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gillianw's review
5.0
4.5 stars
I loved everything about this gorgeous, low-key, lovely book. The slow-burn romance between Will and Charlie was completely endearing, mostly because of their delicious light banter, but also because of the way their relationship develops. I’m a sucker for a workplace romance, and this one is given the time and space to develop organically. Nothing feels forced or rushed. When they finally do confess their feelings to each other, it’s so bloody satisfying.
This is the perfect low angst hisrom you’ve been waiting for.
I loved everything about this gorgeous, low-key, lovely book. The slow-burn romance between Will and Charlie was completely endearing, mostly because of their delicious light banter, but also because of the way their relationship develops. I’m a sucker for a workplace romance, and this one is given the time and space to develop organically. Nothing feels forced or rushed. When they finally do confess their feelings to each other, it’s so bloody satisfying.
This is the perfect low angst hisrom you’ve been waiting for.
marzi's review
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
linda_1410's review against another edition
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is another great novel from Ms. Allen. She's got a special knack for capturing NYC of the late 1800s and early 1900s. In this case we've got earnest newspaper reporter Charlie Kohlbeck and a recent hire editor Will Nesmith. They start off as adversaries but become grudging allies after their boss assigns them to work together on a society piece trying to track down the elusive Lord Belcourt. Charlie's inventive work ethics gets them into a bit of subterfuge against Will's better sense, but he proves just as curious as Charlie and their truce soon grows into friendship and more.
There's a bit of a mystery herethough I figured it out after that encounter Charlie spied between Belcourt and Knox, and then had to wait for the majority of the book for Charlie and Will to figure it out. And so I also figured how that would benefit Charlie and Will once their ruse was out. Rose and Archie, and Caroline and Hilda were great supporting characters and even Violet had her moments. Watching Charlie and Will becoming friends and more in Ms. Allen's typical quiet romance was a treat. They're well-suited to each other and even their bickering is endearing. I could shake my head at their less-than-honest antics, but they're both so lovable and sincere in their own ways that I couldn't bring myself to do it. :D
There's a bit of a mystery here
books_and_cha's review
3.0
Invitation to the Dance was a treat: a perfect mix of romance, fluff, and emotion.
Will is engaged to Violet, and joins the New York Herald so as to be in a better position for when they marry. Of course, from the moment he steps into the office, he clashes with resident journalist Charlie, who is chagrined by the arrival of yet another cutthroat editor. When their squabbles lead to a joint assignment, neither man is pleased, and hopes for a quick conclusion to their unlikely pairing. Thrown into the upper echelons of New York society in disguise, the two must rely on one another to keep their wits about them and stop their cover being blown before they write a good story.
I loved the romance. Charlie and Will start off on the wrong foot, and it was heartwarming to watch them transition from reluctant allies to lovers. The mutual pining is on point. Charlie, for all his carefree exterior, is a mess of longing and want underneath. Will isn't much better, despite his stern countenance. Together, they're delicious. All characters were well drawn, and even if they weren't good, they were entertaining (except Hannah, who annoyed me to no end).
There's a lot that goes on in this book. Charlie and Will pretend to belong in the upper classes of New York, and while navigating predatory women looking for husbands, scandals, and a fishy investment proposal, the two make genuine connections and find more than they expected from a short, shallow society assignment.
19th century Manhattan comes to life in these pages, and the characters who live in it even more so. Allen's love for a time gone by shines through, along with the love between Will and Charlie. If you're looking for a well-written, entertaining read that will warm you right up, choose this book. It won't let you down.
Will is engaged to Violet, and joins the New York Herald so as to be in a better position for when they marry. Of course, from the moment he steps into the office, he clashes with resident journalist Charlie, who is chagrined by the arrival of yet another cutthroat editor. When their squabbles lead to a joint assignment, neither man is pleased, and hopes for a quick conclusion to their unlikely pairing. Thrown into the upper echelons of New York society in disguise, the two must rely on one another to keep their wits about them and stop their cover being blown before they write a good story.
