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Swift River Valley #2
That Night on Thistle Lane
Librarian Phoebe O'Dunn deals in stories, but her passion for history has taught her that happy endings are rare. Her life in Knights Bridge, Massachusetts, is safe and uneventful...until she discovers the hidden room. Among its secrets is a cache of vintage clothing, including a spectacular gown - perfect for a gala masquerade in Boston.
In the guise of a princess, Phoebe is captivated by a handsome swashbuckler who's also adopted a more daring persona. Noah Kendrick's wealth has made him wary, especially of Everybody wants something. When Noah and Phoebe meet again in Knights Bridge, at first neither recognizes the other. And neither one is sure they can trust the magic of the night they shared - until an unexpected threat prompts them to unmask their truest selves. After all, it takes more than just the right costume to live out your personal fairy tale. It takes heart...and the courage to be more than you ever dreamed.
In the guise of a princess, Phoebe is captivated by a handsome swashbuckler who's also adopted a more daring persona. Noah Kendrick's wealth has made him wary, especially of Everybody wants something. When Noah and Phoebe meet again in Knights Bridge, at first neither recognizes the other. And neither one is sure they can trust the magic of the night they shared - until an unexpected threat prompts them to unmask their truest selves. After all, it takes more than just the right costume to live out your personal fairy tale. It takes heart...and the courage to be more than you ever dreamed.
Audible Audio
First published January 22, 2013
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About the author
Carla Neggers
144 books1,610 followersCarla Neggers is the New York Times bestselling author of the Sharpe & Donovan series featuring Boston-based FBI agents Emma Sharpe and Colin Donovan, and the popular Swift River Valley series set in the small, fictional New England town of Knights Bridge. With many bestsellers to her credit, Carla loves to write now as much as she did when she climbed a tree at age eleven with a pad and pen and spun stories perched on her favorite branch.
A native New Englander, Carla and her husband divide their time between their hilltop home in Vermont, a sofa bed at their kids' places in Boston and various inns, hotels and hideaways on their travels, frequently to Ireland.
Find out more and sign up for Carla's newsletter at CarlaNeggers.com.
A native New Englander, Carla and her husband divide their time between their hilltop home in Vermont, a sofa bed at their kids' places in Boston and various inns, hotels and hideaways on their travels, frequently to Ireland.
Find out more and sign up for Carla's newsletter at CarlaNeggers.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 187 reviews
December 30, 2012
I won a copy through a First Reads Giveaway.
It was okay. I can see the appeal but it wasn't really for me. I was fine for an average 3 star rating til the end. Then I just sighed and rolled my eyes as the last reveal. Oh well. I think it's okay for what it is but I'm not a fan. I could have liked it more but it didn't work out that way.
I recommend for romance lovers, for Carla Neggers fans, and for a quick, light, easy breezy read. It references classic old fashioned love stories and is clearly going for that type while being in modern times.
If you're looking for fast pace or steamy scenes, I doubt this work since it's so chaste and sparse. There's two scenes, in the middle and end, that totally maybe two pages. Everything else is looks, thoughts, and a kind of kiss.
That Night on Thistle Lane is a cotton candy book.
A thing that brings back childhood and carnivals, where anything is possible and dreams come true. This cotton candy is spun on automatic following classic romance in a new age made from a few simple ingredients. It's light, fluffy and sweet (some would say cloyingly so). There's no substance just pure, unadulterated indulgence. As a balm for whatever has you feeling dejected crack open the package and escape into That Night on Thistle Lane. If it's your kind of thing, it works and is good. I just like a different flavor or coloring is all.
