Book Tour: The Typewriter Girl by Alison Atlee

  

   

A Publishers Weekly Best Books of the Year pick: The Typewriter Girl is a spectacular debut, set in a perfectly realized Victorian England.

When Betsey Dobson disembarks from the London train in the seaside resort of Idensea, all she owns is a small valise and a canary in a cage. After an attempt to forge a letter of reference she knew would be denied her, Betsey has been fired from the typing pool of her previous employer. Her vigorous protest left one man wounded, another jilted, and her character permanently besmirched. Now, without money or a reference for a new job, the future looks even bleaker than the debacle she left behind her. But her life is about to change... because a young Welshman on the railroad quay, waiting for another woman, is the one finally willing to believe in her.

Mr. Jones is inept in matters of love, but a genius at things mechanical. In Idensea, he has constructed a glittering pier that astounds the wealthy tourists. And in Betsey, he recognizes the ideal tour manager for the Idensea Pier & Pleasure Building Company. After a lifetime of guarding her secrets and breaking the rules, Betsey becomes a force to be reckoned with. Together, she and Mr. Jones must find a way for her to succeed in a society that would reject her, and figure the price of surrendering to the tides of love.

Praise for The Typewriter Girl

"Atlee's outstanding debut unflinchingly explores the unforgiving man's world of Victorian England." -PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (starred review) 

"Easily one of the most romantic books I'll read all year... John and Betsey are compelling and worth rooting for."  -DEAR AUTHOR 

"(a Recommended Read) Sweeps readers to a satisfying conclusion." -LIBRARY JOURNAL

Buy the AudioBook

Amazon UK 
Amazon US 
Audible.com

About the Author

Alison Atlee spent her childhood re-enacting Little Women and trying to fashion nineteenth century wardrobes for her Barbie dolls. Happily, these activities turned out to be good preparation for writing historical novels. She now lives in Kentucky. For more information please visit Alison Atlee's website. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Goodreads and Pinterest.

The Typewriter Girl Swag Giveaway

One copy of The Typewriter Girl (Audio Book or Print) Set of earbuds in a cute typewriter print pouch A Typewriter Girl Happily-Ever-After t-shirt (features last lines from famous novels) A vintage style postcard "from" Idensea, the setting of The Typewriter Girl A "dream wildly" ribbon bookmark with typewriter key charms.

To enter, please complete the Rafflecopter giveaway form below. Giveaway is open to residents in the US, Canada, and the UK.

Giveaway ends at 11:59pm on August 29th. You must be 18 or older to enter. Winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter on August 30th and notified via email. Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review

Audible Audio Book Edition
Audible.com
Release Date: April 4, 2014
Listening Length: 12 hours and 39 minutes
Publisher: Audible Studios
Language: English
ASIN: B00JH0L9HW
Genre: Historical Fiction

Series: N/A

Release Date: January, 2013

Publisher: Gallery Books
Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance

ISBN:  978-1-4516-7325-8

Edition: Paperback

Rating: ★★★★☆

Review Written: 4 August, 2014

There's always been a small struggle for women to be seen by their merits, especially in a working world. Set in a time where typewriter girls were very much necessary and inspired, Alison Atlee's The Typewriter Girl follows the struggle of a woman wanting to be held by her own standards and her own merit.

Betsey Dobson is a disgrace, at least in the eyes of society. Having had to leave typewriting school after a scandal of sleeping with an instructor, and been caught in an attempt to forge her own letter of reference for another job, Betsey finds herself with only one option left to do. Leave London and head off to Idensea, all the while hoping that her new employer will still honor his promise of a job. With only a valise  and a canary in a cage as her only possessions, Betsey finds the world to be a bit colder and crueler than ever imagined.

For the next months after settling in Idensea, Betsey struggles to keep doing her job and with the realization that she's slowly falling in love with her employer; an employer who is slowly discovering he feels the same way.

Atlee's book is riveting; a fantastic read for anyone who enjoys historical fiction. The charming seaside resort of Idensea proves to be an ample backdrop for this spitfire young woman and her dashing employer. Flowing sentences and an easy writing style makes Atlee's The Typewriter Girl wonderful to read on your own or listen to. I highly recommend this book.