Buttons and Beaus

I had never heard of Ms. Brownley before I picked up her book A TOUCH OF LACE. Boy was I in for a pleasant suprise!This book was so full of laughs and tears and the best part was I felt the love the heroine/hero had for each other before they professed it to one another. The other good thing was that they really got to know each other before they made love, which is a nice change!If you get a chance, read the book! The characters will make you feel as if you know them and you'll be rooting for Damian and Amanda.

Margaret Brownley's BUTTONS AND BEAUS is the perfect combination of romance, intrigue, humor and history. The characters are wonderful, especially Miss Quakenbush, a pointy-faced spinster who gets herself elected to the Women's Cycling Club though she can't ride a bicycle to save her life. The heroine is Amanda Blackwell, an independent miss who takes no guff from anyone. Since bicycle riders need licenses in old New York, Amanda opens a cycling school, which just happens to be adjacent to property owned by architect Damian Newcastle. Damian plans to build the highest skyscraper in New York. Since buildings were no higher than three stories, what he proposes is shocking. Everyone from the mayor to the clergy has an opinion as to why such a building would be impractical, unhealthy and even immoral. Sparks fly from the moment Amanda and Damian meet. Amanda blames Damian's father for the death of her own father. But when Amanda's uncle tries to put her brother Donny, a "special" child, into an institution, Amanda and Damian join forces to save him. Be prepared for a wild ride as this talented author weaves these wonderful characters and fascinating historical details into a magical plot.

Bicycles have become a very popular means of transportation in 1880 New York City. To control the danger between bikes and horses, laws have been passed. Cyclists are required to obtain a license in order to ride. This leads to schools opening up to instruct students in the mechanics of riding a cycle and the numerous laws governing their use. Amanda Blackwell runs a very popular cycling school for females, who upon graduation almost always obtains a driver's license and many times a beau also. Damian Newcastle desperately wants to restore his family's honor, destroyed when a building constructed by his father's company collapsed. Amanda's father died in that disaster. Being an energetic architect, Damian wants to design and build the world's largest skyscraper on the site of Amanda's school. When Damian and Amanda meet, they find themselves wanting to build something entirely different, a long term relationship. However, the foundation has been weakened by their shared history and their love may not be strong enough to fill in the cracks. BULLETS AND BEAUS is a fabulous historical romance that paints a panoramic picture of 1880 New York City. Damian and Amanda, who should hate each other, make a charming pair whose togetherness demonstrates the healing power of love. The story line is interesting as Margaret Brownley scribes an awesome Americana historical romance. Harriet Klausner