The Carousel Painter starts with a promising and uncommon theme, a young girl moves to the states from paris after her father's death and is offered a job as a carousel horse painter. Unfortunately, after this initial set-up the events that follow are all too familiar. A so-so romance, trial after trial for our heroine, and a lacking mystery. The mystery spurred me to continue reading, but the resolution was anticlimactic and predictable. It was tied-up just in time to have the perfect happy ending for the love story. Sometimes the subject matter and vernacular were spot on within the historical period, and other times, a slight bit off. Carrie was a great protagonist, but the other characters were a just a little flat.

I really wanted to like this book, but it just didn't quite do it for me. All-in-all it could have been better, but neither was it a waste of time. If you like this genre, read it, but if this genre is not your cup of tea, it wouldn't be my first suggestion.