I haven't read the previous book, Secrets of the Lost Summer. Oops! Well, fuck. I didn't realize this was a series when I entered the giveaway. It can be easily read and enjoyed without reading the first book, especially for those that like Carla Negger's work. Unfortunately, for me I think I should have been more careful. I have a feeling it would be more enjoyable if read in order, since that would give the reader background, history, and attachment to the characters and relationships. I think that would have helped me. Reading over the reviews for that book, it seems Secrets of the Lost Summer focused on the mystery while not delivering on the romance. While I feel That Night on Thistle Lane was more about the Ramen noodle love story of Phoebe than the mystery. The romance is fine if you're looking for the pure insta-love happily ever after story. Again, unfortunately, that's not really my kind of thing. When contained
Characters are fleshed out, the setting is beautiful and a there's a few guffaws along the way. I liked how it kind of poked fun at itself. Realized how people would see fairy tale romance and how regular jaded people would look at it. Moments of "that only happens in romance novels" and "I'm not some character in a book" made me smirk. I found the mystery to be a veneer and merely a vehicle to get the characters moving. It didn't feel all that important. It wasn't the focus and it wasn't attention grabbing. True, I didn't guess the mystery person but I didn't really care. That was peripheral to the focus so the reveal didn't evoke any emotion or response to me.
Pattern in Negger's Stories....?
It was okay. I can see the appeal but it wasn't really for me. I was fine for an average 3 star rating til the end. Then I just sighed and rolled my eyes as the last reveal. Oh well. I think it's okay for what it is but I'm not a fan. I could have liked it more but it didn't work out that way.
I recommend for romance lovers, for Carla Neggers fans, and for a quick, light, easy breezy read. It references classic old fashioned love stories and is clearly going for that type while being in modern times.
If you're looking for fast pace or steamy scenes, I doubt this work since it's so chaste and sparse. There's two scenes, in the middle and end, that totally maybe two pages. Everything else is looks, thoughts, and a kind of kiss.
That Night on Thistle Lane is a cotton candy book.
A thing that brings back childhood and carnivals, where anything is possible and dreams come true. This cotton candy is spun on automatic following classic romance in a new age made from a few simple ingredients. It's light, fluffy and sweet (some would say cloyingly so). There's no substance just pure, unadulterated indulgence. As a balm for whatever has you feeling dejected crack open the package and escape into That Night on Thistle Lane. If it's your kind of thing, it works and is good. I just like a different flavor or coloring is all.
I haven't read the previous book, Secrets of the Lost Summer. Oops! Well, fuck. I didn't realize this was a series when I entered the giveaway. It can be easily read and enjoyed without reading the first book, especially for those that like Carla Negger's work. Unfortunately, for me I think I should have been more careful. I have a feeling it would be more enjoyable if read in order, since that would give the reader background, history, and attachment to the characters and relationships. I think that would have helped me. Reading over the reviews for that book, it seems Secrets of the Lost Summer focused on the mystery while not delivering on the romance. While I feel That Night on Thistle Lane was more about the Ramen noodle love story of Phoebe than the mystery. The romance is fine if you're looking for the pure insta-love happily ever after story. Again, unfortunately, that's not really my kind of thing. When contained
Characters are fleshed out, the setting is beautiful and a there's a few guffaws along the way. I liked how it kind of poked fun at itself. Realized how people would see fairy tale romance and how regular jaded people would look at it. Moments of "that only happens in romance novels" and "I'm not some character in a book" made me smirk. I found the mystery to be a veneer and merely a vehicle to get the characters moving. It didn't feel all that important. It wasn't the focus and it wasn't attention grabbing. True, I didn't guess the mystery person but I didn't really care. That was peripheral to the focus so the reveal didn't evoke any emotion or response to me.
Pattern in Negger's Stories....?
February 16, 2013
I was really hoping for more from this one. Even though the first book in the series didn't really do it for me, this one looked promising. There was a librarian involved! And a hidden sewing room! And old fashioned clothing, some of it patterned after dresses in movies! In the end, though, it left me with an overall feeling of...meh.
Much like with the first in the series, while reading this one I kept feeling as if the novel was hovering on the edge of being pretty good but it just never quite got there. The characters stubbornly felt like characters throughout, not achieving the status of actual people to this reader. I just couldn't connect. The drama wasn't there (Seriously--I missed their first kiss. When it came up in Phoebe's thoughts, I actually had to page back and find it), and I never really bought into Phoebe and Noah's initial attraction, let alone their "love" for each other. I kept checking the progress bar on my ereader, and not in the yikes-how-will-they-resolve-this-in-the-time-that-is-left kind of way but in a jeesh-how-much-more-of-this-is-left fashion. The big reveal at the end wasn't, really. The characters figure it out behind the scenes, and I still didn't quite understand how they did it, and nor did I care all that much. It just ended up feeling a bit silly and anticlimactic. I actually found myself somewhat more interested in Brandon's (Phoebe's brother-in-law) love life than the main characters', but I'm pretty sure that was only because he was a former hockey player, and I'm just so darn glad that the season is back on track....
