Simply Angela : That Night on Thistle Lane: A Swift River Valley Novel by Carla Neggers

More than just make-believe.

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.

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.

Series: Swift River Valley #2 | Author: Carla Neggers | Publisher: Harlequin MIRA | Source: Purchased | Rating: 4 Cups

Librarian, Phoebe O’Dunn doesn’t really believe in happy endings although when she sneaks into a masquerade ball dress in an Edwardian gown and dances with a handsome swashbuckler, she feels as though she’s in a fairy tale.

Noah Kendrick enjoyed playing the part of a masked swashbuckler. Wealth doesn’t always make it easy to find a woman who likes him for him, but when he discovers that his mystery Edwardian princess is from the same hometown his best friends fiancée is from, he decides to stay and see if he can discover who she is.

Phoebe never dreamed that her mystery man was Noah Kendrick. Now that he’s staying at Olivia’s dog sitting, the two of them grow closer while they try to figure out who is following Noah.

This is the second book in the Swift River Valley series and I’m really glad that I read the first book in the series just to be caught up with what’s going on in Knights Bridge.

While I liked the characters, especially Noah, in this book more than the first, I felt that the writing was a little weaker and the mystery wasn’t that thrilling—or much of a mystery for that matter.

Noah follows his best friend, Dylan, to Knights Bridge. He’s in the process of going public with his company and he isn’t really sure what he wants to do next. He’s doing a lot of soul searching in this novel and I enjoyed that.

Phoebe, like Olivia from the first book, is playing everything close to the vest. She’s been hurt before and everyone believes she’s given up on love but she’s unable to deny the connection she feels to Noah.

I felt as though I got to see more of Noah and Phoebe’s relationship and more of its development than I did of Olivia and Dylan’s.

We also get to see the relationship between Phoebe’s sister Maggie and her husband Brandon. At the moment the two are separated. It felt like a real relationship being worked out and it added a nice bit of depth to the story.

Of course, we get to see what’s going on with Olivia and Dylan, which I loved.

The mystery was a bit weak for me and centered on a secret attic room filled with vintage clothes. It also felt a bit farfetched and the reveal at the end wasn’t nearly as good as I thought it would be. It was too flat.

Overall, I enjoyed the character development in That Night on Thistle Lane. Even though the author had a tendency to get a little repetitive and info-dumpy I still enjoyed visiting Knights Bridge and its residences.