Happy Pubday to The Ladies of the Secret Circus by Constance Sayers
Constance Sayers is an author that continues to deliver unique magical, complex stories.
Her latest release is breathtaking to say the least. If you enjoy genres of timeslip historical fiction, along with magical realism this a must buy!

From the author of A Witch in Time comes a magical story spanning from Jazz Age Paris to present-day America of family secrets, sacrifice, and lost love set against the backdrop of a mysterious circus.
Paris, 1925: To enter the Secret Circus is to enter a world of wonder-a world where women tame magnificent beasts, carousels take you back in time, and trapeze artists float across the sky. But each daring feat has a cost. Bound to her family’s strange and magical circus, it’s the only world Cecile Cabot knows-until she meets a charismatic young painter and embarks on a passionate love affair that could cost her everything.
Virginia, 2005: Lara Barnes is on top of the world-until her fiancé disappears on their wedding day. Desperate, her search for answers unexpectedly leads to her great-grandmother’s journals and sweeps her into the story of a dark circus and a generational curse that has been claiming payment from the women in her family for generations…
This book was received from the Author, and Publisher, in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.
This is a non spoiler review, because you as reader need to read this book. Also, I feel sometimes I have in the past gave away to much of the plot line. This has diminished the pleasure for would be readers.
Sayers weaves an intricate tale of birthrights, and dark magical secrets.
A thrilling ride of family curses that takes the reader from 1920s Paris to modern-day America. Sayers is one of those authors that excels at writing time slips. This suburb book is so cleverly written that reader is never lost as it changes time periods.
Let’s talk about the magic system, it’s done so well that it’s not disproportionate to the plot line.
A fast moving generational family saga that is Intertwined with an ominous circus.
The writing is detailed, and lush with magical realism. the perfect amount of mystery, along with dynamic skillful character development. I found myself completely immersed within the pages as mysteries unravel, making for an exceptional book.
The characters are well developed and fully fleshed out. All characters are intriguing from Cecile Cabot To Laura’s character who searching for answers to her family’s history. The Jazz Age Paris is enigmatic, along with overall premise of the book.
I really at a loss for words without giving to much away
A spellbinding book that is absorbing, and a highly compulsive read
Caroline Gray’s third season in London society ends as badly as her first two—no marriage proposal, no suitor, not even a glimmer of an interested prospect. She suspects it’s because she is far too quick to speak her mind to men who are put off by her forthright opinions, her eager intellect backed by a formal education, and her unconventional ideas about the future. She is far more daring than demure to suit the taste of her class. Besides, Caroline thinks there will always be next season to find a husband.
However, her family’s dwindling income leaves Caroline with only one choice to secure her future: a one-way ticket to sail with the Fishing Fleet to India, where the son of a family friend waits. If the match doesn’t work, Caroline cannot return home.
Captain Thomas Scott loves the thrill of the open sea, and as commander of one of the ships of the Fishing Fleet, he ferries scores of young English girls to the shores of India to find husbands. The voyages pay well, but he struggles to understand why families would allow young women to be matched with total strangers so far away.
The trips have always been routine and uneventful—until this trip’s first night’s dinner with one Miss Caroline Gray. She engages in a lively political conversation, presenting opposing viewpoints to the conventionally opinionated gentlemen at her table. Captain Scott is secretly amused and delighted at her boldness, not to mention quite drawn to her beauty.
The rest of the passengers are shocked by her behavior and Caroline finds herself an outcast, suffering harsh judgments from the other passengers. However, she finds an unlikely ally in Captain Scott which quickly draws them closer.
Both know an arranged marriage awaits Caroline at the end of their voyage, yet the attraction between them is undeniable. Caroline will have to decide if she will honor her mother’s wishes and marry a man in India whom she has never met, thus securing a future for her and her mother, or be brave enough to throw convention to the wind and commit to love a sea captain. He may be enchanted by her bold and unconventional ways, but will his love and admiration last?
This book was received from the Author, and Publisher, in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.
This is a non spoiler review, because you as reader need to read this book. Also, I feel sometimes I have in the past gave away to much of the plot line. This has diminished the pleasure for would be readers.
Caroline Gray, has been unsuccessful in acquiring a suitor let alone a husband.A bluestocking through and through, her outspokenness is not a desirable trait with the gentleman of the ton during the Regency era. The three seasons have proved that She might be headed for a spinster life. Caroline Is given a chance to exceed where she has failed in London, by taking a society Mother offer to travel to India to acquire a husband. Bound for Mumbai, along with several other young women who found themselves in same predicament as was Caroline was back in London.
On board the ship she crosses path with the captain of the ship Mr. Thomas Scott.
He is drawn to her candor and thirst for knowledge, she is unlike most women he has come to know from his frequent travels from England and India. A friendship sparks, but Thomas struggles to keep his emotions in check. Caroline is destined for someone else…
Julie Wright’s newest novel is a historical romance that is wonderful. The author has created an engaging and memorable heroine, and her highly accomplished writing ensures that the reader is swept along in this lovely proper historical romance.
Caroline is a spirited young lady that I found compelling and eager to read about. The storyline has some suspenseful moments and unique twist.
Over all it was engaging story that offers some lovely atmospheric imagery and interesting characterizations. The author narration flows and the characters reactions are depicted well. The plot line holds the readers attention as book progresses, as you are lead up to the ending. Which I actually quite enjoyed, I thought it was romantic and didn’t need an epilogue.
This was tender romance with the perfect amount suspense and twists that didn’t overshadow the characters internal struggles.
Have a wonderful day ❥
ADVANCE PRAISE:
“A charming historical romance in which smarts and sass are vindicated.”—Foreword Reviews
“Caroline is a worthy protagonist, whose forthrightness contrasts with the strict propriety of the women around her. Caroline’s repeated failures to meet the expectations placed on women of the time are endearing and only enhance her relationship with the captain, who similarly struggles to navigate social norms. This adventure is sure to entice fans of historical romance.”—Publisher’s Weekly
“Wright builds a historical romance which teaches about the dangers of gossip, the need to be true to yourself and the value of sincere apologies…I so loved being swept away at sea once again.”— Heather Gardner,Fire and Ice
“This story examines the historical realities of Englishwomen who sailed to India in search of husbands…I enjoyed the unconventional heroine in a unique setting for the Regency romance genre.” Katie Jackson,RegencyProofreading.com
AUTHOR BIO
Julie Wrightwrote her first book when she was fifteen and has written over twenty novels since then. She is a Whitney Awards winner for best romance with her booksCross My HeartandLies Jane Austen Told Me, and she is a Crown Heart recipient for the novelThe Fortune Café. She has one husband, three kids, one dog, and a varyingamountof fish, frogs, and salamanders (depending on attrition). She loves writing, reading, hiking, playing with her kids, and watching her husband make dinner. She hates mayonnaise.
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