A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn
I love a strong and spunky female character and that is exactly who you meet in A Curious Beginning! Veronica Speedwell is a unique woman for Victorian England. Smart, sassy and quick witted, this lepidopterist (butterfly collector), travels the world and knows that the only use she has for a man is occasionally between the sheets.
The premise: After Veronica’s spinster aunt’s death, Veronica finds herself immersed in a mysterious plot. Although she tries to deny that she is involved in any way, it eventually becomes clear that she is. She is thrust into a partnership with a reclusive natural historian (aka taxidermist and collector of dead things) named Stoker (sexy name, no?). In fact they end up on the run, forced to work together to stay alive.
The relationship between Veronica and Stoker is funny, honest, occasionally off color and always amusing. I will leave you with this tid-bit from the back cover:
“No one writes parasols, petticoats and pistols like Deanna Raybourn.”
-Lauren Willig
I can’t wait to pick up A Perilous Undertaking, book 2 of the Veronica Speedwell series!
Cocktails In The Library 