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A Kiss from Mr Fitzgerald

Natasha Lester (Goodreads Author)

4.22 · Rating details · 1,233 ratings · 214 reviews

It’s 1922 in the Manhattan of gin, jazz and prosperity. Women wear makeup and hitched hemlines – and enjoy a new freedom to vote and work. Not so Evelyn Lockhart, forbidden from pursuing her passion: to become one of the first female doctors.

Chasing her dream will mean turning her back on the only life she knows: her competitive sister, Viola; her conservative parents; and ...more

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Paperback, 400 pages

Published April 26th 2016 by Hachette Australia

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Oct 15, 2016 Bianca rated it really liked it

Shelves: romance, 3rd-person-narrative, historical-fiction, aussie-author-challenge-2017, female-author, women-s-fiction, aussie-author

I agonised over which book to read first in 2017, given the multitude options. I'm glad to report I've picked a very enjoyable novel, that I gobbled up over two days.

Young, feisty Evie Lockhart, wants to do more with her life than just be a wife and a lady of society. There weren't many options for well-to-do girls in the 1920's America. Fate has a way of showing Evie what she should do with her life. With the help of her nice neighbour and potential mother-in-law, Mrs Whitman, she ends up going ...more

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Jul 06, 2016 Veronica ⭐️ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: australian-author, 2016, aww-2016, historical-fiction, hachette

What a wonderful story! A story I didn’t want to end.
Once you start reading you will not want to put this book down!

From the manors of Concord to the speakeasies of Manhattan, Evie dances her way to a doctor’s degree.

”She was doing what she wanted to do, living the life she chose to live, not the life someone else had chosen for her.”

But could a spurned suitor take everything she had battled for away from her?

This is a story of high society, secrets, lies, blackmail, misunderstandings and ...more

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Nov 19, 2016 Amanda - Mrs B's Book Reviews rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2016-books

Since reading A Kiss From Mr Fitzgerald, I have been trying to gather my thoughts together to write a review that will do this book justice. As the year draws to a close, I would have to say that A Kiss from Mr Fitzgerald is my top pick for the best historical fiction novel of 2016.

Why do I rate this book so highly? Well it has a lot to do with a combination of the book’s features that click together in such a fashion that it just works so well. The main character of Lester’s novel is perhaps Since reading A Kiss From Mr Fitzgerald, I have been trying to gather my thoughts together to write a review that will do this book justice. As the year draws to a close, I would have to say that A Kiss from Mr Fitzgerald is my top pick for the best historical fiction novel of 2016.

Why do I rate this book so highly? Well it has a lot to do with a combination of the book’s features that click together in such a fashion that it just works so well. The main character of Lester’s novel is perhaps the overwhelming reason why I fell in love with this novel. Evelyn “Evie” Lockhart is a woman ahead of her time. A tragic medical incident that plays out near her home, involving a fallen young woman and the loss of an innocent newborn, strengthens Evie’s resolve to help these women. Virtually unheard at the time, Evie embarks on a career to become a doctor, hoping to specialise as an obstetrician. Evie’s story highlights the restrictions placed on women in the 1920’s era in which the novel is set. Evie faces struggle at every corner. She faces difficulty in simply trying to be accepted as a legitimate student at medical school, as well as to support herself financially. This leads Evie to embark upon another standout layer of the story that I enjoyed immensely. Evie becomes one of the Ziegfeld Follies by night, dancing and entertaining to pay her way at university. A beautiful love story also plays out in A Kiss From Mr Fitzgerald. The burgeoning romance between Evie and Thomas Whitman, a successful city banker, literally swept me off me feet. Scandal, glamour, complicated pathways to love and ambition characterises this stunning historical novel.

A Kiss From Mr Fitzgerald is an exquisite novel. I felt it was a book that succeeds in breaking the mould, delivering a ground breaking story of a woman who tries and succeeds, at achieving her dreams. There is no doubt that Lester has researched the aspects that informs her novel meticulously. Prior to reading this novel, I knew little about female doctors making their mark in the 1920’s. I also had not come across the Ziegfeld Follies. This was a highly captivating part of the novel for me.

