Book Review: Palmer Girl by Dawn Klinge

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What is this book about?

When insurance tycoon, Cornelius Nordeman, is recruited to work for the Exposition Corporation, the New Yorker brings his family to live at the Palmer House Hotel, far away from any reminders of a recent tragedy. He’s hopeful this move will offer respite from his family’s grief.

Elizabeth Nordeman, his daughter, has something to prove, which leads her to seek work as a florist at Marshall Field’s, Chicago’s finest department store.

John Lewis knows something is different and intriguing about the new florist he hired. When his boss, Marshall Field, informs him that Elizabeth is the Nordeman heiress, his job suddenly becomes more complicated–especially when he finds himself falling for her.

On the eve of the Columbian Exposition of 1893, Chicago prepares to prove that it’s a first-class city, and the brightest minds from around the country will plan the most spectacular fair the world has seen.

The World’s Fair will bring change and innovation into a society bound tightly by class and tradition. Elizabeth’s heart longs to push against those boundaries, so what’s holding her back?

My review:

This was a quick light read with sweet romance and some nice descriptions of historical Chicago. The cover grabbed my attention right away and my interest was caught by the aspect of Elizabeth, an heiress, working as a florist in a department store. There was a lot of promise within the pages.

The descriptions were well done. I really enjoyed reading about the window displays at Marshall Fields and about the introduction of the Ferris wheel. I also liked the inclusion of bike riding and union division within the storyline. Even though I liked Elizabeth and John, I could not connect with their characters or story.

There were so many times when the author would tell about a conversation or event happening and I wished that I, as the reader, could have been involved in them instead. The storyline felt choppy going back and forth between Elizabeth and John’s thoughts but not really interacting with them.

This romance had a lot of potential and with some further line editing I think it could be a really good historical romance.

What I enjoyed most about this book:

The inclusion of the window displays and Ferris wheel.

What I didn’t like about this book:

This story felt like it was a rough draft.

Would I recommend this book to others? Regrettably, no. I think the story has lots of potential but it isn’t there yet. This is the second book in this series.

Note: I received this book complimentary as a participant in the JustReads reviewer tour. I was not required to give a positive review. All of the opinions I have expressed here are honest and my own.

Where can I learn more about this author and their books?

Dawn Klinge, author website

-Loraine Nunley

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