Wednesday 13 November 2013

Books Read: Tasmina Perry - The Proposal

When Amy Carrell's wealthy boyfriend ends their relationship just before Christmas, she's left to nurse her broken heart alone. With nothing to lose, she replies to an advertisement requesting a companion for a mysterious 'Manhattan adventure'.

Whisked off to New York with eccentric British aristocrat Georgia Hamilton, Amy experiences a glamorous side of the city that she's never seen before. Along the way, Georgia initiates her protegee in the arts of old-school elegance.

But as Georgia shares her life lessons, Amy discovers a painful secret in her mentor's past. A secret that shattered her future. A story of love and betrayal that only Amy has the power to put right.


Amazon links: Hardcover or Kindle

Having read all of Tasmina Perry's previous books I was very interested to read her latest book, The Proposal, as from reading the blurb it sounded like a change in writing direction and completely different to her other books.

The book features two central characters who couldn't be more different if they tried, Amy Carrell, a New Yorker living in London and working as a waitress whilst waiting for her big break as a dancer, and Georgia Hamilton, an elderly woman who lives alone.

Amy thinks her boyfriend Daniel is going to propose after she discovers a Tiffany's box but things don't work out quite as she'd expected so she's faced with the prospect of facing Christmas alone.  But when she sees an advert to be a travelling companion to accompany Georgia on a trip to New York she sees it as the perfect opportunity to combine the trip with a visit to her family.

Told through dual timelines, the present day and the 1950s, you can't help but get swept along as the storyline moves effortlessly between the past and present and we discover details of events from Georgia's past that had shaped the way her life had turned out.  

Although Amy and Georgia were both wonderful characters I have to say that Georgia was definitely my personal favourite and I loved reading all about the pomp and ceremony of her debutante season.    

This book was such a delight to read which I flew through in no time at all, I loved seeing Manhattan through Georgia's eyes and seeing the strong friendship and trust build between the two women despite their age gap.  It was such a charming story that I've already recommended to a few friends and will definitely read again in the future.  I'll definitely be interested to see what direction Tasmina Perry's next book takes us, back to the racier reads of the past or a similar vein to this one.    

I'd like to thank Caitlin at Headline for sending me a proof copy of this fabulous book to review.  

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