Setting is a true strength in A Kiss From Mr Fitzgerald. I welcomed the lavish and detailed descriptions of life in 1920’s New York and in the 1920’s as a whole. Lester’s prose is assured and it guides the reader through the stunning setting backdrop with perfect ease.

As I mentioned above, what makes A Kiss From Mr Fitzgerald a magical piece of historical literature, is the character of Evie Lockhart. She is easy to fall in love with. I admired her drive and steep determination to make a difference to women’s lives. I also loved that this character had a vulnerable side, which Lester explores at many points in the novel. The characters who support Evie along her journey all served an important purpose in the whole direction of the novel. Each of these characters somehow manage to capture my heart in their own special ways.

A Kiss From Mr Fitzgerald is an elegant and eloquent piece of historical fiction that I devoured from cover to cover. It is completely deserving of a five star rating and I highly recommend this novel to lovers of the historical fiction genre.
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com ...more

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Sep 26, 2019 Andrea rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: australian-author, fiction-foreign-locale, challenge

I’ve waited quite a while to read my first Natasha Lester book, but I always knew she would be my kind of author. Her story of 1920s New York did not disappoint.

Before I jumped in, I decided to spend half an hour re-reading the short story prequel A Beautiful Dare. It’s not essential, but I’m glad I did, as it introduces the reader to the main character, Evie, the rest of the Lockhart family, the two Whitman brothers, and to Rose, the Radcliffe student who sparks Evie’s interest in studying I’ve waited quite a while to read my first Natasha Lester book, but I always knew she would be my kind of author. Her story of 1920s New York did not disappoint.

Before I jumped in, I decided to spend half an hour re-reading the short story prequel A Beautiful Dare. It’s not essential, but I’m glad I did, as it introduces the reader to the main character, Evie, the rest of the Lockhart family, the two Whitman brothers, and to Rose, the Radcliffe student who sparks Evie’s interest in studying medicine.

Moving on to the book at hand, the story begins with Evie completing her ‘ladylike’ literature degree at Radcliffe, and fully expecting to marry the literal boy-next-door, Charlie Whitman. They have an understanding, but Charlie has not yet proposed. One day while out walking with Charlie and her sister, Evie stumbles across a young woman struggling to give birth, all alone in a secluded spot by the river. Having sat in on a number of medical lectures at Harvard with her chum, Rose, Evie does what she can and finds herself having delivered her first baby! This really fires her ambitions to study medicine and specialise in obstetrics, so she can help more unfortunate women like the one down by the river.

It seems all the important people in her life are set against this idea, until an unlikely ally appears in the form of Charlie’s older brother Thomas. He encourages Evie to pursue her goals, and with the help of his mother, Evie finds herself in New York taking summer school in an attempt to ready herself for potential admission to Columbia University.

So begins Evie’s new life in New York, lightyears away from her family and former genteel life.

I don’t read a great deal of romance, but I did enjoy this one. However I’d describe it more as a romance-heavy work of historical fiction. While Evie’s relationships are integral to the story, so too is her pioneering pursuit of a medical career at a time when female doctors were rare and were looked at with suspicion. Equally important was the glitzy and glamorous 1920s New York location, where a big part of the story takes place on Broadway, with Evie supporting herself by working nights as a Ziegfeld Girl.

This story has goodies and baddies - both easy to recognise - and a huge twist towards the end that I had not even contemplated until I read it on the page. I found myself getting annoyed at the misogyny of the era, which I suppose is to the author’s credit in being able to portray it so clearly.

Highly recommended. ...more

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Apr 12, 2017 Marianne rated it really liked it

4.5 s

A Kiss From Mr Fitzgerald is the third book by Australian author, Natasha Lester. Evelyn Lockhart has finished college. Well, as much college as her parents believe appropriate for a woman, as much college as her father is willing to fund. After all, it’s 1922, and Evie’s ambition should be to find a husband, be a good wife and bear him children.