I loved the romance. Charlie and Will start off on the wrong foot, and it was heartwarming to watch them transition from reluctant allies to lovers. The mutual pining is on point. Charlie, for all his carefree exterior, is a mess of longing and want underneath. Will isn't much better, despite his stern countenance. Together, they're delicious. All characters were well drawn, and even if they weren't good, they were entertaining (except Hannah, who annoyed me to no end).
There's a lot that goes on in this book. Charlie and Will pretend to belong in the upper classes of New York, and while navigating predatory women looking for husbands, scandals, and a fishy investment proposal, the two make genuine connections and find more than they expected from a short, shallow society assignment.
19th century Manhattan comes to life in these pages, and the characters who live in it even more so. Allen's love for a time gone by shines through, along with the love between Will and Charlie. If you're looking for a well-written, entertaining read that will warm you right up, choose this book. It won't let you down.
rebeccacider's review
5.0
NEW FAVORITE AUTHOR, YESSSS.
This novel answers the question that none of us thought to ask: what if George Cukor made a queer screwball comedy set in Edith Wharton's New York? What indeed.
This book, set in Gilded Age Manhattan at the cusp of winter, is a warm, snuggly blanket of a novel. Our main characters are Charlie, a wise-guy newspaper reporter (whom my brain insisted on casting as Clark Gable in It Happened One Night), and Will, a wet behind the ears copy editor who's newly arrived from "the island" (I just figured out this is Staten Island and not Long Island) and, despite being the new kid, is ruthless about marking up Charlie's colorful copy with his lethal blue pencil.
They immediately hate each other (of course) but are forced to go undercover to investigate a story, falling for one another along the way (of course). The plot is absolutely silly, but every twist feels completely plausible in the context of Charlie's manic energy and the novel's commitment to its own Hollywood logic.
This is excellent historical fiction, with snappy, rapid-fire dialogue that really does read like the script of a 1930s-era film. The historical elements are supported by storytelling decisions that I really liked, and which Allen can make because she's self-publishing for a niche audience. She does not over-explain her setting. There are no expository paragraphs explaining why Charlie wants to be paid by the story instead of by the hour, or how New York high society operates. Instead we simply inhabit the setting, resulting in an atmospheric, lived-in world, with characters who feel like products of their era.
There are also touches of realism that you don't often see in romance novels: for instance, walls that are not magically soundproof! I like this sort of thing because romance fiction is all about overcoming obstacles, and the obstacles that emerge from everyday life are often much more compelling than the old standbys of "withholding information, for some reason" and "being constitutionally incapable of expressing emotion."
This novel also rocks the slow-burn romance. The first half of the story consists of hijinks and low-key flirting; it's not until the 50% mark that the characters express attraction to one another. I am aware that this is not everyone's jam, but I am unapologetically Team Slow-Burn. It builds tension, gives the relationship time to develop organically, and is a welcome departure from genre conventions. I know I'm reading a romance novel; I don't need to be told the characters will hook up! And goodness, when they do get together, what a payoff we get. The big romantic scene in this book is so perfect and tender, like watching a romantic comedy on a rainy evening with a big mug of marshmallow-studded hot cocoa.
As usual I would have liked a little more from the secondary characters. There are a pleasing number of female characters and they each have their role in the story, but I wouldn't say they're terribly memorable. That said, I did enjoy the cameos by Charlie's quasi-adoptive dads back on Staten Island; they're bit characters but very cute.
Allen's novels are free (which I find a bit annoying because I would happily give her my money). She's not super prolific, so I guess this is just a labor of love for her. Or maybe she really is a time-traveling Hollywood scriptwriter from the 1930s, writing romance novels on the side for a 21st-century audience. Either way, I'm so delighted I stumbled upon her writing.
ETA: Okay, Tamara Allen is now charging for her books again; apparently the giveaway was just some early-pandemic kindness on her part. But they're dead cheap! Go buy all of them!
This novel answers the question that none of us thought to ask: what if George Cukor made a queer screwball comedy set in Edith Wharton's New York? What indeed.
This book, set in Gilded Age Manhattan at the cusp of winter, is a warm, snuggly blanket of a novel. Our main characters are Charlie, a wise-guy newspaper reporter (whom my brain insisted on casting as Clark Gable in It Happened One Night), and Will, a wet behind the ears copy editor who's newly arrived from "the island" (I just figured out this is Staten Island and not Long Island) and, despite being the new kid, is ruthless about marking up Charlie's colorful copy with his lethal blue pencil.
