Moonlight Over Mayfair: The uplifting and charming Sunday Times Bestseller from Anton Du Beke

Product Information

Again Du Beke maintains his authentic grasp of the period era adding real substance to the romantic liaisons and dramas of another year in the hotel.

An utterly enchanting read sprinkled with charm, romance and heart, Moonlight Over Mayfair delights from beginning to end and sweeps readers back in time and into a world of glamour and elegance which they will find themselves reluctant to leave at the end of the novel. Shaken by the Great Depression and with talk of another war coming, the Buckingham Hotel is trying to regain some stability. The book wasn’t exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me. The staff and guests of the Buckingham soon discover that in a hotel full of secrets, there’s always someone listening . Set in the magnificent Buckingham Hotel in the 1930s, it is full of diverse characters and plotlines.I tried to ration how much I read in one reading session as I wanted to prolong my enjoyment of the book but I was enjoying the book too darn much to stick to my ration. Having just finished reading ‘Moonlight Over Mayfair’, I can guarantee that ‘One Enchanted Evening’ will not be on that ‘to be read’ mountain for very much longer. The sequel to his best-selling One Enchanted Evening, its setting is the Buckingham, a luxurious hotel where the elite rub shoulders with more ordinary folk on the dance floors of the impressive Grand Ballroom.

Regardless of whether one is upstairs or downstairs or whether one dons a ballgown or a pinny, whoever walks through the doors of the Buckingham Hotel has got plenty to think and worry about. Meanwhile, she finds herself embroiled in upper class Vivienne Edgerton's scheme to help the less fortunate of society. But with shy Frank overawed by what he finds and the demands of his role he is swiftly taken under the wing of savvy Lambeth lad and new concierge, Billy Brogan.The first 30 pages promised an elegant follow up to Anton’s first novel, but I struggled a little with this second instalment. I appreciate that her dreams are as important as his -- but actually in those days, she wouldn't have thought so. Moonlight Over Mayfair’ has been compared to ‘Downton Abbey’ and although I can’t comment on that because I don’t watch ‘Downton Abbey’ but what I will say is that ‘Moonlight Over Mayfair’ would be perfect for adaptation for television. But a lot can happen on the dancefloor - whispered conversations, secret relationships, clandestine messages passed - and Raymond soon finds himself in a position of both power and danger. I have not read the first book in the series, and perhaps if I had this would have been more enjoyable, as often with a series there is a lot of enjoyment in seeing the characters develop.

We work closely with publishers and authors to ensure that we offer the best books on the market for your child. So glad I found you today and managed to also find a perfect gift for my lovely uncle on his 92nd birthday.I wouldn't recommend reading this unless you've read the first novel in the series, One Enchanted Evening. Given that historical romance is far from my usual genre and aside from the vivid characterisation, much of my enjoyment of the first was due to the portrayal of the 1930s and Du Beke’s willingness to weave the precarious political situation and the looming threat of war around the ongoing lives of the dancers and staff at the Buckingham Hotel.

I enjoyed it because I already knew the characters, but someone coming into this novel 'cold' would get very little idea of what the main players looked like or their backstories/personalities. Right from the book cover to the delightful and endearing characters this book oozes class and warmth. Meanwhile Frank, Nelly’s younger brother arrives at the Buckingham to take up a new job that will involve him in far more than simply working as a Porter. Du Beke is not afraid to discuss the racial inequalities and political situations that existed in the 1930s and beyond. I just wanted to let you know that my son has received his gift pack in York and he was really touched!

He draws you into the story from the first word on the first page and keeps your attention through the story. I won't spoil things by going into detail but it all just adds to the colour and flavour of what is going on in the Buckingham. I really loved the first in this series, One Enchanted Evening, when I read it last year, So much that I was really looking forward to getting my hands on this sequel.