The Hobart Hotel
Mary-Lou Stephens
I loved this one, again MS Stephens has not disappointed me this story, it is absolutely fabulous told in two time lines, with wonderful characters and settings I fell into it and savoured the story.
1939 and it is the big opening for the Riviera Hotel in Wrest Point Tasmania and Mrs. Sabine Winters has travelled from Europe to be at the opening she is looking forward to the glamour after all that she has been through in Spain and now what is happening in Europe, she will have some choice selections for her (stolen) collection of jewellery she is sure, what happens is she is blackmailed by Mr. Grey into joining him in spying and she soon finds herself married to Mr. Grey and landing in Uruguay, South America where she puts herself in danger to get information about the Nazis who are doing their best to take over the country.
In 1973 Hobart is the place to be with the opening up of Australia’s first casino at The Wrest Point Hotel Casino and twenty year old Jenny Davis and her friends attend the opening and Jenny has found a gorgeous gold dress at the back of her mother’s wardrobe and she wears it, it really is special and she is soon approached by one of the managers and asked if she would like to become a Ladybird and Croupier but she knows that her mother will not stand for it she is against the Casino, but matters are taken out of her hands and soon Jenny finds herself, training to become a Ladybird, making new friends and earning more money that she ever did but is also causes a rift between her and her mother and soon she is living in The Riviera Hotel. With Jenny’s twenty first birthday coming up she finds a letter with a key that says this will change her life and soon Jenny and her friends will be uncovering an old mystery that will change her life.
This is a fabulously told story of two strong woman, two awesome settings it really is a page turner and has everything an historical fiction story needs, mystery, romance and adventure, I loved both Sabine and Jenny and the two timelines, the 1973 one bought back lots of memories for me with bands and music and The House or Merewether, I remember The Casino opening and all the fanfare that went with it. The ending is just the best, a fitting end to an awesome story.
I do highly recommend this one I loved it.
My thanks to Harlequin AU and Netgalley for my digital copy to read and review.
1939 and it is the big opening for the Riviera Hotel in Wrest Point Tasmania and Mrs. Sabine Winters has travelled from Europe to be at the opening she is looking forward to the glamour after all that she has been through in Spain and now what is happening in Europe, she will have some choice selections for her (stolen) collection of jewellery she is sure, what happens is she is blackmailed by Mr. Grey into joining him in spying and she soon finds herself married to Mr. Grey and landing in Uruguay, South America where she puts herself in danger to get information about the Nazis who are doing their best to take over the country.
In 1973 Hobart is the place to be with the opening up of Australia’s first casino at The Wrest Point Hotel Casino and twenty year old Jenny Davis and her friends attend the opening and Jenny has found a gorgeous gold dress at the back of her mother’s wardrobe and she wears it, it really is special and she is soon approached by one of the managers and asked if she would like to become a Ladybird and Croupier but she knows that her mother will not stand for it she is against the Casino, but matters are taken out of her hands and soon Jenny finds herself, training to become a Ladybird, making new friends and earning more money that she ever did but is also causes a rift between her and her mother and soon she is living in The Riviera Hotel. With Jenny’s twenty first birthday coming up she finds a letter with a key that says this will change her life and soon Jenny and her friends will be uncovering an old mystery that will change her life.
This is a fabulously told story of two strong woman, two awesome settings it really is a page turner and has everything an historical fiction story needs, mystery, romance and adventure, I loved both Sabine and Jenny and the two timelines, the 1973 one bought back lots of memories for me with bands and music and The House or Merewether, I remember The Casino opening and all the fanfare that went with it. The ending is just the best, a fitting end to an awesome story.
I do highly recommend this one I loved it.
My thanks to Harlequin AU and Netgalley for my digital copy to read and review.
5 stars
April 1, 2026 by HQ Fiction
