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Review: Queen of Lombard Street

Queen of Lombard Street Queen of Lombard Street by Lisa Kleypas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a solid 5-Star read! I love stories about strong female leads and women overcoming setbacks to accomplish amazing things. What really set this book apart was the appendix and how Lisa Kleypas drew on her inspiration for the characters and the strong women who inspired her. It made me want to research these women more thoroughly. In the NetGalley approval email, a note from Ms. Kleypas included this: "How could a young woman in the Victorian era become a success all on her own? Not by marrying into wealth, or inheriting family money. Not through anything that would require the patronage or pleasure of a man. In other words, how could she thrive in a man's world, but on her own terms?" How could someone not be intrigued by this book's premise?

Reina is a brilliant economist in 1880s London with an ambitious goal: create a bank where women can finally control their own money. As the illegitimate daughter of a Spanish immigrant mother and an English banker, she understands exactly what financial dependence can cost a woman, and she has built a life through intelligence, determination, and an unwillingness to accept the limitations society places on her.

Her household is just as unconventional. Reina has filled it with recently paroled prisoners who are trying to rebuild their lives and, somewhere along the way, have become her family. Then there is John Pembroke, her extremely capable new butler, who turns out to be neither simply a butler nor remotely harmless.

I loved Reina. She is already successful and independent when John enters her life, which makes their romance especially satisfying. He never becomes the reason she succeeds or the person who swoops in to save her. Instead, he respects her intelligence, challenges her when necessary, and eventually becomes the classic fiercely devoted Kleypas hero once he realizes he is in love.

The found-family storyline was another favorite part for me. Reina’s household could easily have existed only for comic relief, but the members of her staff have their own personalities, struggles, and opportunities for growth. Their loyalty to one another gives the story a lot of heart. This also feels slightly different from a traditional historical romance. The romance is definitely there, but the banking plot and questions about women’s financial independence share the spotlight. I actually liked that shift because it allowed Reina to remain firmly at the center of her own story.

There is a lot happening across the financial storyline, historical issues, romance, and multiple supporting characters, so the book occasionally feels busier than a straightforward historical romance. But I was invested enough in Reina, John, and her wonderfully unconventional household to thoroughly enjoy the chaos.

Queen of Lombard Street has the romance I wanted, but with a heroine whose greatest love story may also be the life she has built for herself. It is the reflection of what a strong, independent woman every FMC should be. Thank you to @AvonBooks and #NetGalley for this amazing book in exchange for my unbiased opinion. I truly enjoyed this Victorian-age adventure and can't wait for Kleypas's next book. 5 stars! #QueenofLombardStreet

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