I'm starting to think that this book originated in a scheme by Valerie Hansen to take an around-the-world trip on her publisher's tab. Nice work if you can get it.

So much fun! That was the first coherent thought that raced through my brain as I crossed the finish line of The Door in the Alley. Everyone knows that I love a good middle grade book. Coincidentally, my favorite type of middle grade book though, is the kind that doesn't talk down to its readers. The kind that is smart, funny, and filled with adventure. That, my friends, is exactly what The Door in the Alley is. It is a wonderful ride!

Our story begins with Sebastian, a studious and mild mannered boy who loves to stick to the rules. So, of course, when his path is crossed by a pig in a teeny hat, he's not sure what to make of it. When that same pig then leads him into an adventure that he never expected, that's where things really take off! I loved watching poor Sebastian, with his rigid ideas of the way the world worked, suddenly thrown into the madness that was The Explorer's Society. His personality was the perfect contrast to such an imaginative place, and looking at this new world through his eyes was fascinating.

Then Evie entered the picture, and things got even more exciting. Imagine finding out that you've actually been part of a grand cover up your entire life. That you've always felt that you were ignored, and are now the most important person in the story! That's exactly what happened to Evie, and I warmed to her instantly. She's the type of character who I love, because she isn't quite sure of herself and yet does what needs to be done anyway.

Oh, and the adventure! If you have a young reader (or, like me, are just a young reader at heart) who loves books like A Series of Unfortunate Events, this is the book for you. It's funny, a bit worrisome at times, and full to the brim with courageousness and growth. Both Evie and Sebastian, although completely different in personalities, were absolute perfection in this story. You'll giggle, you'll gasp, and you'll love every minute of it. Pick this up! It's well worth your time. Meanwhile I'll be sitting here, eagerly awaiting their next adventure.

Thanks to NetGalley and to Quercus Books for sending me an ARC copy of the book that I voluntarily choose to review. Artic and Polar exploration is one of those subjects that sound fascinating but I didn’t know much about. This novel, although not claiming to be based on real historical figures (when I read a bit around it, I found several explorers whose lives seemed to have more than a few details in common with some of the characters, and there’s no doubt that the author has researched well the subject) manages to bring to life the polar explorations of the late XIX and early XX century, but not as the heroic endeavours we’re used to. The characters are driven, determined and daring, but that is not the whole story. Of course, when one gets to think about it, it is clear that somebody had to pay for the expeditions, and there were conditions, sponsorship, etc. Some of the things done (exaggerations, false claims, exploitation of the natives) are non-dissimilar to those seen in many other endeavours of the time when there was much curiosity for other people’s and places, and some bizarre and questionable things were done in the name of science and education. The story is framed by a trip to the North Pole, this time flying, of a collection of various characters. One of them, a journalist, has personal reasons to be there and is intrigued by one of the other characters, Flora Mackie, named the Snow Queen due to her many expeditions to Greenland and the Artic. The novel is divided into a number of parts, mostly told (in the third person) from the point of view of two characters, Jakob and Flora, both who experienced losses as children and who are fascinated by the North, ice, and the cold. Flora is an extraordinary character, a Scottish girl who loses her mother, and whose father, a captain of a whaler, decides to take her with him when she is a young girl. She loves it and is determined to go back when she grows up (as once she becomes a woman her father decides it is not appropriate for her to carry on joining his whaling expeditions). She is a driven character trying to follow her heart at a time when the number of roles socially acceptable and available for women was very limited. She feels more at home in Greenland with the Eskimos (as they were called at the time) than she does in Dundee or London. Jakob, a Geologist, loves studying the ice, glaciers and is fascinated by the North and nature. Jakob and Flora seemed destined for each other, but both personal and professional difficulties interfere (the path of true love and all that…). Later, as the story is revealed slowly and from different points of view, we come to wonder if some dark events were also involved. The descriptions of the era and particularly of the Artic and its way of life at the time are beautiful and vividly rendered. Flora is a truly complex and fascinating character, who faces difficulties familiar to many women and other unique to her singular circumstances. She feels guilty for not keeping up with moral standards, whilst trying hard to be her own person and free, no matter her gender. She might appear cold at first sight, but she has to try and be a leader to the men working with her, and not showing any weakness. A difficult task even now. Jakob is a likeable man, who doubts himself and his origins, decent and moral, less ambitious than most of the other characters, and his strongest passions are Flora and his love of ice and glaciers. There are descriptions of sex, that on reading the reviews I’ve noticed some reviewers didn’t find relevant to the book. These scenes are well-written and go some way to humanise and demonstrate how special this relationship was for both characters, especially compared to Flora’s experiences (we know less about Jakob’s), but readers need to be advised that although they are not a major part of the book (it is a long book) they are significant and explicit, especially in certain episodes of the novel. This is a novel beautifully written, full of descriptions of places few of us might get to visit and a time far away in history but close enough to seem familiar. The pace is leisurely, and although there are plenty of adventures, emotions and we share in the gamut of human emotions (love, envy, hatred, jealousy, greed…), it is not the typical page-turner. A novel recommended for those who love historical fiction (especially one that offers a revisionist view of events), stylishly written, with great characters and who don’t mind a few explicit sexual scenes.

Will Repton had a limping gate it had been five years since he had been in London and he didn’t remember London so busy . Will is twenty eight and had been in Tibet and China he had been an envoy Of East India Company.. Will returned a famous explorer and celebrated plant hunter. He also returned crippled the only survivor of a massacre while away. Will hadn’t seen Ben in years. Ben was now married to a countess and had children and was a friend of Will’s father. Will was lead to the living room with nine men obviously waiting for Charolette who was the countess’s sister. The butler thought Will was yet another suitor. Charolette very much wanted to meet Will. Charolette thought Will could redeem her family name and he was the man she dreamed of and was destines to marry: he was handsome,brave, daring, and kind. Charolette sees it as her responsibility to

  make a good match so the family would be accepted by the ton again. Also her sisters could make good marriages. Will is considered a hero by all of England just not by himself. Will is attracted to Charolette but keeps rejecting her as long as he can.

I liked this story alot. It was a little slow in the beginning but it did get going and was worth getting through the slower part. My heart went out to Will and I loved how humble he was. It made me happy how Charolette felt. My heart did go out to will for his physical and mental problems he had from what happened while away. I loved how Will gave Charolett flowers . It toke awhile for Will to let his real feelings come through. At first I wasn’t too happy the way Will was treating Charolette but I also knew why he was acting that way. I recommend.

I received an ARC of this story for an honest review.

This book started with a great storyline. One of my favorite scenes is when Charlotte meets Will, and he goes on about his business without realizing her intentions. Jacob, her nephew, is one of my favorite characters--though his dialogue seemed too mature for a 4 year old. I don't know what happened, but soon the story loses its flow. When Will realizes what Charlotte is up to he sort of pursues her in his own way, but at that point the story doesn't grab the reader like it does at the beginning. It feels a bit repetitive and it slows down by a lot.

Overall, I still enjoyed it. I love the hook of the explorer and the heiress, I just wished it would've kept the same pace/tone all throughout.