June 26, 2017
This sweet novel, set in 1840, has a heroine who’s trying to be unconventional, but Bell still gives her a conventional path to romance. After two years abroad, Nicholas Wakefield, a marquis’s second son, is finally summoned home. He’s ready to confess his undying love for his neighbor Amelia Bishop, even though her family has been shunned by most of noble society ever since her sister, Julia, was born with a disabled foot. But Amelia’s engagement to Lord Montrose has just been announced, and Nicholas is forced to resume his position as her friend and confidant. Amelia is reluctant to leave vibrant Julia, despite having landed a dashing earl to marry. Her concerns are amplified when she realizes that Montrose’s charming public persona hides a manipulative, hard man who’s determined to use Amelia as a replacement for his deceased true love. Without social capital, Amelia has no choice but to act just scandalously enough—with Nicholas’s help—to make Montrose call off the wedding. The book is perfectly pleasant, but readers may be disappointed that Bell misses the opportunity to put a fresh twist on friendship turning to love: Nicholas remains fixated on Amelia even though Julia is the more interesting character. Agent: Rachel Brooks, L. Perkins Agency.