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

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Continuity and change are key themes throughout the book and I felt that Anton du Beke treats these subjects sensitively. Shaken by the Great Depression and withtalk of another war coming, the Buckingham Hotel is trying to regain some stability.

As an historian, I loved the insight into the 1930s London in the period of the coronation of King George VI and the lead up to the Second World War. 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. A determined Vivienne finally thinks that she has found the perfect activity to invest all of her time and effort, but does she know what she is doing?

Seeing the name of the author you would expect this book to feature ballroom dancing, and you would be correct. Upstairs, Vivienne Edgerton is desperate to do something worthwhile with her time and her stepfather's money, rather than spending it on frivolity and debauchery - but will this land her in even more trouble? I love your dancing with Emma this year and the dancing that you did in strictly come dancing, I am a fan f yours because of Auntie Monica who had the hots for you on strictly.

I admit to reading the first chapter in Anton's voice but soon got over my adoration and enjoyed the book for its own merits. And upstairs, Vivienne Edgerton is desperate to do something worthwhile with her time and her step-father’s money, rather than spending it on dresses and frivolities – but will this land her back in trouble?The book evokes the same nostalgia as Downton Abbey and Gosford Park, and I could easily imagine this to be made into a Sunday night series. Anton uses such vivid and realistic descriptions that I really did feel as though I was part of the story myself- although I would draw the line at dancing because that just wouldn’t be pretty. 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.

The consummate storyteller, adept at captivating audiences will now captivate readers as he whisks them away to worlds of dance, intrigue, high society and scandal.This is a story set in the Buckingham Hotel with a huge ballroom, renowned for being the grandest in any hotel in London. Oh my, ever since I finished this book I keep hearing the music in my mind and sighing at an era that I simply adore. 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. Dangerous secrets, forbidden love and illicit passions are always on the menu at the Buckingham Hotel, but will they deter the staff and its inhabitants from reaching for the stars?

The deco decoration at the start of each chapter sets the scene for the ball room and grand hotel where all the action occurs. Whilst personally I did not warm to Frank whom I felt brought nothing new to the cast, his story did not dominate the novel which is much more a story of how a magnificent hotel fares through the interwar years and the impact on its fortunes, in addition to the staff and guests who pass through its doors.

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. 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. Of course being known for his dancing skills on "Strictly come dancing" this story centred around the ballroom of the Grand Buckingham hotel. After a successful debut the temptation might have been to maintain the status quo but instead Du Beke takes the risk of significant developments taking place in the lives of the primary cast and as a result the novel proves to be as engrossing as the first.