by Josi S. Kilpack
Paperback, 336 pages
Published
April 7th 2015
by Shadow Mountain
Source: I received a copy in exchange for an honest review
Description: Amber Marie Sterlington,
the Rage of the Season in Regency-era London, has her pick of men, and
she knows what she wants most in a husband: a title and a fortune. Why
would she ever marry for something as fickle as love? And why would she
ever look twice at Thomas Richards, a third son of a country lord?
But when Amber’s social standing is threatened, the character of her future husband becomes far more important than his position. After a public humiliation, she finds herself exiled to Yorkshire. Alone except for her maid, Amber is faced with a future she never expected in a circumstance far below what she has known all her life. Humbled and lonely, Amber begins to wonder if isolation is for the best. Who could ever love her now?
But when Amber’s social standing is threatened, the character of her future husband becomes far more important than his position. After a public humiliation, she finds herself exiled to Yorkshire. Alone except for her maid, Amber is faced with a future she never expected in a circumstance far below what she has known all her life. Humbled and lonely, Amber begins to wonder if isolation is for the best. Who could ever love her now?
It's safe to say that Amber is a snob, completely self-centered, and completely unlikable. She thinks of no one, save herself, and her desire to have a title and money. When a condition and situation out of her control causes her to be banished from society, a real and deep introspection occurs and I absolutely loved the results. Watching the transformation, acceptance, and humbling that happened was very sweet and I completely changed my opinions.
Thomas is a man who wishes to marry, but is one who doesn't enjoy the fickle London society. He really stands out because he's so different from the norm and I adored that trait. He couldn't care less about what is proper--he's kind, fair, and accepting of all. He's also an extremely patient man and I really admired him and liked him.
I really enjoyed the way an unknown and little talked about condition was used in the story and felt that the reactions were accurate for the times. This element was definitely unique. The characters were well written--there were several whom I loved and a few that I hated and just couldn't understand why they behaved the way they did. Of course, I would have loved just a little more romance, but this is a great start to what promises to be a fun, clean series.
Content: mild romance (kissing, over the top flirting with mild innuendo); very mild religious elements (mention of one character attending church, but nothing preachy); no language or violence. Clean!
About the Author: Josi S. Kilpack hated to read until her mother handed her a copy of The Witch of Blackbird Pond when she was 13. From that day forward, she read everything she could get her hands on and accredits her writing “education” to the many novels she has “studied” since then. She began writing her first novel in 1998 and never stopped. Her novel, Sheep’s Clothing won the Whitney Award 2007 for Mystery/Suspense. Lemon Tart, the first book in the Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery series was a finalist in 2009. Josi currently lives in Willard Utah with her husband, children and super-cute cat.
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