The Lady Glass

Anneka R. Walker

Nothing shapes glass like fire.

Theresia Dvorak has nothing left of her parents—nothing save her dowry, a priceless crystal vase stolen and sold by her own stepmother. Theresia will do anything to secure what is rightfully hers—even assume a false identity and steal her future back. When she gains entrance to a house party and has a memorable run-in with the handsome naval captain Rolland Reese, her mission is compromised. She swore never to trust an Englishman again, but when he makes a daring proposal she cannot refuse, she must work side by side with him if either of them is to achieve their aim.

Rolland is stunned when his homecoming from the war takes a decidedly deadly turn. The quickest solution is to throw a house party and invite all the suspects. With the stakes incredibly high, Rolland must root out the killer before they turn their sights to the next potential victim: his own father. The mysterious Theresia is undoubtedly the most suspicious of his guests, but against all odds, he finds himself risking everything to protect her. As Rolland unravels a tangle of clues, he faces the greatest threats of all: a heart of fire and a future as fragile as glass.

My Review: 6/10

I am always excited when I see a new book by Anneka Walker. I enjoy fairy tale retellings and Cinderella is my favorite, so I was really looking forward to this one.

The romance was up and down for me
- it started well, quickly became an insta love connection and eventually finished strong. it was a bit much to go from virtual strangers (while he’s on the lookout for a murderer no less) to being so obsessed and possessive of one another. Honestly, that’s usually the best part - the initial spark of interest and watching it grow. We seem to have skipped it entirely.

The catalyst appeared to be the visit to the fortune teller, which I wasn’t a fan of either. Christians are warned against engaging in such things and it was just casually slipped in and seemingly used to take things from 0-60 in 5 seconds with our two MCs.

Theresia fits right in with and is thoroughly embraced by Tansy and Andalin. This bothers me because 1) none of them seem to have any flaws 2) they are nothing like the ton / what society values at that time which 3) makes them all feel kind of cookie cutter- ish. To be fair, I have this similar complaint with a lot of fairy tale retellings (too perfect), so it could just be sticking to the style. And 4) it feels like another kind of insta love. Maybe it’s just me, but I feel like people are slower to connect and bond, to embrace and trust. No one is skeptical or jealous or just shy. No, the women see and determine they are smitten and meant to be so they just embrace her like family. I can’t relate to this, and certainly not over and over again. (Tandy, andalin, his mother, etc).

I liked the “godfather” - his history, how he was worked in, his role.

It was an interesting backdrop. I loved the attention to historical detail. I liked the murder mystery spin (she got me)! It was a good blend of familiar story elements and fresh, creative (Cinderella) ideas.