Rating: 4 out of 5.

I enjoyed this book, which is the first in a new historical fiction romance series. It follows a family of 3 sisters who are the illegitimate daughters of a wealthy NYC man who is a member of one of the founding families of the city. Their father refuses to recognize them, but when his mother dies, she leaves each girl a huge inheritance. Their father sees this as a way to get the women out of NYC, so he states they can’t inherit until they find suitable husbands out of the City. So, the girls head to England to find a titled husband.

This book focuses on the eldest daughter, Cora Dove. She is strong and intelligent and the main force keeping her family together despite their flighty mother. She’s determined to make a match to get her inheritance, and see that her sisters do as well. They figure a poor titled man in search of a wife with a big dowry is their best bet for a quick marriage. They have no illusions it will be a love match, but they at least hope they will like their husbands. But, as she’s introduced to one poor titled man after another, she’s resigned to the fact that she may not even like her husband.

Enter Leopold Brendon, Earl of Devonworth, a no-nonsense member of Parliament whose plan to pass a Public Health bill that would provide clean water to the working class requires the backing of a wealthy wife. His father burned through the family money on foolish things, leaving their ancestral home in disrepair and their farm and lands in distress. His younger brother’s excessive gambling debts only adds more pressure to Devonworth’s financial woes. Hence, he decides to meet Cora and propose an arrangement. It doesn’t hurt that he’s attracted to her and thinks she’s interesting.

The duo negotiate a marriage of convenience that achieves both their goals, with specific parameters outlined. But, the more they interact, the more they find to like about each other. This is a very slow romance, but eventually the lines are blurred, sparks fly, and the couple act on their attraction. I enjoyed Cora and Devonworth’s chemistry and their witty banter was very cute. I like that he appreciated her intelligence instead of being threatened by it, and for the time period, he was very progressive in his thoughts and ideas. It was refreshing to read in these kind of books, where the men are typically condescending and believe they know what’s best for the woman and that she should just sit back and let him make all the decisions in her life. Ugh. No thank you. I don’t care what era you’re in.

The inclusion of social issues like the fight for clean water, women’s property rights, and other social issues was fantastic to read. While we don’t typically associate progressive ideas with this time period, it’s important to remember that there were small groups of social warriors fighting the good fight even back then. We owe women’s rights to those fierce ladies, so I tip my hat to their efforts.

The book was steady and didn’t have a lot of dramatic, miscommunication moments or blow ups. I appreciated that because the miscommunication trope is my least favorite one. I also liked that it set up the next book in the series with another Dove sister.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group. All opinions are my own.