Much like with the first in the series, while reading this one I kept feeling as if the novel was hovering on the edge of being pretty good but it just never quite got there. The characters stubbornly felt like characters throughout, not achieving the status of actual people to this reader. I just couldn't connect. The drama wasn't there (Seriously--I missed their first kiss. When it came up in Phoebe's thoughts, I actually had to page back and find it), and I never really bought into Phoebe and Noah's initial attraction, let alone their "love" for each other. I kept checking the progress bar on my ereader, and not in the yikes-how-will-they-resolve-this-in-the-time-that-is-left kind of way but in a jeesh-how-much-more-of-this-is-left fashion. The big reveal at the end wasn't, really. The characters figure it out behind the scenes, and I still didn't quite understand how they did it, and nor did I care all that much. It just ended up feeling a bit silly and anticlimactic. I actually found myself somewhat more interested in Brandon's (Phoebe's brother-in-law) love life than the main characters', but I'm pretty sure that was only because he was a former hockey player, and I'm just so darn glad that the season is back on track....
February 1, 2013
Bleh. I didn't read the first in this series, but I clearly wasn't missing much since the couple from that book carried straight on through this one (their wedding seemed like a bigger event than THIS book's HEA). In fact, that was one of my complaints about this book-- it was just too darn crowded.
There are no less than three (possibly four) romances cooking at the same time here, leaving little attention to devote to the main couple. Because there were so many of them, you don't really get a chance to know any of them well-- Phoebe's sister and her best friend felt largely interchangeable for most of the book, and while I definitely got that Dylan used to be in the NHL (which apparently equipped him to be a wunderkind later), I didn't know much more about him. I felt like I knew even LESS about Noah, who's supposedly the male lead of this title. And don't even get me started on the mysterious and weirdly all-knowing man who's been following Noah around. Or not. Maybe. Add to this a bi-coastal cast and multiple historical references, and you have a recipe for confusion.
But... okay. The cast was a little large, and it was perhaps overstuffed with plot fragments, but those things are both forgivable. What I *couldn't* forgive was the apparent lack of an editor or copyeditor. The book was just... all over the place. There was unnecessary detail diarrhea stuck in every which way (and distracting mightily from already unclear scenes), frequent and ANNOYING continuity mistakes, contradictory events, and uneven pacing. Many scenes lacked any kind of segue, to the point that I was flipping back pages, trying to figure out how or why we'd just changed locations or where a certain character had appeared from.
This book needed an editor, and it needed one BADLY. I won't be picking up this author again.
There are no less than three (possibly four) romances cooking at the same time here, leaving little attention to devote to the main couple. Because there were so many of them, you don't really get a chance to know any of them well-- Phoebe's sister and her best friend felt largely interchangeable for most of the book, and while I definitely got that Dylan used to be in the NHL (which apparently equipped him to be a wunderkind later), I didn't know much more about him. I felt like I knew even LESS about Noah, who's supposedly the male lead of this title. And don't even get me started on the mysterious and weirdly all-knowing man who's been following Noah around. Or not. Maybe. Add to this a bi-coastal cast and multiple historical references, and you have a recipe for confusion.
But... okay. The cast was a little large, and it was perhaps overstuffed with plot fragments, but those things are both forgivable. What I *couldn't* forgive was the apparent lack of an editor or copyeditor. The book was just... all over the place. There was unnecessary detail diarrhea stuck in every which way (and distracting mightily from already unclear scenes), frequent and ANNOYING continuity mistakes, contradictory events, and uneven pacing. Many scenes lacked any kind of segue, to the point that I was flipping back pages, trying to figure out how or why we'd just changed locations or where a certain character had appeared from.
This book needed an editor, and it needed one BADLY. I won't be picking up this author again.
February 18, 2013
Does it always have to be a struggle to figure out who I am?
Living in a small town and loving the life she leading has always been great for Phoebe O’Dunn. She has family, friends, her job at the library, and the history that comes alive around every corner.
