"The Vintage Guide to Love and Romance" by Kirsty Greenwood

Jessica Beam loves to party.  But she loves to party too much, so much so that she’s lost both her home and her job because of it.  Down on her luck and with no one to turn to, she seeks out her long-lost grandmother.

Matilda Beam is the exact opposite of her granddaughter.  Her etiquette guides that made her a household name in the 1950’s aren’t needed by the young women of today and with her only source of income gone, the bills are piling up.  If things don’t pick up fast, she’ll lose her home and a whole lot more.

After finding each other, Jessica and Matilda get one shot to turn things around. A London publisher has offered them a deal - if Matilda can turn Jessica into a demure, vintage lady by using all the rules of her old-fashioned Good Woman guides, then they will publish an updated version of Matilda’s books.   But the plan will only be considered successful if Jessica can capture the heart of Leo Frost, London’s most notorious playboy.

The Vintage Guide to Love and Romance, by Kirsty Greenwood is a fun and flirty novel that will have readers smiling from the first page to the last.

I loved Kirsty’s first book, Yours Truly, it was a laugh out loud novel and a very strong debut.  So I was very much looking forward to reading this book and it didn’t disappoint.  A great cast of characters, lots of hijinks, and a vintage theme throughout, it is a truly enjoyable book.

Jess Beam is the life of the party and she doesn’t apologize for it at all.  But as she and her friends get older and the rest of them become a bit more responsible, Jess ends up falling out with them.  When she loses her job and her home in the same day, she is completely on her own.  But Jess is also one of those girls who is never down and out for long.  She is a fantastic main character and though I felt in the beginning she was pretty tragic, she quickly redeemed herself.

As someone who loves old etiquette books and thinks that todays society could do with quite a lot of the “old time” manners, Matilda Beam was another fantastic character for me. I loved the way Matilda and Jess represented two very different women and time periods but were able to come together to create a new modern, inspirational woman.  A woman can be the life of the party while remaining a bit of a mystery!

This story unfolded perfectly.  I liked how Leo Frost was given depth to him and wasn't just a womanizer through the whole book.  The story of Jess' mother and why she had never met her grandmother before developed nicely throughout the book.  

This is a book that you will want to read in one sitting.  I did not want to put it down at all and may have avoided some responsibilities in order to keep reading.  In reviewing her first book, I pointed out how Kirsty understands the Chick Lit genre perfectly and I stand by that comment after reading this book as well.