The Glittering Court

So for the last book of 2016, I went with one that had been sitting on my shelf for a while. This is the story of Elizabeth, a countess who is falling on hard times. When faced with the marriage to an unacceptable cousin, she changes places with her maid Adelaide and runs off to the Glittering Court. The Court is set up to create ladies out of the common girl to send to the new world to be the wives of the new nobility. Anything sounds better than marrying a cousin, so Adelaide sets off to court with the son of the owner, Cedric. Of course, sparks fly between the two of them but Cedric certainly can't afford the bride price that Adelaide will fetch. She finds out something that may put his life in danger and she becomes determined to help him, even if it means marrying someone else so she can give the money to him. Her two best friends are Tamsin and Mira, both with secrets of their own, that are not revealed in part one of this series. This is a book about traveling to a new frontier to find freedom, be it from the norms of society, a bleak future or religion. The girls have all the power as they select the husband that most suits them, but in the end, they must assert that power if they are to be truly free. Adelaide is a tough girl who isn't afraid to literally get her hands dirty to save the boy she loves. And Cedric is willing to give it all up to live a life of freedom with the one he loves. I liked this book, complete with mustache twirling baddie. I finished this yesterday but I suppose it will go down as the first of a new year. Happy New Year and happy reading my friends!