The window of opportunity to expand her life came with Phoebe discovers a secret room hidden in the attic of the library. Someone had been in that room and created works of fashion masterpieces that helped Phoebe see a world outside her immediate line of vision. Phoebe started to dream and hope again with thoughts of being a princess dancing on the arm of a swashbuckler looking to carry her off to his secret hideaway. When her swashbuckler Noah Kendrick materializes in her small town, Phoebe starts to hope that maybe her dreams may turn to reality. Noah is a brilliant entrepreneur, who is at a turning point in his life wondering if life in a small town may be his next great decision. Noah finds both Phoebe, and the eccentric people in her small town life fascinating and each day a new adventure.
Life is not all idle days and easy going nights there is a man asking questions and lurking around asking questions and not providing answers. Was this person from Noah’s past, his company, or the scariest possibility was he after Phoebe. Noah knows that regardless of what anyone’s agenda may be, he is going to take care of Phoebe and make she understands the next choice in his life will involve her.
Carla Neggers possesses the gift of writing great characters, interesting plots, and heart healing romance. This series has so many places to go and I am sure Ms. Neggers will write each book with a flair for the character’s intensity.
Living in a small town and loving the life she leading has always been great for Phoebe O’Dunn. She has family, friends, her job at the library, and the history that comes alive around every corner.
The window of opportunity to expand her life came with Phoebe discovers a secret room hidden in the attic of the library. Someone had been in that room and created works of fashion masterpieces that helped Phoebe see a world outside her immediate line of vision. Phoebe started to dream and hope again with thoughts of being a princess dancing on the arm of a swashbuckler looking to carry her off to his secret hideaway. When her swashbuckler Noah Kendrick materializes in her small town, Phoebe starts to hope that maybe her dreams may turn to reality. Noah is a brilliant entrepreneur, who is at a turning point in his life wondering if life in a small town may be his next great decision. Noah finds both Phoebe, and the eccentric people in her small town life fascinating and each day a new adventure.
Life is not all idle days and easy going nights there is a man asking questions and lurking around asking questions and not providing answers. Was this person from Noah’s past, his company, or the scariest possibility was he after Phoebe. Noah knows that regardless of what anyone’s agenda may be, he is going to take care of Phoebe and make she understands the next choice in his life will involve her.
Carla Neggers possesses the gift of writing great characters, interesting plots, and heart healing romance. This series has so many places to go and I am sure Ms. Neggers will write each book with a flair for the character’s intensity.
September 21, 2019
Very cozy small town type mystery but very easy going and great for the fall weather if that makes sense. I have to be in the right kind of mood to read books like this or it can come off a little too slow but it was nice.
Decent read!
Decent read!
October 17, 2021
This is book 11 in the series. It was about paternity, stolen jewelry, & secrets from 1938. An enjoyable quick read.
March 3, 2013
That Night On Thistle Lane, was my first Carla Neggers novel so I really didn't know what to expect. I think the author did a good job with painting a beautiful picture in the reader's mind of small town life and I really liked the relationships between Phoebe and her mother and sisters. I appreciated the fact that even though Phoebe had her heart broken in the past she wasn't bitter at all. I mean, how many times has the whole scorned and angry, man hating woman character been done? She was totally content and happy with who she was and didn't need a man to complete her. However, the story itself was a bit mundane and seemed to drag at times. Also, I really didn't feel a strong connection between Noah and Phoebe. The interaction between the two was definetly lacking passion. I just didn't believe they were falling in love. I felt like the book started out ok and then just fizzled out. The pace was just a little too indolent and the plot a little too impuissant. In fact not really a book that is going to remain in the reader's mind when finished. Overall, not a bad book just not a very rivetting and memorable one.
July 27, 2017
We meet up again with the people who live in Knights Bridge. This time the focus in on Phoebe O'Dunn who is the librarian in this delightful town. She discovers a hidden attic in the library filled with exquisite sewn costumes out of several movies. Who sewed them and where did she go? She wears one of them to a masquerade in Boston and dances with a captivating swashbuckler. Not knowing who either other is, they meet up again in Knights Bridge and figure it all out, including the mystery woman's identity.
