Title: In the Lion’s Den
Author: Barbara Taylor Bradford
Series: House of Falconer, #2
Published: November 2020, St. Martin’s Press
Format: ARC E-copy, 352 pages
Source: Netgalley via Publisher
Summary:
From New York Times bestselling author Barbara Taylor Bradford comes the highly anticipated second book in the House of Falconer saga.
James Lionel Falconer has risen quickly from a mere shop worker
to being the right-hand man of Henry Malvern, head of the most
prestigious shipping company in London. With Malvern’s daughter Alexis
running away to the country after a terrible tragedy and refusing to
return, James’ ascent to head of the company seems inevitable. But even a
charmed life like James’ is not without its setbacks.
A terrible
fire threatens to end his merchant career before it’s had a chance to
truly begin. Mrs. Ward, James’ former paramour, has a secret that could
change his life forever. And his distaste for Alexis Malvern is slowly
growing into feelings of quite a different sort. Can James continue to
be the master of his own fate, or will all of his charm, intelligence,
and wit finally fail him when he has to enter the lion’s den?
Spanning the years from 1889 to 1892, In the Lion’s Den is Barbara Taylor Bradford at her historical storytelling best.
My thoughts: This is the second book in Barbara Taylor Bradford’s House of Falconer series and I loved it. There is just something so magical about her family sagas and I find myself completely swept up in their stories…and this one is no exception.
While I only read the previous book last week, I think I would have had no problem getting back into the swing of things had it been longer. That’s because of the way BTB writes – she just pulls you into these characters’ lives as if you are right there alongside them and I feel that way about every single book she writes. I love that as it’s such a comforting feeling.
I really think it would be beneficial to read the first book in this series before picking this one up. While this one does stand on it’s one, there are quite a bit of threads that are carried over that would make for a richer reading experience if you have already read the earlier book. But that’s just my opinion.
In this latest installment, we continue to follow the lives of James Falconer and Alexis Malvern. James continues to prove himself at Malvern & Malvern Company and has risen the ranks to be working side by side with Henry Malvern. But his dreams of owning his own shop are still there. Alexis is still mourning Sebastian but she is also conflicted because during her trip to London with James (an event from book 1), something stirred in her and she’s not quite sure how to deal with it.
This book is full of drama, secrets, scandal and of course romance. It is so easy to get wrapped up in this story and escape the world for a few hours – something I’m sure many of us could use right now! – and that is what I love about these books. I find myself so consumed in the characters and what is happening that I completely lose track of everything else. Each character has their set of challenges and there are some obstacles along the way, but that’s what keeps things moving, and the twists and surprising developments really kept me glued to the pages.
I loved this story and all the new developments and cannot wait to see what happens in the next book. I have always been a fan of Barbara Taylor Bradford and this new series just proves why. If you enjoy family sagas, this series is a must-read!!!
Books in this series:
- Master of His Fate
- In the Lion’s Den – due out November 10th in the US.
- ???
