This HaBO request comes from Kathy, who hopes to be reunited with her first romance novel:
When I was around 13, I picked up my very first romance novel at a bed and breakfast. Dimly suspecting my mom might not approve, I hid it under my mattress, but it was gone one day before I could finish it. Since I wasn’t supposed to have it in the first place, I never asked my mom where it went. It kind of blew my mind at the time – genre newbie that I was – and I’d really like to finish the damned thing!
I don’t remember all that much, but it must have been late 80s/early 90s fare, set in the gilded age (maybe 1900-1915) in the US. The heroine’s name was Thea – she was named after Teddy Roosevelt, and was his niece or goddaughter or something. She was wealthy and adventurous, which is what fascinated me at thirteen.
At some point early in the novel, she has dinner with Roosevelt. She dressed well. She also goes on a train ride in a fancy Pullman railway car. There may have been some kind of spy subplot involving the run-up to WWI.
And – this shows you my 13-year-old priorities – I have no recollection whatsoever of the hero!
I know that’s not much, but the Roosevelt connection has to be pretty unique, right?
C’mon, Bitchery! Let’s track down Teddy’s “niece or goddaughter or something.”