Caroline Lawrence is a wealthy young woman with a strict father, who hungers to make a difference in the world. Secretly writing reformist articles under the pen name C.M. Smith, she sneaks off to attend a speech by a noted suffragist but is injured and ends up in the home of the Marquess of Huntingdon with a nasty concussion.
James, the marquess, is notorious through no fault of his own. He’s blamed for the death of his first wife, though it’s strongly implied later in the book that she may have taken her own life, which is probably why he doesn’t deny it.
There’s an immediate, visceral attraction between the two, but Caroline is in no position to act on it. She doesn’t even want James to know her real name. Instead, she hotfoots it back to London as soon as she can manage, but of course they soon meet again, when James’ interfering grandmother starts meddling (and matchmaking!). Caroline makes the mistake of not telling James about her journalistic activities, which causes a serious breach between them at the worst possible moment (of course). I did think the book wrapped too quickly after the black moment, but it’s otherwise a very good read. Four stars.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley.
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