5 stars I received an ARC of this book from Wolf Publishing from a new-to-me author. I really enjoyed it. It has an unusual plot with fascinating characters and a great deal of tension. I don’t want to ruin the plot, but as of the writing of this review, I cannot find a plot summary on Amazon or Goodreads, or anywhere else for that matter. So here goes. Clarity is the oldest daughter of the Diamond family. Her father is an earl, patriarch to a boisterous family, full of love and excitement. Alexander is the son of a viscount and only a few years older than Clarity. They play together and get into a lot of trouble; most of the time their parents laugh it off, but Alex’s aunt is a bitter widow who seems devoid of joy. Thus, she is usually criticizing the discipline exercised by Alex’s parents. The Diamonds and the Hollidges are the best of friends so the children play together frequently. Then, Alex’s parents die unexpectedly when he is still quite young (12, I think) and they don’t see each other anymore. His aunt becomes his guardian. When they run into one another once again, Clarity is still the same enthusiastic and happy person, but Alex has changed. He barely smiles and seems intent on finding a wife with a bland personality who will help oversee the households of his various properties and provide him with an heir. Meanwhile, Clarity is disappointed, but she sees the occasional glimmer of the boy she used to love. Of course, Alex immediately tells her she is not the kind of wife he wants because she is not conservative enough. Despite their best intentions, each is drawn to the other, and eventually, they admit they love one another. Any other book would end there, but we still have to deal with that rotten aunt mentioned earlier. It quickly becomes obvious that she is the reason Alex is the way that he is. And after Clarity and Alex are married, she becomes a thorn in the side of Clarity. Alex seems unaware and eventually, things reach the boiling point. I expected Aunt Elizabeth to be ousted from the house, but we discover she’s not really the monster we thought. She’s still a monster, to a certain extent, but we learn her motivations and her history so she’s a bit more sympathetic. Based on her life experience, she was doing what she truly thought was best for Alex. It’s almost like getting two stories in one. The first dealt with Clarity and Alex trying to find their way to one another, and the second dealt with Clarity, and by extension Alex, learning how to deal with a controlling, set-in-her-ways aunt who shares their home, but really considers it hers because she has been there so long. Descriptions are clear and the characters are engaging. The writing is easily comprehensible, without any need to decipher what the author is trying to say. It’s really quite well written and I’m excited to read more from Sydney Jane Baily. March 21, 2022
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September 2022
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