It has been assumed, since they were both little, that Evie will marry Charlie Whitman, heir to the Whitman banking empire, so literature and 4.5 ★s

A Kiss From Mr Fitzgerald is the third book by Australian author, Natasha Lester. Evelyn Lockhart has finished college. Well, as much college as her parents believe appropriate for a woman, as much college as her father is willing to fund. After all, it’s 1922, and Evie’s ambition should be to find a husband, be a good wife and bear him children.

It has been assumed, since they were both little, that Evie will marry Charlie Whitman, heir to the Whitman banking empire, so literature and embroidery should suffice. But Evie has other ideas: she wants to do more, to be useful in more ways than just running a household. She has been to some science lectures at Radcliffe, and then a traumatic incident gives her restlessness a purpose: she will become an obstetrician.

This is, of course, impossible. A female doctor? Let alone a female obstetrician! Her parents, her sister, even Charlie try to make her accept the foolishness of her plan. Evie, however, is determined, and there are a few people who not only admire her ambition, but believe she has the requisite fortitude and persistence. Charlie’s older brother, Tommy directs her to a tutor, and his mother offers support whenever she can.

Lester’s story traces the difficult and challenging path that Evie follows to fulfil her dream. Her obstacles were manifold: she had to support herself and cover her college fees by working, despite her lack of qualifications; her job, of necessity, had to be at night so she could attend daytime classes; her teachers and colleagues denied her the chance at hands-on work; her patients were often mistrustful; and not least, she was a woman!

Lester paints her protagonist as a true heroine, one who was prepared to work hard to attain her goal, one who was willing to give up her own hopes of love for the reputation of the man she loved, one who was intent on rescuing an innocent despite the cost to her own comfort: a genuine altruist. The story includes a bit of mystery and a few twists, love and laughter, happiness and heartbreak and quite a bit of dancing. Lester’s extensive research into 1920’s New York, medical practice and hospitals is apparent in every paragraph. An inspirational read.
...more

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Mar 14, 2016 MarciaB - Book Muster Down Under rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc, 2016-releases, owned-books, provided-by-publisher

Some of the world’s most famous women (movie stars, celebrities, writers and intellectuals) were born out of the upheaval of the women’s rights movement in the 1920’s – women such as Coco Chanel, Zelda Fitzgerald, Marlene Dietrich, Edith Wharton, Amelia Earhart and Florence Sabin. In A Kiss from Mr Fitzgerald, author Natasha Lester introduces us to yet another – Evelyn Lockhart who is about to prove that she’s not your average 1920’s young woman.

Although only a figment of Natasha’s imagination, Some of the world’s most famous women (movie stars, celebrities, writers and intellectuals) were born out of the upheaval of the women’s rights movement in the 1920’s – women such as Coco Chanel, Zelda Fitzgerald, Marlene Dietrich, Edith Wharton, Amelia Earhart and Florence Sabin. In A Kiss from Mr Fitzgerald, author Natasha Lester introduces us to yet another – Evelyn Lockhart who is about to prove that she’s not your average 1920’s young woman.

Although only a figment of Natasha’s imagination, Evelyn Lockhart rises up to capture the reader’s attention and convey the struggles with which the women of that time were faced and, in doing so, gives us one of the most powerful female characters I’ve ever had the chance to “meet” – so much so that I found myself living vicariously through her struggles, finding bits and pieces of myself in her character along the way.

Evie’s passion for obstetrics is fuelled after she witnesses a woman die during childbirth under some rather strange circumstances. Unfortunately for Evie, times have not yet changed and her world is still very much Victorian and one in which women are expected to merely marry, make a home and have children.

In her pursuit for freedom, it is her tenacity and ability to let nobody (including her family) steer her from the course that she has set for herself that stands her in good stead as she zealously challenges traditional values, flouting convention by abandoning the constraints of her era and becoming an object of popular adoration by joining the illustrious Ziegfield Follies while trying to finance her university studies and win the heart of one man.

It is in this quest to become an independent and liberated woman that she unexpectedly finds both a friend and an ally within the wealthy Whitman family.

I do believe I’ve found one of my favourite books for 2016 so far!

