If there is one thing that I can expect when I pick up a book written by Josi S. Kilpack is that I will be reading an intelligent story with unforgettable unique characters.
Book Details:
Title: Love and Lavender: A Mayfield Family Romance (Book 4)
Series: Proper Romance
Author: Josi S. Kilpack
Genre: Historical Romance, Regency Romance, Inspirational Fiction
Publisher: Shadow Mountain Publishing (November 2, 2021)
Length: (320) pages
Format: Trade paperback, eBook, & audiobook
Series: Proper Romance
Author: Josi S. Kilpack
Genre: Historical Romance, Regency Romance, Inspirational Fiction
Publisher: Shadow Mountain Publishing (November 2, 2021)
Length: (320) pages
Format: Trade paperback, eBook, & audiobook
Book Description:
Hazel Stillman is a woman of rare independence and limited opportunities. Born with a clubbed foot, Hazel knows marriage is unlikely, so she devotes herself to teaching at a private girls’ school.
When her uncle offers Hazel a substantial inheritance is he marries, she is offended. What kind of decent man would marry for her money? But when she learns the school might be sold, she knows she must consider all her options.
Duncan Penhale thrives on order and process. He has no interest in marriage, so when Elliott Mayfield, his guardian’s brother, offers him an inheritance if he weds, Duncan finds it intrusive. However, an inheritance means he could purchase a building and run his own firm.
Hazel and Duncan believe they have found a solution to both of their problems: marry one another, claim their inheritances, and then part ways to enjoy their individual paths. But then Uncle Mayfield stipulates that they must first live together as a couple for one year.
Over time, their marriage of convenience becomes much more appealing than they had anticipated. At the end of the full year, will they go their separate ways or could an unlikely marriage have found unsuspecting love?
My Review:
Reviewed by Laura Fabiani
If there is one thing that I can expect when I pick up a book written by Josi S. Kilpack is that I will be reading an intelligent story with unforgettable unique characters, characters that have real-life issues or challenges so different from the unrealistic perfect heroes of most romance novels. I was not disappointed by her latest novel which tackles a woman with a club foot and a man on the autism spectrum. So interesting!
Both Hazel and Duncan stand out as characters and would have been considered weird in their day, but I loved how realistic the author made them. She brought out the best in them and did not sugarcoat their issues. Instead, we see the possibility of love growing between two people shunned by a society that did not fully understand their limitations and who did not always embrace their strengths. Hazel is a strong feminist character, whose kindness and forgiveness take her far in life. So many great lessons without the preachiness.
The story flowed well and kept my interest throughout. I was rooting for this couple. I loved the setting that added to the intrigue of living at a time when certain conditions were not well understood. The author did excellent research because her portrayal of what life must have been like for both these individuals was well done.
I have not read any of Kilpack's previous novels in this series but now I plan to. Each is a stand-alone novel and includes a flower in the title and as a token woven through each story.
If you are looking for good clean romance novels with unique storylines, Kilpack is an author to discover. I have a few of her novels on my bookshelf that I'm wondering why I haven't read them yet. Time to rectify that!
PURCHASE LINKS
AUTHOR BIO
Josi S. Kilpack has written more than thirty novels, a cookbook, and several novellas. She is a four-time Whitney award winner, including Best Novel 2015 for "Lord Fenton's Folly, and has been a Utah Best of State winner for Fiction. Josi loves to bake, sleep, eat, read, travel, and watch TV--none of which she gets to do as much as she would like. She writes contemporary fiction under the pen name Jessica Pack.
Josi has four children and lives in Northern Utah.
Josi has four children and lives in Northern Utah.