December 24, 2012
I just didn't get this book. I think maybe because I did not realize that it was the second in a series, maybe if I had read the first book it might have made some more sense. The story just kind of wandered around for a while without really going anywhere. I also had questions that were never answered. But, I have not read much Carla Neggers, so maybe if you love her other books then you will enjoy this.
May 17, 2016
Tegemist on Swifti jõeoru romaani teise osaga (esimese osa pealkiri on “Kaotatud suve saladused”, Ersen, 2015).
Raamatukoguhoidja Phoebe O’Dunni kirg ajaloo vastu on talle õpetanud, et õnnelikud lõpud on haruldased. Tema elu Knights Bridge’is on turvaline ja sündmustevaene, kuni ta avastab peidetud ruumi raamatukogu pööningul.
Rohkem kirjutan blogis https://triinuraamatud.wordpress.com/...
Raamatukoguhoidja Phoebe O’Dunni kirg ajaloo vastu on talle õpetanud, et õnnelikud lõpud on haruldased. Tema elu Knights Bridge’is on turvaline ja sündmustevaene, kuni ta avastab peidetud ruumi raamatukogu pööningul.
Rohkem kirjutan blogis https://triinuraamatud.wordpress.com/...
February 19, 2013
Mind numbing dialogue, constant repeating of storyline details, main characters act like they are in high school. The author believes readers forget from one page to the next what town they are in, every conversation or mental musing mentions Knightsbridge.
October 20, 2024
I so wanted to like a romance that starts with a mysterious room in a library attic, a masquerade ball,
and the lost towns of the Swift River Valley- but I didn't.
Hats off to the author for an interesting premise. Too bad there was so much going on and the characters were unbelievable, (It was hard enough to believe the lawyer would ask the detective out- but then taking him for Mexican when he said he said he hated Mexican food- who does that?!) unlikeable and cliched (come on Brandon, get your life together for your one true love), and the love scenes cloying ("I didn't know it was your first time.") ugh!
If I read one more word about pesto I was going to pull my hair out- there was so much repetition I had to check if I was on the right page or had gone back accidentally. And I'm sure someone drinks chamomile tea with lemon and I don't judge- but I couldn't stop thinking that seemed like the author trying too hard to make the folkysy folks sound folksy. I was also thrown by the reader of the audio book mispronouncing the river Seine, and the town of Greenwich.
Ladies, if a billionaire who is attracted to talentless actresses (mentioned by pretty much every character who knew him) suddenly goes after you, a small time librarian, he's going to get tired of you and your books and go back to hot women.
Hurray, I got through the whole thing even though I did fell asleep listening to the last chapter and didn't go back.That Night on Thistle Lane
and the lost towns of the Swift River Valley- but I didn't.
Hats off to the author for an interesting premise. Too bad there was so much going on and the characters were unbelievable, (It was hard enough to believe the lawyer would ask the detective out- but then taking him for Mexican when he said he said he hated Mexican food- who does that?!) unlikeable and cliched (come on Brandon, get your life together for your one true love), and the love scenes cloying ("I didn't know it was your first time.") ugh!
If I read one more word about pesto I was going to pull my hair out- there was so much repetition I had to check if I was on the right page or had gone back accidentally. And I'm sure someone drinks chamomile tea with lemon and I don't judge- but I couldn't stop thinking that seemed like the author trying too hard to make the folkysy folks sound folksy. I was also thrown by the reader of the audio book mispronouncing the river Seine, and the town of Greenwich.
Ladies, if a billionaire who is attracted to talentless actresses (mentioned by pretty much every character who knew him) suddenly goes after you, a small time librarian, he's going to get tired of you and your books and go back to hot women.
Hurray, I got through the whole thing even though I did fell asleep listening to the last chapter and didn't go back.That Night on Thistle Lane
December 4, 2021
Pardon Me, Haven’t We Met?
SwiftRiver2
I liked this story because the couple met more quickly. I also like the juxtaposition of past events impacting current ones, which seems to be a theme in this series.
Phoebe O’Dunn is the oldest daughter and Knights Bridge’s librarian. She has discovered a secret room up in the attic of the library with several well made frocks - some of which are recreations of classic movie gowns. When her sister Maggie and their best friend Olivia are going to a masquerade ball, how much better to go in costume as Grace Kelly or Audrey Hepburn? They pull those looks together with great success. But Phoebe decides to go to the masquerade as well, and that’s where the fun starts.