Through the incredibly well developed character of Evie, with whom we are able to both empathise and sympathise, Natasha Lester offers the reader a fascinating insight into life during the Roaring Twenties, from the hazy and sultry atmosphere of Manhattan’s speakeasies to the vibrancy of the follies on Broadway and on to the politics of the time where women had just been given the right to vote but were still deemed unsuitable for obtaining a degree in medicine, particularly gynaecology.

It’s a novel that far exceeded my expectations and it’s truly difficult to describe how well Natasha captures her setting and characters without actually reading the book. Through her deft and assured writing and impeccable eye for detail, all of her characters practically leap off the page to draw her audience into the vivid world that inhabits the elegant cover of this novel, never resorting to the clichés that are so often found amongst the genre.

Touching on the jazz age, prohibition and the many economic and social changes taking place during the period, Natasha’s third novel is historically detailed and nuanced, capturing the world of speakeasies, glamour, exuberance and glitz of the 1920’s with beauty and elegance. ...more

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Mar 30, 2016 Kathryn rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 5-stars, hachette-nz, arc, 2016-published, australian-author, read-in-2016, historical-fiction

Loved it.
From the time I opened and started reading A Kiss From Mr Fitgerald, I was enchanted and found myself returning to the book every moment I could. I loved it.

It is set in the 1920's when to be a woman was a matter of making a good marriage and then raising children, attending the right parties and embroidering at home. Imagine! However Evie dreams bigger than that. An incident close to home, a very sad one, leads her to her chosen path. She decides she wants to be an obstetrician. A very ...more

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Feb 08, 2016 Emily rated it it was amazing

I wish I could give this book 6 stars, or even 10. When Evie Lockhart set her mind to becoming an obstetrician, despite the scruples of mid-1920s New York telling her it wasn't possible, she also set off on a journey which I think will capture the hearts and imaginations of all readers. Evie is a true heroine-- determined, self-reliant, unapologetic but kind hearted. While love may be in the cards for her, Evie's happily ever after is of her own making, and after closing this book I find myself ...more

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Jan 28, 2017 Nadia King rated it it was amazing

A delightfully delicious love story set in decadent 1920s New York.

Headstrong, feisty Evie Lockhart faces certain social ruin when she chases her dream of becoming a doctor during a time when societal ladies were expected to be satisfied within the confines of the home. Even more shocking, is Evie's desire to become an obstetrician.

In pursuit of her dream Evie faces challenges that cut to the very core of her being.

Lester has delivered an inspiring tale of tender love and lays bare how ...more

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May 03, 2016 Renee rated it it was amazing

Shelves: audiobooks, favourites, read-2016, australian

It's been weeks since I finished this and I still can't find all the words.

I'd been waiting for this book to come out since the middle of last year, since I discovered the inspirational Natasha Lester's blog and maybe, perhaps, began to slightly stalk her online ... Natasha has heaps of writing advice to share and I couldn't wait to see how she applied it all in her historical fiction novel.

Wow.

Natasha's writing is a bridge between literary and commercial fiction. There is romance, mystery, ...more

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Apr 23, 2017 Lily Malone rated it it was amazing

This was excellent, but not what I expected. First, for some reason I wasn't expecting what was essentially, a love story. Second, it was far more graphic than I'd anticipated in terms of the obstetric discussions.
I haven't read Natasha Lester before, but I had heard a lot of the hype when this book came out and I have a lot of friends who read it and loved it.
I can definitely see why it was a hit.
The writing style is very approachable. The research to me felt impeccable. It got all the feels ...more

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Sep 01, 2018 Janine rated it it was amazing

Shelves: aussie-author, historical-fiction

A really enjoyable read set in New York in the 1920s

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Feb 17, 2016 Michelle rated it it was amazing

Shelves: physically-on-michelle-s-bookcase, tbr-for-review, aww2016

What an exciting, heart-breaking and devastating story of life in 20s, what an inspiring woman our heroine is.

Historical novels aren't always my thing and generally when I think historical I head back to the 18th and 19th centuries rather than the early part of the 20th.

