Title: Wrapped
Author: Jennifer Bradbury
Publisher: Atheneum
Published: May 24, 2011
Genre: YA, Hist-Fic
Pages: 256
Source: S&S Galley Grab

This is Agnes Wilkins’ debut season and already she’s attracting the attention of one of England’s most eligible and desirable men: Lord Showalter. He’s been quite forward about his intentions and Agnes finds this at once thrilling and terrifying. He is handsome and wealthy and has this quirky interest in helping England amass the world’s finest collection of Egyptian artifacts. It could be a good match—but everything Agnes knows about courtship and high society romance comes from A. Lady novels, and it seems to be a rule that men who are too good to be true are usually hiding something.

But, what Showalter is hiding is not crumbling finances or boarish behavior. He is deceiving the whole British Empire. He is spy working for Napoleon, his orders smuggled into London in Egyptian artifacts—like the one Agnes pockets while at a mummy unwrapping party at Showalter’s home. Her innocent interest in this trinket (and childish need to keep it) jump starts a chain of events that bring out dangerous characters, dangerous circumstances, and the biggest danger of all—true love.

Agnes is ready to enter society. It's 1815, and it's time for her to enjoy (and entertain) her first season of eligibility, which means she will have every opportunity to find a suitable husband with good intentions, wealth and interests. Lord Showalter is one such man, and he's got his eye on Agnes. When he invites her to a mummy-unrapping party, she accepts, sending her on a whirlwind adventure of lies, deceit and even the fate of England at Napoloeon's hand. Will she be able to stop the thievery and lies while maintaining her good name as a proper lady?

I don't read too much historical fiction. That's not to say I don't love historical fiction, it's just that I don't find too many that really break the mold. Wrapped has a great premise, and it's definitely one that I've never heard before, which intrigued me. Promising a plot full of twists and turns, as well as a lovable heroine, author Jennifer Bradbury has set up an adventure-filled novel that somehow manages to combine history and mummies into a cohesive and fun story.

Wrapped definitely didn't disappoint when it came to the main character. Agnes was seriously witty, and definitely more than what met the eye. She kept me guessing, and her little anecdotes added a touch of lighthearted hilarity to the story. Lord Showalter, though not nearly as deep, was a good character that perfectly Agnes's personality. I will, however, say that if you're looking for complete accuracy in the historical parts of the book, Wrapped won't meet your standards. The time period, though great for the story, wasn't entirely historically accurate. I will also say that, at times, I felt like the Jane Austen references within Wrapped were a bit too cluttered. That said, the tone throughout the book was fun, enjoyable and intriguing, so despite the somewhat obvious villain, the tone won out.

All in all, Wrapped is a fun read. It's not deep, and there was no real message hidden in multiple layers, but the plot was a nice, quick and simple read for me. I give it a strong 3.5 out of 5, and I'd recommend it to all fans of YA, especially those who enjoy lighthearted chick-lit and historical fiction.

I received this eARC free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

In My Mailbox is an amazing weekly meme hosted by Kristi from The Story Siren that features the books we have received during the week. It's so much fun because we get to see what our fellow bloggers stumbled upon this week and add even more to our piles of books! Without further ado, this week I received the following books:

FOR REVIEW:

Wrapped by Jennifer Bradbury - (eARC - Thank you, Simon & Schuster Galley Grab) - Agnes Wilkins dreams of adventures that reach beyond the garden walls, but reality for a seventeen-year-old debutante in 1815 London does not allow for camels—or dust, even. No, Agnes can only see a mummy when she is wearing a new silk gown and standing on the verdant lawns of Lord Showalter’s estate, with chaperones fussing about and strolling sitar players straining to create an exotic “atmosphere” for the first party of the season. An unwrapping.

Boyfriends With Girlfriends by Alex Sanchez - (eARC - Thank you, Simon & Schuster Galley Grab) - Lance has always known he was gay, but he's never had a real boyfriend. Sergio is bisexual, but his only real relationship was with a girl. When the two of them meet, they have an instant connection--but will it be enough to overcome their differences? Allie's been in a relationship with a guy for the last two years--but when she meets Kimiko, she can't get her out of her mind. Does this mean she's lesbian? Does it mean she's bi?

Between Here and Forever by Elizabeth Scott - (eARC - Thank you, Simon & Schuster Galley Grab) - Abby accepted that she can’t measure up to her beautiful, magnetic sister Tess a long time ago, and knows exactly what she is: Second best. Invisible. Until the accident. Now Tess is in a coma, and Abby’s life is on hold. It may have been hard living with Tess, but it's nothing compared to living without her.

FOR REVIEW

Stay by Deb Caletti - (eARC - Thank you, Simon & Schuster Galley Grab) - Clara’s relationship with Christian is intense from the start, and like nothing she’s ever experienced before. But what starts as devotion quickly becomes obsession, and it’s almost too late before Clara realizes how far gone Christian is—and what he’s willing to do to make her stay.

BOUGHT

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen - Sixteen-year-old Macy Queen is looking forward to a long, boring summer. Her boyfriend is going away. She's stuck with a dull-as-dishwater job at the library. And she'll spend all of her free time studying for the SATs or grieving silently with her mother over her father's recent unexpected death. But everything changes when Macy is corralled into helping out at one of her mother's open house events, and she meets the chaotic Wish Catering crew.

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen - Last year, Annabel was "the girl who has everything"—at least that's the part she played in the television commercial for Kopf's Department Store.This year, she's the girl who has nothing: no best friend because mean-but-exciting Sophie dropped her, no peace at home since her older sister became anorexic, and no one to sit with at lunch. Until she meets Owen Armstrong.

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Remember, I have two international giveaways going on now! Enter to be one of three winners for a choice of 6 ARCs in my Birthday Bash Giveaway (ends 3/30) and, while you're at it, enter to win an ARC of Awaken (ends 4/15)!