It Started in Budapest

Click here to purchase on Amazon 

Early reviews from readers:

"Fresh, original, intriguing, and romantic. It Started in Budapest is quite the adventure to read."    -Mandy

"I love a great Gothic romance and this one did not disappoint! The location, the setting, and the ambiance were just perfect."

-Lucinda

"Julie Daines tells a masterful story."

-Emily

"A pleasing read about hope, faith, darkness, and light."

-The Starry Library 

Amazon blurb: 

Molly Cooper is haunted by one simple fact: it is her fault her twin brother, Matthew, has spent his life trapped in a frail body while she has thrived. Deep in her heart, she knows he can’t hold on much longer . . .

In her desperation to save her brother, Molly finds inspiration in an unlikely source: the newly published novel Dracula. When her family embarks on the Orient Express to seek treatment for Matthew in Bulgaria, Molly is prepared to set her plan in motion: she will sneak away from her parents and journey alone to Transylvania, where she will seek a vampire, whose blood can make her brother immortal. Molly’s rash plan is going flawlessly—until she encounters Percy Hunt, a handsome American traveler running from the shadows of his own past. When he discovers Molly’s plan, Percy’s concern for the naive young woman leaves him no choice but to accompany her on her strange quest. But neither Percy nor Molly is prepared for the feelings that quickly grow between them or for the death-defying escapade that awaits.

I really enjoyed writing this book. I have always loved Dracula and when I got the chance to bring some of the beautiful wisdom from Dracula into this story, I couldn't wait to write it. Molly has lived a sheltered yet difficult life, so while she understands hardship and suffering, she is extremely naive to the ways of the world. I loved taking her on this journey where she gets a chance to experience things, to grow up, and to see the good and bad the world has to offer. It is a story about letting go of things you cannot control and finding peace in the worst situations. 

It Started in Budapest is the first book in the "Romance on the Orient Express" series. This is a set of four books, each written by a different, amazing author, and each book about a different young woman who finds her chance at love on the Orient Express. 

The next book in the series is Wrong Train to Paris by my dear friend and talented author, Jennifer Moore. Look forward to it in December!