That Night on Thistle Lane - TBR Thursday Review

In March I attempted a Take Control of Your TBR Challenge where you try to read as many books from your TBR as possible.  I didn't do as well as I wanted too (3 out of 7) but it did make me realize that I do need to make an effort to read some of the books I already own before they get out of control.  Well more out of control than they already are.

This isn't the book I had planned on reviewing.  That book and I just aren't getting along so I decided to put it to the side for a little while.  Instead there's this book that I've had from the library for at least a month.  They probably would like it back at some point.

That Night on Thistle Lane by Carla Neggers

Rating: 4 Stars

Description:  It all starts when Knight's Bridge librarian Phoebe O'Dunn finds a hidden room full of beautifully made vintage clothes in the attic of the library one day.  This leads to her pretending to be an Edwardian princess and dancing at a masquerade ball with a handsome man dressed as a swashbuckler.  The fantasy comes crashing down when she over hears a conversation from a stranger who has obviously been following her swashbuckler.  She takes careful notes, makes plans to get them to him and then goes home, putting the princess behind her.  Except the swashbuckler ends up being a friend of Phoebe's friend Olivia and Olivia's fiance's business partner - the billionaire Noah Kendrick.   And Noah doesn't seem to have plans to leave Knight's Bridge anytime soon.

Genre: Romance

My Impression: This hit so many of my favorite story lines it felt almost indulgent to read.  A hidden room, vintage clothing, a mystery from the past, a librarian who loves books - how could I pass that up?  This is actually the 2nd book in the series set in Knights Bridge and also the 2nd book that I've read.  I read #3 in February (review) and while I enjoyed it I liked this book much better.  For starters I love Phoebe - she's tough, she loves her family, she loves her job and she just can't believe any connection with a billionaire could possibly be real except that they seem to be spending a lot of time together.  The side plot with Phoebe's sister Maggie and her husband Brandon is interesting as well.  I liked that there wasn't just a quick fix/everything's better solution.  The history of the town and the area is fascinating and I loved the small town feel.  I also liked that while the small town atmosphere is definitely developed we're only introduced to the characters we need to know for the story.  While I love small town books having to keep track of every store owner who only have a bit part in the plot can get a little confusing. This isn't a perfect book - Noah doesn't come across as having much personality and this isn't a book driven on witty banter.  Also, while I did think the mysterious stalker was wrapped up in a way that was fairly logical his methods at the beginning of the book made no sense.  Overall, this was an enjoyable read in a lovely setting.  I wouldn't call it a beach read because I generally prefer my beach reads to be funny but it's a good rainy night kind of book

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?: Yes, I'm already planning to look for the first in this series and the author has another series set in Ireland that I'm looking forward to reading.

Would I Recommend this Book?:  Yes