Dressed like someone boarding the Titanic, Phoebe is swept away by a black clad musketeer, who makes her feel mysterious and sensual. But they don’t exchange names, and she leaves the ball early.
Noah Kendrick knows his life is changing, as his best friend has fallen in love with a woman and a town on the other side of the country. When he meets Olivia and sees her with Dylan, he is happy for his friend, even as they all are trying to work out the next steps in their lives. Does that next step include Knights Bridge for Noah? He isn’t sure, but his dancing partner makes him want to find out.
Charming.
SwiftRiver2
I liked this story because the couple met more quickly. I also like the juxtaposition of past events impacting current ones, which seems to be a theme in this series.
Phoebe O’Dunn is the oldest daughter and Knights Bridge’s librarian. She has discovered a secret room up in the attic of the library with several well made frocks - some of which are recreations of classic movie gowns. When her sister Maggie and their best friend Olivia are going to a masquerade ball, how much better to go in costume as Grace Kelly or Audrey Hepburn? They pull those looks together with great success. But Phoebe decides to go to the masquerade as well, and that’s where the fun starts.
Dressed like someone boarding the Titanic, Phoebe is swept away by a black clad musketeer, who makes her feel mysterious and sensual. But they don’t exchange names, and she leaves the ball early.
Noah Kendrick knows his life is changing, as his best friend has fallen in love with a woman and a town on the other side of the country. When he meets Olivia and sees her with Dylan, he is happy for his friend, even as they all are trying to work out the next steps in their lives. Does that next step include Knights Bridge for Noah? He isn’t sure, but his dancing partner makes him want to find out.
Charming.
April 29, 2025
Noah and Phoebe's story. Noah is at loose ends since he took his company public, and isn't sure what his next step is. But he's not sure it could be in Knight's Bridge, where he falls for librarian Phoebe O'Dunn. Phoebe's always tried to be the strong one in her family, especially after her father's early death, and her fiancee's desertion just two days later. And everyone in the town has her back. But she has a mystery on her hands - a secret room in the library attic, filled with exquisite replicas of famous dresses worn in the movies - Grace Kelly's blue gown from "It Takes a Thief," Audrey Hepburn's little black dress from "Breakfast at Tiffany's", and more. And all the while dancing around her feelings for Noah, who doesn't seem as if he belongs in Knight's Bridge. But the big question is, does Phoebe?
September 15, 2018
This book was right between "I did not like it" and "Okay". I'm disappointed that this book didn't focus more on one couple only. Instead, it drags in other couples and focuses on them too. These other couples ended up taking away from the main couple instead of adding on to them. In the end, I couldn't feel the attraction between Phoebe and Noah. Their relationship felt forced. There was some sort of mystery in this book too and I couldn't help but roll my eyes over how silly it was. It didn't help either that there wasn't anything to push the story of this book along. I guess maybe that's why the other love lives were tossed in. It's there to fill in the gaps to make up for lack of content to develop the main couple's relationship.
September 15, 2019
I have submitted this review after listening to the audiobooks of this title.
Okay, she didn't want to go the masquerade ball, but she did, and a dance with swashbuckling swordsman was a fairy tale come true.
Just like all great fairytales, they loose each other, without knowing the others name.
He hadn't wanted to go to the ball, but once he laid eyes on her, swept her into his arms for a dance, he was entranced. Then he caught sight of his stalker, and in his pursuit of him, he.lost her.
But, although no glass slippers were involved, he was going to chase her down.
You really need to read the author's rendition of this tale. I believe that you will enjoy the read. Alternatively you could listen to the audiobook, like I did, it was an entertaining experience.
Okay, she didn't want to go the masquerade ball, but she did, and a dance with swashbuckling swordsman was a fairy tale come true.
Just like all great fairytales, they loose each other, without knowing the others name.
He hadn't wanted to go to the ball, but once he laid eyes on her, swept her into his arms for a dance, he was entranced. Then he caught sight of his stalker, and in his pursuit of him, he.lost her.
But, although no glass slippers were involved, he was going to chase her down.
