Get ready to ride the rails in a four book/four author series
Up first is It Started in Budapest by Julie Daines
Book Description
Molly Cooper is haunted by one simple fact: it is her fault her twin brother, Matthew, has spent his life trapped in a frail body while she has thrived. Deep in her heart, she knows he can’t hold on much longer . . .
In her desperation to save her brother, Molly finds inspiration in an unlikely source: the newly published novel Dracula. When her family embarks on the Orient Express to seek treatment for Matthew in Bulgaria, Molly is prepared to set her plan in motion: she will sneak away from her parents and journey alone to Transylvania, where she will seek a vampire, whose blood can make her brother immortal. Molly’s rash plan is going flawlessly—until she encounters Percy Hunt, a handsome American traveler running from the shadows of his own past. When he discovers Molly’s plan, Percy’s concern for the naive young woman leaves him no choice but to accompany her on her strange quest. But neither Percy nor Molly is prepared for the feelings that quickly grow between them or for the death-defying escapade that awaits.
My Review
This story took me to places I have not yet been. It was different than anything I have ever read.
There is a certain magic and mystery to the Orient Express. Add in the macabre of Vampires and you have a story quite unlike any other,
Molly is the twin sister to Matthew, who has been ill his whole life, Much of the family’s time and fortune has been dedicated to keeping Matthew alive and seeking a cure. Molly has felt the guilt for his illness her whole life and takes it upon herself to find a cure for him.
Using Dracula by Bram Stoker as her guide, she sets off on an adventure with some unexpected help, an American named Percy Hunt.
Julie Daines tells a masterful story with mystery and the search for something better. It is a story of growth and acceptance for Molly. She defies what she has known and meets others on her way that offer her compassion and help.
This is the first of a multi-author series that I can’t wait to see what comes next. I recommend this to anyone that is looking for a good story with a happily ever after.
I want to say that I received a review copy of this book but did have to go out and purchase it myself because it is so good. It is a great introductory book to this series. I will also say that this story was magical and I felt that Dracula would appear at any moment, this is a sign to me of a well written book.
You can purchase it: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Deseret Book, and Seagull Book.