The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband: The Rokesby Series, Book 2

In this charming sequel to Because of Miss Bridgerton, Quinn heads to late-18th-century America for a tale of romance and international intrigue. Cecilia Harcourt has come from her Derbyshire village to occupied New York to search for her missing brother. She finds that his best friend and her sometime correspondent, Capt. Edward Rokesby, is in the hospital with a head injury . By claiming that she is Edward’s wife, Cecilia is allowed to care for him while getting more information about her brother’s whereabouts—but when Edward wakes with no memory of the last few months, Cecilia finds herself trapped in the lie. Edward and Cecilia make a captivating couple whose relationship grows naturally from their letters and personalities, and even their flaws—including Cecilia’s ongoing deception—are understandable and appealing instead of frustrating. The secondary characters, mostly other British officers, are less well constructed, however, bordering on cliché in their deference toward Edward and dismissal of Cecilia. This is a solid entry in the Bridgerton universe. (May)