Autumn Lady

AnneMarie Dapp

May 2017 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

Mara McClain is a young Irish immigrant looking to begin anew in Victorian-era San Francisco, after the California Gold Rush. She struggles for both love and independence, as a budding businesswoman in a male-dominated society.

Set amid the fascinating backdrop of San Francisco’s Golden Age, Autumn Lady draws from an eclectic cast of characters, both historical and original. It’s an idiosyncratic journey through the highs and lows, ballrooms and back rooms, alleys and the promenades, and the enchantment and viciousness, of an American city on the brink of a new era.

Autumn Lady is not just the story of Mara McClain, it is the story of both a woman and a city coming of age in one of America’s most exciting historical periods.

Ratings and reviews

Autumn Lady offers a love letter to the city of San Francisco and its early citizens. It takes us from present day in the City by the Bay to the city’s origins in the Victorian era and back again. As soon as we meet Mara, the story’s heroine, we know she’s destined to carve a place in this male dominated society. How delightful that she finds a man in Patrick Deane who admires her pluck. Watching him watching her is one of the pleasures of this book. From her cast of characters, we see that San Francisco was not a homogenized population. AnneMarie Dapp has created a generational story that leads her readers along a gratifying path from past to present. A sweet read of romantic proportions. This book was offered as part of WCP/Torrid Book’s read and review program, and I’m very pleased to give it a thumbs up!

A modern day Mary inherits her grandmother’s beloved old house in San Francisco. When she finds her great grandmother’s diary from 1870, the wondrous lives of Mara and Patrick Deane are revealed. Autumn Lady is a love story caught in a captivating reflection of a young and vibrant city as Mara pursues her dream of opening her own art gallery. With the all-or-nothing mindset of the Gold Coast in its heyday, the vivid emotions of the characters are swiftly absorbing. Dapp’s colorful style transports the reader to a time and place where the stakes are incredibly high, and creates a confluence of decency and love strong enough to span generations. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I thought "Autumn Lady" was a very enjoyable and interesting story! It's a captivating and fascinating story that really hooks you. It's a little different from the historical romances I have read lately but I liked it. I really enjoyed the characters. *I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.*

About the author

AnneMarie Dapp is a graduate of San Francisco State University, where she studied Studio Arts and Art History. She lives and writes on Sock Monkey Ranch, her and her husband Dale’s vegetarian farm in Prunedale, California.