A Kiss From Mr Fitzgerald is set in the middle of the 1920s, with prohibition in force and a major change brewing. Lester has painted a vivid picture of a New York life in the 20s that makes me look at all the things we take for What an exciting, heart-breaking and devastating story of life in 20s, what an inspiring woman our heroine is.

Historical novels aren't always my thing and generally when I think historical I head back to the 18th and 19th centuries rather than the early part of the 20th.

A Kiss From Mr Fitzgerald is set in the middle of the 1920s, with prohibition in force and a major change brewing. Lester has painted a vivid picture of a New York life in the 20s that makes me look at all the things we take for granted in the 21st century. There are times that I look around now and am thankful that I was born in the last quarter of the 20th century rather than the beginning of the 21st. Reading this book makes me appreciate the freedoms I can enjoy thanks to the pioneering women of the early 20th century and glad I was born in the second half of the 20th century rather than the first.

I guess that regardless of the times you are born into and the times you live in there will be good things and not so good things.

Evelyn Lockhart is born into a middle class New York family in a time when the purpose of her education was to help her find a wealthy husband and run a household, unfortunately that wasn't enough. Evelyn wants to go to college, she wants to do something important with her life, and when she happens to come across a young woman giving birth by the side of a river all alone she finds her calling. Evie Lockhart decides she wants to be a doctor.

I loved Evie, she was a woman before her time and she was determined; she had strong beliefs and refused to be swayed. In a time where women of her class spent all their time trying to catch a husband Evie had a man waiting to propose but wanted more than that life could offer her. Witnessing the death of a woman alone in childbirth brought out the desire in her to help other women, to put a stop to these avoidable deaths.

This is a time when the first female students where still studying medicine and female doctors were still unheard of. Evie could have been a nurse but that wasn't enough for her. She had the smarts she just needed to be able to prove herself and get through summer school to be able to apply.

If it wasn't enough that she had to work twice as hard to get into college she still had to go up against an entire college of men who didn't think she should be there, and a society who ostracised her. Her family refused to support her decision, therefore cutting her off and forcing her to pay her own way through college.

Review will appear in full here: bookgirl.beautyandlace.net
...more

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Mar 15, 2018 Emily Wrayburn rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction, judging-a-book-by-its-cover, omg-i-loved-this, aussie-books

Review originally posted on A Keyboard and an Open Mind March 19, 2018:

This book reminded me how good historical fiction can be. I actually went back and checked how much of it I had read in the past year, and it turned out not much. In 2017, I read four historical fiction books, and I wasn’t really into any of them. I’m glad this one reminded me how good it feels to get sucked into a different time and place.

After witnessing a woman die of childbirth in the woods while the men in her life look ...more

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Oct 28, 2017 Adora Herveaux rated it really liked it

Shelves: favorites

If Lizzie Bennett had been born in the 1920s I imagine she’d be just like Evie Lockhart - determined to be more than just someone’s wife. The love story was a little lacking at times but overall an inspiring read that’ll make you want to visit a speakeasy. If you enjoyed Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, you’ll love this.

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Jun 29, 2017 Kerran Olson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2017-challenge

4.5 *some spoilers* Absolutely love this book. I love the glitz and glamour of anything Fitgerald-esque, and I like how this book portrays Evie's struggles as she is not supported by her family when she starts to move towards more modern, 'scandalous'' goals. The contrast between Evie's 'proper' upbringing and family and the decadent 1920s lifestyles portrayed in many other books (Fitzgerald in particular) is really well done. I also love Tommy, and think that Evie and Tommy's relationship 4.5 *some spoilers* Absolutely love this book. I love the glitz and glamour of anything Fitgerald-esque, and I like how this book portrays Evie's struggles as she is not supported by her family when she starts to move towards more modern, 'scandalous'' goals. The contrast between Evie's 'proper' upbringing and family and the decadent 1920s lifestyles portrayed in many other books (Fitzgerald in particular) is really well done. I also love Tommy, and think that Evie and Tommy's relationship progressed well, as they didn't decide they were in love straight away, but spent time together and encouraged each other. I liked that a lot of the story focused on Evie's professional dreams of becoming an obstetrician, and I found the medical aspects of the story to be really well researched and interesting. I also liked that Evie reconciled with her sister, and that Lil and Evie had such a strong friendship throughout the book. Towards the end I found the story quite similar to Lester's most recent book, Her Mother's Secret- Leo and Evie, the female protagonists of each novel, both become unexpectedly pregnant to the man they love, conceal the pregancy to 'protect' him and continue to succeed in their professional pursuits whilst raising children alone. When the children are revealed a year or many years later Everett/Tommy is completely thrilled to find out about his child and doesnt seem at all put out about being kept in the dark, and a happy family is constructed immediately. I really enjoyed both stories despite the similarities and somewhat idealistic romance, but I hope Lester doesn't use this secret pregnancy plot in every book in the future, because it will become too predictable. I would also like to see the male characters a bit more developed and driven, and would like their 'back up' women (Everetts wife in Her Mothers Secret, and Winnie in A Kiss From Mr Fitzgerald) not to be portrayed as so petty/villanous/shallow/one dimensional. Despite this, I found both books entertaining, fun, and full of likable and ambitious female protagonists and friendships.