They immediately hate each other (of course) but are forced to go undercover to investigate a story, falling for one another along the way (of course). The plot is absolutely silly, but every twist feels completely plausible in the context of Charlie's manic energy and the novel's commitment to its own Hollywood logic.
This is excellent historical fiction, with snappy, rapid-fire dialogue that really does read like the script of a 1930s-era film. The historical elements are supported by storytelling decisions that I really liked, and which Allen can make because she's self-publishing for a niche audience. She does not over-explain her setting. There are no expository paragraphs explaining why Charlie wants to be paid by the story instead of by the hour, or how New York high society operates. Instead we simply inhabit the setting, resulting in an atmospheric, lived-in world, with characters who feel like products of their era.
There are also touches of realism that you don't often see in romance novels: for instance, walls that are not magically soundproof! I like this sort of thing because romance fiction is all about overcoming obstacles, and the obstacles that emerge from everyday life are often much more compelling than the old standbys of "withholding information, for some reason" and "being constitutionally incapable of expressing emotion."
This novel also rocks the slow-burn romance. The first half of the story consists of hijinks and low-key flirting; it's not until the 50% mark that the characters express attraction to one another. I am aware that this is not everyone's jam, but I am unapologetically Team Slow-Burn. It builds tension, gives the relationship time to develop organically, and is a welcome departure from genre conventions. I know I'm reading a romance novel; I don't need to be told the characters will hook up! And goodness, when they do get together, what a payoff we get. The big romantic scene in this book is so perfect and tender, like watching a romantic comedy on a rainy evening with a big mug of marshmallow-studded hot cocoa.
As usual I would have liked a little more from the secondary characters. There are a pleasing number of female characters and they each have their role in the story, but I wouldn't say they're terribly memorable. That said, I did enjoy the cameos by Charlie's quasi-adoptive dads back on Staten Island; they're bit characters but very cute.
Allen's novels are free (which I find a bit annoying because I would happily give her my money). She's not super prolific, so I guess this is just a labor of love for her. Or maybe she really is a time-traveling Hollywood scriptwriter from the 1930s, writing romance novels on the side for a 21st-century audience. Either way, I'm so delighted I stumbled upon her writing.
ETA: Okay, Tamara Allen is now charging for her books again; apparently the giveaway was just some early-pandemic kindness on her part. But they're dead cheap! Go buy all of them!
brokenrecord's review against another edition
4.0
This was super cute. I loved Charlie and Will's banter, and how they went from their antagonistic relationship to working together for the paper to falling in love. It's basically my favorite kind of relationship progression. I was a bit worried about how Will's semi-engagement to Violet would be handled, but I was pleasantly surprised with how that unfolded. And Charlie and Will's first kiss and the tentativeness of like… both of them being pretty sure the other was into them but not fully sure was so cute. I enjoyed all their struggles with trying to find places they could have sex without other people finding out/hearing them/etc. They were just lovely. The secondary characters were also great. I really liked Rose and her dad and her romance with Archie and how her mom came around, and I also really liked Caroline and how she was in on everything and helped out. And I enjoyed the main plot, and also didn't figure out what was going on with Lord Belcourt until the reveal, so that was fun. I definitely want to check out more by this author in the future.
Spoiler
And I love that they end up deciding to move in together!!occupationleaf's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
jedbird's review
3.0
This is absolutely not a bad book. It was perfectly adequate in construction, but I wanted more romance (and better sex scenes) and less plot nonsense. I like character development 1000% more than hijinks. The book has its charming moments, and the leads are likable enough. From reading other reviews, I think this is just not my author.
pam_h's review
3.0
It took me a looong time to get into this one. Not sure I would have made it through if I wasn't already a fan of the author.
alisonalisonalison's review
4.0
Lovely. No one does slow-burn American historical queer romance better than Tamara Allen. She is the queen of this sub-sub-sub-genre. This book, like all her books, is beautifully written, has a gorgeous period feel, has endearing and interesting characters, and has a really delightful romance. This author doesn't publish often, but each one of her books is an absolute gem.