Customer Reviews

A Bicycle Built for Two: Meet Me at the Fair (Zebra Ballad Romance)

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Alice Duncan superbly recreates the 1890's in this terrific tale of two people from completely different worlds who find what they didn't know they were looking for in each other.

Alex English is a fastidious, stuffy, proper gentleman farmer who is extremely proud of his participation in the World's Columbian Exposition being held in Chicago. For him, the Expo showcases all that is good about America and should be an educational and uplifting experience for all who attend - and he will not allow anything to taint it. But when a young woman who works at the Expo is attacked (and by her own father!), Alex is outraged and decides she has to go - can't have this sort of unpleasantness spoiling the Expo!

For Kate Finney, the Expo is just an opportunity to make a bit more money to support herself and her mother. She's working two jobs, one at a fortune-telling booth and the other as an "Egyptian" dancer. But her worthless drunk of a father has not only threatened her life, but now her livelihood - for when Alex English shows up, she knows with dread exactly why he's come. But she's not going without a fight, darn it! Alex is completely unprepared for her outrage and her fighting spirit! He's never met anyone like Kate Finney!

Once Alex gets over the shock of his initial meeting with Kate, he becomes curious about her and learns of her desperate family circumstances. Kate is waging a one-woman battle against poverty, an abusive, dangerous father and the tuberculosis ravaging her beloved mother. When Alex takes steps to make what may be her mother's last weeks or months as comfortable as possible, Kate is initially suspicious and resentful. But over time, she realizes that Alex is genuinely a nice guy with only pure motives. Gee, it would be real nice to have a man like that in her life, but he's not for the likes of her - poor Kate Finney from the slums of Chicago. As for Alex, he's come to admire Kate - she's smart, strong and beautiful and he longs to knock that chip off her shoulder and make her life better. Would she even let him?

In a genre full of sometimes tawdry and empty stories with characters who manipulate and deceive one another, this was a breath of fresh air! Well developed characters that you really care about and a terrific story. Highly recommended!

This is the third and last book in the "Meet Me At the Fair" series by
Alice Duncan. It's every bit as good as the first two were! This one tells
the story of Kate Finney. In the second story, Kate's father attacked her
and Belle saved Kate by beating her father with an umbrella. Now, this
third book is Kate's story.

It starts off with snobbish Alex English aghast that someone actually had
the audacity to do that at the World's Columbian Exposition. He decides
that he must go and meet this Kate Finney and let her know that things of
that sort are just not the thing! Alex has no idea that feisty Kate will
give him a run for his money! She's holding down two jobs trying to make
ends meet and taking care of her mother. She especially wants to keep her
mother's whereabouts from her father as her mother is very ill with
consumption and isn't long for the world.

When Alex confronts Kate she gives him as good as he gives her so he
decides to investigate her further. He's shocked by what he finds and
decides then and there that he will help her and her family. The problem
is Kate will have no part of Alex or his help. After all she has her pride.
She has no way of knowing that when Alex gets his claws into something he's
like a bulldog! Both Alex and Kate have a few lessons to learn about each
other as well.

This delightful story as well as the whole series was a joy to read. I
absolutely enjoyed the entire series of books and eagerly look forward to
what Alice Duncan will come up with to entertain us so thoroughly! Kathy Boswell, The Best Reviews

A BICYCLE BUILT FOR TWO is a rollicking ride into the gay nineties and a look
at life on the wrong side of the tracks. Alex is part of the rich
aristocracy and quite the snob when it comes to associating with the
unfortunate people of the lower classes. He has the absurd idea that the
poor are simply down on their luck because they choose to be. He is
exasperating and sometimes so naive that he frustrates me. Kate is an
acid-tongued young woman who is rude and pushy to the extent you want to
shake her out of it. When Alex's rose-colored vision of life meets Kate's
every day reality there is an explosion of fireworks. Alex is brought down
to humility and Kate is brought up to the realization that there is kindness
in the world. Ms. Duncan has penned a fine adventure. A BICYCLE BUILT FOR
TWO is a delightful story and not to be missed!

