Charlotte Darby struggles to take care of a special-needs little sister in the bad part of 1910's London until a solicitor shows up on her doorstep. In an instant she is the heiress of Willowkeep, a large estate previously owned by an uncle she has never met. As she travels to her new home, she is unsure how she, who was raised on the docks as a merchant's daughter, will fit into her new life as an aristocrat. She quickly finds herself depending on the young and handsome Willowkeep steward. To her he is a perfect gentleman outside her reach, and to him she is one of the weathiest women in the county, beyond his social circle. As affection grows on both sides, so do doubts and troubles as another family member plots to take the inheritance away from Charlotte.
I know the summary above makes this sound like a super cliche regency romance, but it actually was better than I expected. The writing is delightful with equal measures of humor and drama. Charlotte is a very charming character who never gets spoiled by her sudden good fortune. I liked her unfailing kindess and patience with her difficult new relatives. In our library collection this is included in the Religious Fiction section, but the religious elements are more subtle than other RelFic I have read. I will have add Julie Daines to my list of good clean romance authors. (2016, 280 p)
No comments:
Post a Comment