Harriet Klausner's Review Archive
James abruptly leaves so Lucien wanders around until he sees a mysterious woman wearing veils. He learns she is the earl's sister and his student, Lady Sarah who escorts Lucien on a tour of her gardens. To his amazement she has brought vigor to his life as he enjoys talking with her and needs to see her visage. Lucien learns that she wants to paint her gardening efforts to present as a catalogue to the Royal Botanical Society. Soon he falls in love with her inner beauty though he has yet to see her face. Sarah reciprocates, but knows her beloved mourns his losses.
This Georgian romance is a terrific tale because of the deep characterizations of the prime five (including the Earl's dowager Mom) residing at Elmsford House. Readers can compare the differences between James's amoral wife Julia and his sister hiding behind veils due a tragic accident. Lucien is a wonderful protagonist as he struggles with guilt over his deceased wife and child while falling in love with Sarah, face unseen. Fans will enjoy Donna Birdsell's delightful debut and look forward to more historical romances from this talented newcomer.