Diana Risso, Romance Reviews Today

Alice Duncan is an excellent author. She composed the Meet Me at the Fair series and A Bicycle Built for Two is the third book in this series. I like Alice Duncan's books because her writing is suspenseful, which makes you want to finish the book without stopping. I like trying to predict what will happen next. However Alice Duncan's stories are unpredictable with many surprises.

A Bicycle Built for Two is a third person story about a young woman, Kate, who tries to care for her ill mother and keep her jobs despite the threats of her abusive father and opposition of her superior.

I would recommend A Bicycle Built for Two for people who read at least at the 6th grade level. There are some difficult words that are understood when taken in context. The dictionary is useful for understanding the story.

If you like books about people in challenging life-like situations with surprise endings, then this absorbing book is for you!

I had a difficult time empathizing with the leads of a Bicycle Built for Two. The hero was condescending and the heroine belligerent. As I kept reading I noted the hero underwent a transformation fairly rapidly but not the heroine which puzzled me. Was she angry and defensive or was it just her habit to be rude?

Set in Chicago in the late 1800's, Alex English is quite proud of his achievement; he is one of the directors of the World Columbian Exposition, a type of world fair. I found this seting original and entertaining. Everything is going swimmingly at the fair for Alex until he encounters Kate Finney. Her father, a drunken lout, has attacked her at her fortune telling booth. Snobbish Alex believes that Kate needs to leave the fair as she does not represent the wholesome values that mark the Exposition.

Kate is from the Chicago slums working two jobs at the fair, as a fortune teller and as an Egyptian dancer. She is hostile as soon as she meets Alex and in no uncertain terms lets him know she resents his uppity attitude. I had no problem with her defending herself, Alex was condescending. Kate is caring for her mother who has tuberculosis and when Alex discovers this he goes out of his way to make Kate's life and her mother's easier. He has an epiphany about the downtrodden and genuinely desires to help Kate. Someitmes he crosses the line though and neglects to consult with her regarding her mother's care but he learned quickly from his mistakes.

Kate is resentful of Alex's help. Her pride is enormous and I lost count of how many times she says in her mind and to Alex how unfair life has been to her. Also I lost count how many times Alex mentally noted Kate's enormous chip on her shoulder, I think he referred to it as the Rock of Gibraltar once. He is not wrong. Kate is incredibly hostile in most conversations with Alex. She curbs her temper only around her mother, who recognizes Alex's goodness.

I had a hard time understanding why Alex loved a woman who really seemed to dislike him. Rarely do they have a conversation that does not end in an argument, usually with Kate ending any sparring match with her overused word, "Nuts" or with her "Humpf" sound. She is smart but has no self confidence except when it comes to dealing with angry or lewd men; there she knows how to take care of herself physically and verbally. She just cannot seem to be nice to someone who is nice to her. She has allowed bitterness to control her life whereas the rest of her family has moved on. Her brothers like Alex. In the last few chapters Kate becomes kinder to Alex, but her transformation came a little too late for me.

Wealthy Alex English intends to make the World's Columbian Exposition Agricultural Forum a success. When a man almost strangles his daughter who works there, his sensibilities rebel. His attempts to dismiss Kate Finney are thwarted by his partners, who remind him that integrity and honor come in various packages.

With her mother dying of consumption, Kate works two jobs to support her family. Alex's outrageous judgment offends her, and she finds his odd interest in her and her family unnerving. She has fought the image of a cheap slum girl all of her life, and she does not hesitate to use a strong offence for her defense. Indeed, her strong spirit dazzles Alex and manages to break through his looming fussiness and cold judgments.

Alice Duncan's mesmerizing voice sparkles in A BICYCLE BUILT FOR TWO. Opposites clash as Kate and Alex struggle to overcome their mutual prejudices. Kate assumes Alex as born with a silver spoon his mouth, underestimating the incredible hard work he has devoted to rebuilding his family's fortunes. Alex assumes a workingwoman who engages in fortune telling and Egyptian dancing must be a harlot. Set during an exciting period of American history filled with new discoveries and inventions, Duncan infuses her novel with the strengths and the struggles of the era. A dramatic subplot tempers the novel with the tragedies that confront ordinary people, thereby balancing the amusing with the tragic. A BICYCLE BUILT FOR TWO comes highly recommended.