I don't generally read a lot of romance or historical fiction, but after reading Her Mother's Secret and A Kiss From Mr Fitzgerald, I do enjoy the fun, easy to read style of Natasha Lester's novels, and find them thorough and historically relevant as well. Lester has become one of my favourite Australian authors, and I'm definitely looking forward to her future books! ...more

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Oct 09, 2017 Kate Forsyth rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical, australian, historical-romance, aww2017

Natasha Lester is an Australian writer based in Perth, and A Kiss from Mr Fitzgerald is her first foray into historical fiction, after two contemporary tales published by Fremantle Press.

I was irresistibly drawn to her book by its gorgeous cover and the promise of its title, A Kiss From Mr Fitzgerald. I love books set in the 1920s, which was such a heady period of glamour and new freedoms. And I was intrigued by the premise: the heroine, Evelyn, is determined to become an obstetrician, at a ...more

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Jun 01, 2016 Carolyn rated it it was amazing

A Kiss from Mr Fitzgerald by Natasha Lester, I fell in love with.

It is a captivating, tragic love story set amid the fragile hearts and glamour of 1920's New York.

The story of Evelyn Lockhart with her dreams and emotions captured my heart.

I was there, I was a Ziegfield Follie, I was the obstetrician!

I was the one longing for The Kiss.

Set in a world of Manhattan, gin, jazz and speakeasies, sequins and feathers on costumes.

I moved through this book like I was on a filmstrip.

A novel filled with ...more

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Nov 23, 2016 Marie McLean rated it it was amazing

There were so many things I loved about this book...
The backstory about women having to fight to be treated as equals in the 1920's (especially when it came to education and careers); the luscious setting of New York - jazz, speakeasies, Ziegfeld Follies, fashion and fabulous architecture (I only wish I had read it while I was in New York earlier this year!); the description of obstetrics in the 1920s (I'm really happy to have given birth in the current era); the love story between Evelyn and ...more

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Sep 18, 2017 Jenny rated it liked it

A lovely gentle read that comes also with a positive message about following your dreams and working hard to achieve what might seem the impossible. The novel was set in her heady and lively days of New York in the 20s, a challenging time for women who wanted to make their way in professions that were not deemed suitable for them. For Evie she surprised everyone, in more ways than one, which makes for a captivating romance as well as a solid commentary of the times.

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May 09, 2016 Rebecca marked it as couldn-t-finish · review of another edition

A complete and utter crock of shite and clunky writing. Please please please remind me not to be sucked in by obviously rigged Goodreads reviews on recently released titles. I should know better. I can't even say I got past 20 pages. Nooooooooooo

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Feb 08, 2018 Kathy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Well Natasha Lester has become one of my fav authors!!! What an absolute gem. She has the ability to take you to a time and place and make you feel as if you are there. The characters are friends that you feel you actually know and you are effortlessly swept away to another time and place. This is now my second Lester book (after a more than 5 star Her Mother’s Secret) and I can just say I LOVE this writer. Evie Lockhart was an amazing character, strong, brave and ahead of her time as she ...more

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Feb 12, 2018 Joy rated it really liked it

I really enjoyed this book. Natasha obviously researched extensively to include facts and information about landmarks around the City, the trials and tribulations of a woman in a man's world in medicine and the nightlife of a Follies Showgirl.
I was drawn into the story, and really wanted Evie to have her Happy Ever After with Thomas.
A beautifully written tale.

