"from this moment" by elizabeth camden

I have enjoyed several of Elizabeth Camden's books in the past, but From this Moment is easily my favorite. I was captivated from start to finish!

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Stella West's artistic talent made her the toast of London, but when her beloved sister dies under mysterious circumstances she abandons everything and heads for Boston. With single-minded determination she fights to pierce the ring of secrecy surrounding her sister's death. Upon meeting Romulus White, a publisher with connections into every important power circle in the city, she quickly realizes he could be a valuable ally in navigating Boston society.

Romulus has been pursuing Stella for years to create art for his magazine. Her luminous illustrations are the missing piece he needs to propel his magazine to the forefront of the industry, and he will stop at nothing to get her on board. 

Sparks fly the instant they join forces, but Romulus is unsettled by the unwelcome attraction he feels toward Stella, fearing she might be the one woman who could disrupt his hard-won independence. He may have finally met his match in Stella, but is helping her solve the mystery of her sister's death worth the risk to his publishing empire?

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From this Moment is a delightful mix of romance, mystery, and suspense. Romulus White runs a magazine with his cousin Evelyn. When he learns that Stella West, an artist he has been trying to hire for years, has moved to Boston, he sees his chance to get what he wants. What he doesn't count on is falling for Stella.

Stella is desperate to discover the truth behind her sister's death, so she goes undercover and takes a job at City Hall, where her sister worked prior to her death. She has no intention of working for Romulus until she realizes that he has the connections she needs to further her investigation. But danger follows them, as someone is desperate to keep Stella from uncovering the truth.

Fans of witty banter will love From this Moment, as sparks fly from the moment Romulus and Stella meet! Both are very strong, stubborn, driven people, and their banter back and forth was one of the highlights of the novel.

The mystery is also done very well—the plot contains many twists and turns that aren't too predictable and kept me guessing as to which characters Romulus and Stella should trust.

There's also a secondary plot surrounding Evelyn and her husband Clyde (the subjects of Camden's novella Summer of Dreams, which is currently free). The two are estranged when the novel begins (which kind of broke my heart, as I loved reading their love story in Summer of Dreams), and their journey throughout the book is both heartbreaking and affirming.

From this Moment's romance, characters, and plot make it a top-notch historical novel—and the cover is simply gorgeous. I highly recommend it! 5 stars.

Buy the book.
Buy the novella Summer of Dreams.
Read my review of Camden's Beyond All Dreams (5 stars) and Against the Tide (4-1/2 stars).

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Elizabeth Camden is the author of eight historical novels and has been honored with a RITA Award, Christy Award, and Daphne du Maurier Award. With a master's in history and a master's in library science, she is a research librarian by day and scribbles away on her next novel by night. She lives with her husband in Florida. Learn more at www.elizabethcamden.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free for review from Bethany House Publishers through their book reviewer program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links are "affilliate links." This means if you click the link and buy the product, I will receive a commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."