Description

(from inner flap of Doubleday dj) Elizabeth, the Princess de Miramare, beautiful, high-born, and of a bewitching personality, a member of the most brilliant society, outwardly prosperous, lived the secretly hard life of those who have to make very short ends meet.

Two courses were open to her -- one to resort to a distant and odious cousin; the other to use her charm and position to help others (for a consideration) in their social and heart struggles. She decides upon the latter. Her cases are all exciting, some dangerous, and the most unexpected and disconcerting element in each is the intervention of the distant cousin.

Elizabeth's own romance is the fitting climax of the story.

Notes

Even though it's motivated by the historical restrictions women faced in education and employment, I have to admit I really enjoy the riches-to-rags, make-your-own-occupation trope. The female MCs tend to be spirited, plucky, and creative problem-solvers, and their adventures, while totally implausible, are usually a lot of fun. The Brightener fits this to a T. Elizabeth is a clever, competent, confident, modern-minded 1920's girl -- she reminds me a bit of Flora Poste. What's more, and which is not always the case in these period romances, you can see why the male MC would fall for her: beyond her youth, brains, and beauty, she's empathetic and selfless in her friendships. And she leans on him just enough, so... The mysteries are not especially suspenseful, and most would not fly with today's technology (and law enforcement norms), but they're entertaining and each is its own romance in miniature, so Williamson gets to throw in a whole tubful of postwar tropes -- shell-shock/PTSD, and the occult, most interestingly. I also always like when novels include well-developed older characters, and this one does, in the form of Elizabeth's solicitor's capable American wife, who gets his young client started in her "brightening".

Author clarification: Brightener was written shortly after Charles Norris Williamson's death and Alice explains in the preface that she still strongly feels his presence and his assistance and "could not bear to have the 'C.N.' disappear from the title page."

Flags: in one of the stories, negative commentary on a woman's weight gain

Tags

1920s, American, English, Europe, England, athletic, beautiful/handsome, big, brave, courageous, career, unusual, cheerful, competent, crime, determined, efficient, entrepeneur, f/m, female, first-person, forbidden love, identities, switched, imprisoned, intelligent, landowner, love at first sight, lovers, enemies to, marriage of convenience, medical, millionaire , missing jewels, mystery, named Elizabeth, nobility/royalty, noble/aristocrat, occult/paranormal, orphaned, practical, rancher/cowboy, rescue, riches to rags, robust, romance, second chance, single, spirited, strong, strong f/f friendship, strong m/f friendship, suspense, tall, widowed, young, young love, abetting

Flags

body negativity