Addie is the poor cousin who comes to live at Ashford House in 1906. Clementine is a high-powered attorney in 21st-century New York. When Clemmie learns about a buried family secret involving her Granny Addie, she begins a journey into the past that could change everything she thinks she knows about her family. VERDICT From the ballrooms of British society to colonial Kenya to modern-day Manhattan, this well-researched and lavishly detailed family saga spans a century and three continents. (LJ 2/1/13)

In 1906 London, five-year-old orphan Addie Gillecote is taken in by her uncle, the Earl of Ashford, and his wife. Addie is instantly aware that her place in life is below the daughters of the house, no matter what her older cousin and protector Bea tells her. Remaining close as adults, Addie and Bea find that it's marriage for one and work for the other that mark the beginning of their troubles. Decades later nothing is as it was, and it may be for the better. Mysterious family secrets are slowly revealed through a variety of voices, none of which tells the whole story. All contribute pieces of the puzzle, however, as readers become more deeply acquainted with these endearing personalities. The dysfunctional nature of elite society in the 1920s, complacent in England or exiled in Kenya, adds intriguing social commentary to a story full of fabulous period details and complex relationships. VERDICT With this standalone, new readers will have the opportunity to enjoy Willig's talent for balancing multiple, connected storylines without the added pressure of a long-standing series, while returning fans will enjoy hidden "Pink Carnation" references and the pleasure of another novel well done. [see Prepub Alert, 10/8/12; library marketing]—Stacey Hayman, Rocky River P.L. , OH

You just have to love a book that's said to have an Out of Africa sensibility with a Downton Abbey cast. The author of the red-hot "Pink Carnation" series departs temporarily from revolutionary France to whirl us from World War I England to present-day New York. Almost a partner at a prestigious New York law firm but discontented, Clementine Evans attends grandmother Addie's 99th birthday party and becomes intrigued with Addie's stories of growing up in England with her aristocratic aunt and uncle. Nice to see Willig try something different.

Willig takes us from the twilight of the British aristocracy to colonial Kenya to modern-day New York City in her first historical romance outside of the Pink Carnation Series. In 1906, five-year-old Addie Gillecote leaves Kenya after her parents' death to live in London with her Aunt Vera and Uncle Charles, the Lord and Lady of Ashford. Treated as a charity case by her aunt, Addie is taken under her cousin Bea's wing. As the girls grow close and come of age, Bea is touted as the "Debutante of the Decade." She lands a young marquess, Marcus, in a seemingly perfect match, and Addie joins them in their new home, taking a position at The Bloomsbury Review. In 1999, Addie is 99 and beloved by her granddaughter, Clemmie, a lawyer looking to make partner. Clemmie sees the marriage between her grandmother and grandfather, Frederick, as her model for love and has recently ended an engagement because her fiancé did not measure up. After Addie dies, Clemmie, aided by her step-cousin, historian Jon, learns that their family's history is more complicated than she imagined. Well-researched details of life in the 1920s lends texture to this solid historical novel. Agent: Joe Veltre, Artists Literary Group. (Apr.)