When We Caught Fire

July 1, 2018

Gr 8 Up-The author of the "Luxe" and "Bright Young Things" series relates a lush tale of the nouveau riche set among the days leading up to the Great Chicago Fire. Emmeline Carter is new to Chicago society and feels like an impostor. Mr. Ochs Carter rose to wealth and prominence by questionable means, and the family has not been fully accepted. It is hoped that Emmeline's upcoming marriage to Frederick Tree, one of the city's most eligible bachelors, will solidify the Carters' social standing. Shallow Emmeline feels no passion for Freddy and longs for her childhood lust, Anders, who has kept in touch with their mutual friend Fiona. Fiona hopes Emmeline's engagement will allow her admission into Anders' life. Little does she know that Emmeline is hatching a secret plot to sell her jewels and run off with Anders. Once Freddy grasps Emmeline's scheme, he shows a violent domineering side and locks her in her room while the great fire rages outside. More background information on some of the historical figures who make cameos and perhaps a map of the burnt district would have been helpful for those unfamiliar with the event. The friendship aspect of the story lacks nuance. Was there ever any depth to the Emmeline-Fiona connection other than a shared childhood among the same class? Still, fans of the author's previous works won't blink an eye. VERDICT A steamy romance set amid the tragic Chicago fire of 1871 that will intrigue fans of dramatic, swoony historical fiction.-Laura Dooley-Taylor, Lake Zurich Middle School North, IL

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 15, 2018
The days leading up to and including Chicago's Great Fire of 1871 are the backdrop for an eternally twisting love triangle.A brief, intriguing introductory note from the three protagonists implicates the triangulated friends in the cause of the fire. (As the excellent afterword mentions, Mrs. O'Leary's cow has long been cleared of culpability.) Unfortunately, there are many pages of relationship angst preceding the fire itself. Readers who enjoy romance novels may relish those pages, which veer between the third-person-intimate viewpoints of Emmeline and Fiona, the only nonstock characters. When they were younger, Emmeline, Fiona, and blue-eyed Anders were playmates in a grittier part of Chicago, where Fiona's stereotypically poor-but-honest-and-loving-family-with-a-now-disabled-father still lives. Fiona now lives with Emmeline, supporting her own family by working as Emmeline's lady's maid. Emmeline's father--having worked his way up in the world--is ecstatic that his 18-year-old daughter is about to marry Frederick Arles Tree, son of a banker. Anders--who has kissed each of the girls once--has meanwhile become a boxer. Will the vacillating Emmeline marry Freddy? Will Fiona reveal her secret yearning for Anders, who once pledged his troth to Emmeline? There is one tasteful, steamy sex scene and a plethora of descriptions of clothing and furniture. The action-packed ending leads to an apogee that will appeal to lovers of soap operas. Everyone is presumed white. Danielle Steele for the younger set. (historical note) (Historical fiction.13-17)

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September 15, 2018
Grades 9-12 Once, Emmeline Carter was no one. When her father became suddenly wealthy, Emmeline entered Chicago's high society and learned the ropes fast, employing her best friend, Fiona, as her maid. Now, Emmeline is engaged to a wealthy and incredibly eligible bachelor, and her future is bright. Fiona is nothing but happy for her; the engagement means that Emmeline will leave behind Anders, her childhood sweetheart and the boy whom Fiona herself loves. But on the eve of her wedding, Emmeline decides she must say goodbye to Anders?now a boxer with some dangerous enemies?in person, and her old feelings for him reignite. It's 1871 in Chicago; firemen have been putting out small fires for days, everything is poised to burn, and the fallout from this volatile love triangle could decimate the city. Godbersen (the Luxe series) breaks new ground with this stand-alone, although the high-stakes drama, glitzy society balls, and steamy romance will appeal to her current fans. An engrossing read for anyone who likes their historical fiction with a dash of melodrama.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)