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Mar 16, 2016 Monique Mulligan rated it it was amazing

In 2012, Natasha Lester was my guest at one of my early Stories on Stage events. Few of the audience had heard of her; I was the only one who had read her two books. She was polished and professional; in fact, she was so well prepared that audience members were left open-mouthed at the end of her talk. Fast forward three-and-a-half years. These days, through a combination of sheer hard work, belief and talent, Natasha is very well known in the Perth writing community. She’s highly regarded for In 2012, Natasha Lester was my guest at one of my early Stories on Stage events. Few of the audience had heard of her; I was the only one who had read her two books. She was polished and professional; in fact, she was so well prepared that audience members were left open-mouthed at the end of her talk. Fast forward three-and-a-half years. These days, through a combination of sheer hard work, belief and talent, Natasha is very well known in the Perth writing community. She’s highly regarded for her writing courses, talks and envied for her writing talent. My prediction is that with her latest book, A Kiss From Mr Fitzgerald, Natasha Lester’s name will be on many more lips, Australia-wide and beyond. It’s everything I expected and then some.

When Evelyn Lockhart moves to Manhattan to follow her dream of becoming a doctor, she is introduced to a world beyond her well-brought up imagining. It’s the roaring twenties, and those who can enjoy the gin-and-jazz-infused nightlife, do. In order to support herself through medical school, Evie auditions for the late-night Ziegfeld Follies, somehow managing to juggle the heavy workload, while maintaining high grades. She has to. She’s fighting to be accepted in a male-dominated world, against the wishes of her family, the conservative world of her childhood, and Charlie, the childhood best friend everyone expects her to marry. No one cares that the life that’s been mapped out for her is not what she wants. No one, except Charlie’s older brother, Upper East Side banker Thomas Whitman, a man Evie finds herself falling in love with. But can she have it all? Are her life choices too scandalous, even for Thomas to bear?

His hand was frozen on his jacket pocket, covering the Tiffany’s box that was no doubt hidden inside. The Tiffany’s box that any other girl in the world would give her right arm for. For a single moment, Evie wished she was normal. That all she wanted was to be married and have babies. Then she could say yes and Charlie would smile… (p99)
Evocative and exquisitely imagined, A Kiss From Mr Fitzgerald is a love story with much to offer readers. The romance quivers with tension, conflict and and chemistry. The setting is beautifully drawn, full of detail, atmosphere, and life. The characters are rendered with authenticity, from Evie’s determination and tenacity to Charlie’s spiteful possessiveness. The love story is teased out, making readers ache for resolution, among a backdrop of changing gender roles, the redefinition of social rights and wrongs, the grasp for freedom, and voices fighting to be heard.

Natasha Lester has delivered something remarkable and memorable with A Kiss From Mr Fitzgerald. From cover to cover, it’s reader heaven. ...more

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May 27, 2016 Greg rated it it was amazing

THIS TALE OF a young woman with her heart set on becoming one of just a handful of female Doctors in booming Charleston-era America is a stirring, blood pumping, fascinating and highly entertaining way to spend three hours of your life. Not only do we get to know, and fall in love with the book’s main character, but the reader is blessed with a history lesson on what life was like back when men ruled just about every aspect of western civilisation.

The first shock of the book, however, comes at THIS TALE OF a young woman with her heart set on becoming one of just a handful of female Doctors in booming Charleston-era America is a stirring, blood pumping, fascinating and highly entertaining way to spend three hours of your life. Not only do we get to know, and fall in love with the book’s main character, but the reader is blessed with a history lesson on what life was like back when men ruled just about every aspect of western civilisation.

The first shock of the book, however, comes at the end of chapter one when a dear friend of Evie is found alone, on the bank of a local river. Giving birth to an unwanted child. Needless to say the friend dies, the baby lives, Evie has suffered a harsh lesson on what life is *really* like and her destiny is set.

