I am reviewing the audio version of this absolutely delightful story. The book is well-paced and well-written and the narrator, Stevie Zimmerman, is delightful. Her character range of voices is excellent and I am sure she is a native to England because her accent is so natural and easy. The male voices are more raspy than deep, but they are convincing just the same. All-in-all, it is a delightful listen!

Theadosia Josephine Clarice Brentwood’s father is the vicar of this parish and he is a stern, severe man. He’s been even sterner and more severe since her older sister eloped with the man she loved – even though her father had refused his suit. Now Thea and her sister are paying the price for that. When Thea is returning from paying an ‘official’ visit to some parishioners, she cuts through the church cemetery. She’s startled when she hears a moan – even though she knows it isn’t ghosts. When she hears it again, she moves toward the sound. Then, she sees Victor lying at his father’s grave asking “Why”. She knows why, but he isn’t supposed to tell – but being the kind and compassionate person she is, she simply has to tell him, so she does.

Thea has always cared for Victor more than she should given the differences in their stations. He’s stayed away almost four years – and she understands why – but his mother has been alone all that time.

Victor is outlandishly drunk and steals a kiss – or two – or three from Thea because . . . well – because. Thea thoroughly enjoys the kisses, but she knows her father will punish her severely if he discovers she’s been alone with the Victor – no matter how accidental the meeting. Then, she hears voices – her father’s – and someone else’s. They are approaching, so Victor and Thea quickly move apart. Then, to distract her father and maybe to pacify him a bit, she blurts out that the duke has promised to top off the church’s funds for a new organ and to provide new robes for the choir. Victor doesn’t call her out on that and then invites them to dinner on Friday next.

The man with her father was Mr. Ledbetter, her father’s new curate. Thea immediately feels uncomfortable around the man – especially the way he looks at her. She does her best to avoid him in the future, but somehow he always manages to ‘accidentally’ touch her.

Victor Nathaniel Horatio (I never heard his last name), Duke of Sutcliffe, has returned to his childhood home in Essex to find a wife. He will find a docile, calm, biddable woman who will be happy to be left in Essex while he returns to London and resumes his regular life. Why did his father foist this on him? For some reason, at the last minute, his father had added a codicil to his will that required Victor to marry by his twenty-seventh birthday or lose all of the unentailed monies and properties to his cousin. We never learned the reason for this – there was only love between father and son – so I can only assume it was just added to provide a stressor to the story.
As Victor meets Thea’s father, he acknowledges that he’ll make the donations to the church, invites them to dinner Friday next – and – asks the Vicar to preside over his marriage ceremony in August. The Vicar agrees and then asks about the bride and Victor admits that he hasn’t chosen her yet.

Over the next week, Victor and Thea manage to steal time together and grow closer. Victor has pretty much determined that Thea is the woman he wants to marry – not love, but marry – when the Vicar announces, much to everyone’s shock – including Thea – that Thea is now betrothed to Mr. Ledbetter.

Thea is appalled. How can her father promise her to a letcher? She’ll do whatever it takes to save herself – but how can she? Victor vows he’ll never let it happen.

I loved both Thea and Victor, but I absolutely adored Victor’s mother. She is the mother all of us should have!

I definitely recommend this read/listen. I despaired of anyone managing to find a HEA given the circumstances, but -- it was lovely. My only complaint was that I thought Ledbetter deserved more punishment than he got. Actually, if felt more like a reward than a punishment. ( )