takes into romances of times gone by. When not creating dashing heroes and daring heroines, she can be found dreaming of Scotland, indulging in chocolate of any kind, or watching old black and white movies. She is a member of the Tall Poppy Writers and lives in Virginia with her husband, daughter, and lazy beagle.