The writing is simple but really glows when the story takes itself to New York. Phrases jump out of the page and grab onto your heart with plentiful abandon, destined to stay there for as long as your mind is able to remember this book. For every step that Evie takes forward, it seems that life itself is determined to force her back two more. But that is sure to make her final success even more grand.

The story itself is blessed with a plethora of strong characters. Some on Evie’s side, most are not. Interesting, she doesn’t receive much support from her family and it is very easy to hate the lot of them. Her true friends are found when she decides to act out on what she believes in, and takes control of her life as per the book’s plot and of course the reader will soon find themselves cheering wholeheartedly for every victory she achieves.

Love is there for the taking as well as one two compelling mysteries to solve. Who is the baby’s father? Will she end up adopting sweet little Mary from the dreaded claws of orphanism? And of course, the only question that matters: will Evelyn become a full fledged practicing Doctor and go on to change the direction of countless women in the process?

I urge you to seek out this book and read it. A modern day classic from a young Australian with not just a story to tell, but a stirring and important message to shout to the world. ...more

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May 05, 2016 Ellen Read rated it it was amazing

A Kiss from Mr Fitzgerald by Natasha Lester

I loved this book and don’t hesitate to give it 5 stars.

It’s the 1920s in Manhattan. A new era where women enjoy more freedom but not without a struggle to achieve it.

Evie Lockhart is one of these women. Evie wants to follow her dream of being an obstetrician but even in New York with its gin, jazz, glitter and modernity, a woman wanting to become a doctor is all but ostracized.

After leaving her comfortable home, her conservative family, and Charlie - ...more

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Mar 20, 2016 RitaSkeeter rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2016, first_reads

I enjoyed this a whole lot. A backdrop of the swinging 20's and the Ziegfeld follies was always going to be fun, but add in themes around suffrage and it was a winner for me.

Things I really enjoyed about this book:
- Well I already mentioned the backdrop, but I'll mention it again!
- I enjoyed the plot of a young woman fighting against family, society, and patriarchy to become an obstetrician.
- I hadn't expected to enjoy reading about early obstetrics as much as I did. Thank you-know-who (not ...more

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May 09, 2016 Deborah rated it really liked it

I’m not a fan of historical fiction OR romance so I started this book with some reticence - figuring I might as well give it a try.

And I kept reading and reading because I LOVED it!

It's the first book I've read by Lester and she scored on all fronts. The characters were great; it was eloquently written (so effortless reading); and the plot itself addictive.

It wasn't the dreary historical piece I was dreading and nor was it some Barbara Taylor Bradford-like saga sweeping several generations.

Much ...more

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Feb 04, 2017 Nicky Robinson rated it it was amazing

Fabulous read!! Set in 1920's New York, which seems ridiculously cool and glamorous, this book follows the story of an ambitious small town girl who moves to New York to become the first female obstetrician. She was bold and inspiring, and pushed the boundaries of what was deemed socially acceptable at the time. While discussing this at a book club breakfast, it became obvious we were all drawn to the strong female lead and her fight against not only male but family and societal judgement and ...more

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May 30, 2016 Nicki Markus rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: read-historical

It's lucky I ended up reading this while my husband was on night shifts, as once I started, I couldn't put it down and stayed up late two nights in a row to finish it. A Kiss From Mr Fitzgerald captivated me from page one. Evie is a character who is immediately approachable and engaging. Right from the start, I felt I knew her and wanted her to succeed. There were some good twists along the way. A couple of times, I thought I knew what was going to happen, but then something changed, taking the ...more

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About Natasha Lester

Natasha Lester

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Natasha Lester is the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of THE PARIS ORPHAN / THE FRENCH PHOTOGRAPHER and THE PARIS SEAMSTRESS.

Prior to writing, she worked as a marketing executive for L’Oreal, managing the Maybelline brand, before returning to university to study creative writing.

Her first historical novel, the bestselling A Kiss from Mr Fitzgerald, was published in 2016. This was ...more