Publisher Description
“Raina Bretton is a rag woman in London’s east end when a handsome stranger appears in a dank alley and offers her a glittering smile and a chance for adventure. Rothburne Abbey has a unique position for her, one that will take her away from her hardscrabble life and give her a chance to be a lady. Things she could only dream of might be coming true. But some dreams turn out to be nightmares.
Though Raina has traded squalor for silk and satin, something about the abbey is deeply unsettling. As she wrestles with her true identity, the ruin, decay, and secrets she finds at the heart of the old mansion tear at her confidence and threaten to reveal her for who she really is. Only one man stands between her and the danger that lurks within–and only if he decides to keep her biggest secret hidden.”
My Review:
How to describe this truly unique story? It’s refreshingly different. It’s by turns intriguing, suspenseful, and romantic. It’s not quite either gothic or Regency, but it does have overtones of both. For 90% of the book, there’s an overriding question: Who or where is the true Lady Enderly? Raina believes she’s found the opportunity of a lifetime to escape the slums of London as she is recruited to impersonate Lady Enderly. In the beginning, she’s convinced that there’s no harm in impersonating the countess for a short period of time, and that maybe it will help heal her broken heart over the supposed death of Sully, the man she has loved all her life. But all is definitely not as described to her, and Raina finds herself in a web of lies that keeps tightening around her. As things grow more desperate, Raina realizes that only God can help her escape the darkness that surrounds the estate. This is a story about realizing your true self-worth and purpose based on God’s love for us, rather than on our circumstances or appearance.
Raina is a wonderful character. Although, in desperation, she makes a serious mistake to agreeing to acting a part, her true character of love and care for others shines through as she interacts with all she comes in contact with on the estate. It’s also a different twist that when we first join this story, Raina and Sully have been a couple that have cared for each other for several years, but have been apart for a long time while Sully was at sea. When they are reunited, it was touching the lengths they would take to protect each other. And the way they communicated to each other through passages in books was one of the most romantic things I’ve read in a story. The ending to the story was not at all what I would have expected, but it was perfect.
Don’t be surprised if this book wins an award or two. It’s that good.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.