Queen of Lombard Street by Lisa Kleypas

🫶{Thank you @librofm for the ALC of Queen of Lombard Street by Lisa Kleypas, duet narrated by Mary Jane Wells and Joe Jameson.  These narrators made you feel like you were right there in Victorian England.  The cover is quite beautiful, so naturally I added a physical copy!}

🔤 If you are someone that does a yearly ‘ABC’ challenge of books, here is my recommendation for the ever elusive ‘Q’ title.

📖 Kleypas is know for her historical romance—and it does eventually get there—but this story is much more a story of a trailblazing economist woman, in a time period where women were not allowed to open bank accounts.  You’re going to absolutely love the main character Reina who is based on real-life trailblazer, Mary Paley Marshall and financial titan, Hetty Green.  As the author points out in her note: “Women have always been about 50 percent of the population, but only ever been mentioned in 0.5 percent of recorded human history.  That’s not because women never accomplished anything—it’s because until recently, most history books were written by men who were only interested in what other men were doing.”  Be sure to read her full note and the quick bios she includes of some of these women.

🏠 The other thing I could not get enough of in this story was the found family trope.  Reina hires a domestic staff of recently paroled prisoners and I adored this cast of misfits.  Add to the story an undercover police detective, a mystery of a massive financial crime—this story has something for everyone!