You really need to read the author's rendition of this tale. I believe that you will enjoy the read. Alternatively you could listen to the audiobook, like I did, it was an entertaining experience.
August 1, 2020
That Night on Thistle Lane # 2 by Carla Neggers
This is the 2nd book in a new series about a small quaint North Eastern town of Knights Bridge, Massachusetts. In the 1930s a number of small communities were moved or cleared out to dam the area & create a water reservoir for the larger area. The town of Knights Bridge survived this change & is the main location for the series.
In this instalment Phoebe, the town librarian finds a secret room in the library attic that houses a beautiful collection of vintage dresses - replicas of dresses worn in old time movies. She wears one of the beautiful gowns to a fundraiser gala and meets a mysterious "swashbuckler" & has a good time but figures it's all just a fun fantasy evening & that nothing will come of it but a good memory.
This is the 2nd book in a new series about a small quaint North Eastern town of Knights Bridge, Massachusetts. In the 1930s a number of small communities were moved or cleared out to dam the area & create a water reservoir for the larger area. The town of Knights Bridge survived this change & is the main location for the series.
In this instalment Phoebe, the town librarian finds a secret room in the library attic that houses a beautiful collection of vintage dresses - replicas of dresses worn in old time movies. She wears one of the beautiful gowns to a fundraiser gala and meets a mysterious "swashbuckler" & has a good time but figures it's all just a fun fantasy evening & that nothing will come of it but a good memory.
November 23, 2020
Save your time and money - this is a mindless beach read that wraps up with everyone having a happy conclusion to their individual storylines.
No character is thought provoking, interesting or unusual. There is no reality. The author wastes a ton of time with the characters speculating on motivations, thoughts and actions of the other characters. Random characters come and go - with little to no explanation and little to no storyline or character development.
The story didn't need 23 chapters to be told - it could have been told in 3 chapters. Chapter 1 - these are the main characters and their "issues". Chapter 2 - introduce all the main characters to each other. Chapter 3 - pair them up happily and end the story.
No character is thought provoking, interesting or unusual. There is no reality. The author wastes a ton of time with the characters speculating on motivations, thoughts and actions of the other characters. Random characters come and go - with little to no explanation and little to no storyline or character development.
The story didn't need 23 chapters to be told - it could have been told in 3 chapters. Chapter 1 - these are the main characters and their "issues". Chapter 2 - introduce all the main characters to each other. Chapter 3 - pair them up happily and end the story.
December 14, 2017
After meeting Noah in the first book, I was hoping that he’d find hid forever in Knights Bridge just like his buddy Dylan did. I loved Phoebe from the very beginning She’s sweet and lovable, but she’s stubborn and takes too much on herself. I thought these two made an interesting pair, as they’ll always be challenging one another. I was also fascinated watching her sister’s possible reconciliation. There were a lot of different storylines happening during this book, but I thought they blended well together. I can’t wait to see what happens next in this little town.
October 24, 2018
Librarian Phoebe O'Dunn deals in stories, but her passion for history has taught her that happy endings are rare. Her life in Knights Bridge, Massachusetts, is safe and uneventful...until she discovers the hidden room.
Among its secrets is a cache of vintage clothing, including a spectacular gown-perfect for a gala masquerade in Boston. In the guise of a princess, Phoebe is captivated by a handsome swashbuckler who's also adopted a more daring persona. Noah Kendrick's wealth has made him wary, especially of women: everybody wants something.
Among its secrets is a cache of vintage clothing, including a spectacular gown-perfect for a gala masquerade in Boston. In the guise of a princess, Phoebe is captivated by a handsome swashbuckler who's also adopted a more daring persona. Noah Kendrick's wealth has made him wary, especially of women: everybody wants something.
December 18, 2018
I listened to the audio version of this book. The narrator did a very good job of reading the different characters.
After reading this, I have the tune "Just and Old Fashion Love Song" stuck in my head. That's what this book really is. Just an old-fashion love story. Well, sorta. He was a billionaire and she was a librarian. This was a nice love story, nothing spectacular, it was just ok for me. I enjoyed listening to the story as I drove back and forth to work.
If you enjoy love stories, get this one.
