cover image A Transcontinental Affair

A Transcontinental Affair

Jodi Daynard. Lake Union, $14.95 trade paper (348p) ISBN 978-1-5420-0409-1

Daynard (A More Perfect Union) turns an exciting premise—a romance between two women on a 19th-century cross-country train—into a middling love story. Tomboy Hattie Eames boards the Pullman Hotel Express heading towards San Francisco, where she’s to meet her fiancé for the first time. Louisa Finch boards the same train as the Ridgewood family’s new governess accompanying them to San Francisco. Hattie at first struggles to converse with Louisa, keeping her at a distance. As their journey continues, Louisa and Hattie warm to each other, becoming close friends. But when another passenger flirts with Louisa, Hattie’s jealousy rears, and she realizes her feelings for Louisa are romantic; she confronts Louisa and the two share a passionate kiss. Sadly, neither can commit to the romance with their different circumstances, but they continue to see each other aboard the train. As they approach their destination, one final incident forces Hattie and Louisa to face reality and grapple with some hard choices. The budding romance is charming, but the weak conflicts slow the pace of the story, which relies too often on the train’s journey to keep moving. Readers will enjoy the setting’s novelty, but may lose interest in the romance even before the confusing ending. (Nov.)