Later this month, I'll be helping Tracy Baines celebrate a book-birthday. Her debut saga, The Variety Girls, was published on 20th February 2020 and was followed in October 2020 by Christmas with the Variety Girls.
I read both books with enormous pleasure. The first thing that struck me when I started The Variety Girls was the quality of the writing. As well as having produced a captivating plot with the refreshingly unusual setting of a seaside variety theatre, Tracy has created a set of well-rounded characters. The heroine of the first book is Jessie, who has a lot to learn as she adjusts to the new life she has carved for herself. The stage costumes twinkle with sequins and the book twinkles with tiny details of theatre life that add depth and atmosphere to this well-crafted and satisfying story.
I'll be honest. I was so impressed by The Variety Girls that I was a bit wary of reading the sequel in case it was a let-down, but I needn't have worried. If anything, Christmas with the Variety Girls is even better than the first book. The heroine this time is Jessie's friend Frances, whose life is dominated by an important secret. Again the plot is engrossing with plenty of twists along the way and there are new characters who bring their own complications to events.
All in all, two terrific books, which I am happy to recommend to saga lovers.
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Tracy Baines's author page on Amazon
Tracy's page on Twitter
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