The Aviatrix by Violet Marsh | ARC Review

"There’s always a bit of enchantment in the world as long as you know how to look for it.

Synopsis : 

Saint Louis, 1923..

The golden age of flight has just begun, and pilot Mattie McAdams refuses to cede the skies to cocky flyboys. She longs to perform daring stunts in her family’s flying circus, but the men in her life stand in her way—including the show’s star performer, Leo Ward. They can wring their hands all they want; Mattie won’t stay grounded for long.

In the Great War, Leo Ward watched his best friend and Mattie’s twin brother, Alfred, perish in the skies over German territory. Since then, he’s vowed to protect the McAdams family, taking on the most perilous stunts himself. But the skies are too big for any one man.

Mattie joins a female-dominated flying circus, kicking off a tantalizing aerial dance as the two pilots make efforts to one-up each other in the skies across America. As planes and passions soar, can Mattie and Leo look beyond their egos to see the great heights they might reach together?

Review : 

The Aviatrix stands out as a unique historical romance, as while most are set pre-1900 (most set after are marketed as historical fiction), this one is set during the 1920s. It also piqued my interest as I love to read about historical women engaged in atypical professions and pursuits, and the fact that this one depicted a flying circus, a phenomenon that I had not heard of, but clearly was a source of entertainment at this time in history. 

I generally liked Mattie as a heroine, and rooted for her as she pursued her flying ambitions. The fact that the other women in the circus were also centered was also a plus. 

The relationship between Mattie and Leo took time to grow on me, but I liked it once it did. I did feel like Leo’s POV had less to offer than Mattie’s, as while he has a connection to Mattie due to him having served with her brother in the Great War and generally being a friend of the family, it felt like her growth as a person was more important. 

This book also felt like a bit too slow of a burn, so I felt my investment flagging at times. There’s excitement when the circus puts on shows, but the pacing between those feels uneven. 

Nevertheless, this was a charming read, and while I did have issues with it, I still more or less enjoyed this book for what it has to offer. If you like historical romance, but want a different setting from the norm, I recommend trying this one.