An Arrangement with the Heiress

Prysock (Waiting for Wilson) kicks off the Kentucky Debutantes of the Gilded Age series with this paint-by-numbers tale of an arranged marriage that turns into true love. Ever since Veronica was spurned by a crush, she’s planned to live out her days as a single woman on her parents’ Kentucky horse farm. So when her parents arrange her marriage to a high-society Princeton grad, she’s incensed. Still, when Edward and his family visit, Veronica goes along with the plan to avoid causing a scene. As she gets to know the sensitive, smart, and godly 28-year-old, she’s swept off her feet. There’s another reason for the match, however—Veronica’s father is offering a handsome dowry to Edward’s cash-strapped dad, who needs to pay off creditors after his stockbroking company went belly-up. As the plot unfolds, Veronica discovers there may be more to the story, while also confronting the challenges of joining her life with Edward’s. Unfortunately, stilted dialogue and thin characterizations (“He prayed Veronica would say yes, because at this point, his heart would never be the same again if she declined him”) keep the well-worn premise from taking flight, and manufactured-feeling roadblocks to the relationship remove any suspense. This disappoints. (Sept.)