The Wrong Lady Meets Lord Right

Love blooms amid deception in this delightful Regency rom-com from Allain (Mr. Malcolm’s List). After the death of Lady Strickland, mother to Lady Isabelle “Issie” Strickland and aunt to Arabella “Bella” Grant, the cousins enjoy a peaceful life at Fenborough Hall, free from the difficult woman’s rules. But their idyll comes to an end when Issie’s great aunt, the very nearsighted Lady Dutton, demands that the pair come to London for the social season. Bookworm Issie is terrified of being presented to the queen, so she asks Bella to pretend to be her. Bella reluctantly agrees, and literally bumps into the very eligible Lord Brooke right before her presentation, igniting their mutual attraction—though Brooke believes Bella is Issie. Meanwhile, the cousins arrange for Issie to see a doctor about her heart palpitations—and Issie’s shocked to find young Dr. Jordan so deeply attractive. Both women embark on new romances, but as their time in London comes to an end, their futures are complicated by arrangements Lady Dutton has made for them without their consent. Allain keeps things G-rated, but still manages to generate some fun romantic tension, and the plot moves at a steady clip while taking the time to fully develop its multifaceted heroines. Regency fans will be riveted. (Dec.)