Book Review: One Enchanted Evening

One Enchanted Evening by Anton Du Beke is a period romance set in the golden age of glamour, the late 1930s. Set against the opulent backdrop of the Buckingham Hotel in pre-war London, presents a world where ambition meets vulnerability, and flawed characters strive toward redemption.

This novel offers a sense of escapism, for both its characters and it's readers, in the most nourishing sense. For readers, it’s a ticket to an era of big bands, ballroom dancing, and late-night intrigues behind hotel doors. The setting itself feels like a character: richly embroidered with period detail, from the stiff uniforms of the staff to the whispered affairs of the hotel’s elite guests, all sparkled with old-world glamour.

But escapism isn’t just in the setting—it’s in the story’s spirit. At a time when the shadow of war begins to creep in, and personal troubles are ever-present, the characters still seek joy, love, and purpose. There’s an emotional lift in watching people rise above their station, or at least try, with grace and grit. For the reader, this is more than entertainment. It’s a gentle, optimistic reminder that courage and the desire to be better doesn’t have to roar, sometimes it's just in the little every day moments.