#Review: No. 23 Burlington Square by Jenni Keer @JenniKeer @BoldwoodBooks @rararesources #blogtour #publicationday #BoldwoodBloggers #histfic #romance #RespectRomFic

I’m really thrilled today to be helping launch the blog tour for No. 23 Burlington Square, the new book from the wonderful Jenni Keer, and sharing my publication day review. Published by Boldwood Books today (31st October), it’s now available as an ebook (free via Kindle Unlimited), in paperback, and as an audiobook. Thank you, as ever, to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for the invitation and support, and to the publishers for my advance reading copy (provided via netgalley).

As many others will have done, I first discovered Jenni’s lovely writing through her early lighter romances. The Hopes and Dreams of Lucy Baker was such a gorgeous read, with great characters, and that perfect balance between laughter and tears (you’ll find my review here): her second, The Unlikely Life of Maisie Meadows, was something special, and one of my 2019 Books of the Year (you’ll find my review of that one here). Then came a change of publisher for her third book, The Secrets of Hawthorn Place, and her books took a quite different direction – a really original premise, the product of an exceptional imagination, and writing that was better than ever (you can read my full review again here). The Legacy of Halesham Hall really blew me away – dual-time but with a real difference, and such a wonderfully told story (and you’ll find my review of that one here). And now, another publisher in Boldwood, and you’ll already know that they’re firm favourites of mine – a really exciting partnership, and this was a book I was SO looking forward to reading…

London, 1927: One house. Three lives. A decision that will change everything. 

 

On the morning of Friday 5th August, 1927, Miss Agnes Humphries – the landlady of the attractive, if-slightly-shabby, white-fronted townhouse at Number 23 Burlington Square – has a decision to make.

 

The rooms of the second floor lie empty, since poor Mr Blandford’s unfortunate demise, God rest his soul. And Agnes must make up her mind as to who will be her new lodger… Will it be her spirited, young niece Clara, who drifts through the glamorous world of London’s Bright Young Things? Or Stephen, the sensible, church-going, respectable banker who seems just be too good to be true? Or the timid war widow named Mercy, who is clearly running from something – or someone…?

 

Agnes must choose between them. But what will her decision lead to? One of the choices could result in scandal, one in devastation, and one could even lead to happiness. If only she gets it right…

 

As all three lodgers enter Number 23, in alternate timelines, relationships are formed and destroyed, feathers are ruffled, and secrets are exposed. Three different choices. Three very different paths. And Agnes is to discover that nobody – including herself – is quite who they seem…

 

A powerful, unique timeslip story, perfect for fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, The Miniaturist, and Lucinda Riley.

I’ve always been impressed by the author’s originality and ingenuity – as well as her writing, of course – but I thought this book was something very special indeed. When Mr Blandford dies suddenly, landlady Agnes has to decide who should become her new tenant at No 23 Burlington Square – three individuals to choose from, and the story explores the results of her decision through a really clever “what if” story, following all three possible outcomes through alternative timelines.

But it’s so much more than that – as each separate story unfolds, we also get to know more about the current and potential tenants and the relationships between them, as well as discovering more about Agnes’ own life, past and present, her attachment to her home, and the significance of the different objects with which she shares it. It’s incredibly difficult to explain, but an absolute joy to read – intricately plotted, an enthralling read, emotionally quite perfect, and laced with elements of smoke and mirrors but with clues and some real surprises along the way.

The historical setting – the book is set in the 1920s – is superbly captured and recreated, that period of post-war uncertainty and change, particularly in relation to society’s expectations and the realities of life for those who have means and those who don’t. The three stories are kept separate, told in their entirety, a brave decision that really worked so well – but there are such clever links between them. Agnes and her existing tenants are the constant, and their own stories also gradually unfold, with opportunities for them to sometimes take centre stage and become catalysts for the next twist in the story. The pacing is simply perfect – everyday life, unfolding secrets and moments of drama, shocks and surprises, with vignettes from Agnes’ own life interspersed on the way to an ending that proved to be everything I wanted it to be.

For some of the characters, there is romance – but this is a story that has love and caring for others woven into its fabric, and I thought its emotional content couldn’t have been more perfectly judged. There are characters – no, not characters, very real individuals, drawn with real vibrancy – that I grew to care for deeply, and others who inspired a particular level of hatred. And the writing really is just superb. At times, there’s a real lightness – opportunities to laugh and smile, to feel the moments of joy – but the moments of darkness are written every bit as wonderfully.

This read like the book the author always wanted to write – and one of which she should be justifiably proud. Such an original concept, delivered with real style and panache, intriguing at every turn, emotionally engaging, with a particularly satisfying conclusion – and I really couldn’t have loved it more.

About the author

Jenni Keer is the well-reviewed author of historical romances, often with a mystery at their heart. Most recently published by Headline and shortlisted for the 2023 RNA Historical Romantic Novel of the Year, No. 23 Burlington Square is her first book with Boldwood.

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