After reading this, I have the tune "Just and Old Fashion Love Song" stuck in my head. That's what this book really is. Just an old-fashion love story. Well, sorta. He was a billionaire and she was a librarian. This was a nice love story, nothing spectacular, it was just ok for me. I enjoyed listening to the story as I drove back and forth to work.
If you enjoy love stories, get this one.
June 29, 2020
After being completely riveted by Secrets of the Lost Summer, I immediately ordered the next 2 books in the Swift River Valley series. Here we follow librarian Phoebe O'Dunn and successful business guru Noah Kendrick after their fateful encounter at the masquerade ball in Boston. While exciting at first, the romance between them was very innocent, which contracted Noah's past. I was hoping for more of a mystery element, especially after the first novel, but I plan to keep going with the series.
October 22, 2023
I've read the mixed reviews of this book and I understand them. Carla Neggers' books tend to be slow at the beginning and quick to tie up at the end, so I knew what I was getting into reading this book.
Was it the best book of all time? No. But, it was a lot better than some of the mediocre stories I've read lately. This book was great to pick up and set down during a very busy couple of weeks. Would it be a great "read it in one night" kind of book. Nope. But, if you need a book that will fill in the down times when your schedule is very busy, this is the book for you.
Was it the best book of all time? No. But, it was a lot better than some of the mediocre stories I've read lately. This book was great to pick up and set down during a very busy couple of weeks. Would it be a great "read it in one night" kind of book. Nope. But, if you need a book that will fill in the down times when your schedule is very busy, this is the book for you.
October 26, 2017
This was a good continuation of the Knights Bridge series, we learn more about the families that live there, and the secret attic room in the Library. There are new romances blooming and old ones seeming to be rekindled. We hear talk of the upcoming wedding. Entrepreneurs are being cultivated in new business ventures. There is just a lot going on in this novel and I can’t wait to start the next book in the series, and I have never been known to read series.
April 25, 2018
East and West
Another awesome book by Carla Neggers with just enough intrigue to keep Yuri out wondering yet hoping EaSt and West will merge. How could someone quiet and unAssuming be expected to venture forth out of her comfort zone? The strong women of the East have a lot going for them when meeting successful men from the West. Read That Night on Thistle Lane to see how the meetings go.
Another awesome book by Carla Neggers with just enough intrigue to keep Yuri out wondering yet hoping EaSt and West will merge. How could someone quiet and unAssuming be expected to venture forth out of her comfort zone? The strong women of the East have a lot going for them when meeting successful men from the West. Read That Night on Thistle Lane to see how the meetings go.
February 18, 2019
The best thing about this story was its large print. It was a very platonic rendering of the lives of Phoebe, the town librarian and Noah, a millionaire. There were some pleasing renderings of Phoebe's family and how they made soap and different items from their garden. There was a secret room and movie star clothes but the mystery didn't amount to much. Not much action and very little romance. It was a relief to be finished with this book. What a shame.
September 14, 2019
I must say that I was disappointed in this book. When I read the first book, Secrets of the Lost Summer, which I liked and really enjoyed reading, I thought this one would be just as interesting. But, I'm sorry to say, it was not. I almost gave it one star... but I could not. I have hopes that since this is #2 of several others from the same series, that the following one or more will be better.
December 1, 2017
An engaging story with a mix of interesting characters and life in a small town as seen through the eyes of locals and big city billionaires. The characters are engaging and likeable, the intrigue as they research the history surrounding the library and a secret room adds another level to the story. I enjoyed this book.
August 23, 2020
It was ok. I liked the plot idea, but the execution was not great. This was my first Carla Neggers book, and I’m thinking she’s not for me. There were a LOT of characters, and I felt like I often had to pause and try to remember who this or that person was. I also felt like the “mystery” was pretty weak. The romance was so-so.
September 29, 2022
Very fun read and well written. Nice romance plus a bit of mystery. Highly recommend!
Maggie' character was a bit of a pain. I loved Phoebe and the rest of the characters.
The name of the book was confusing as I could think of more fitting titles. Noah was at her house once and it just didn't fit the name of the book.
Maggie' character was a bit of a pain. I loved Phoebe and the rest of the characters.
The name of the book was confusing as I could think of more fitting titles. Noah was at her house once and it just didn't fit the name of the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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