The Girls at the Kingfisher Club

I strongly recommend that you read this book all in one sitting. It's only 250 pages with short paragraphs so it's not difficult to do. Like all good fairy tales, it casts a spell, and if you stop reading the spell might break. I read 75% of it one evening, and was completely caught up in the time and place, the relationship among the 12 sisters, the understated but effective romance, and the indomitable Jo, the “General” who keeps everyone safe at such a high cost to herself. Unfortunately I fell asleep around page 200, and read the last 50 pages the next day. By then, the magic was lost, and I started questioning a lot of the plot holes and thin characterizations (only about half of the sisters have distinct enough personalities to be memorable - although creating six strong siblings in a short novel is quite an accomplishment). But I was still enthralled by the book's perfect ending and immediately wanted to re-read it, more comfortably the second time once I knew that it's more of a Disney fairy tale than a Grimm one (HEA assured).

Truly a unique, lyrical, female-empowering novel. Highly recommended.