The Vicar’s Daughter

After a leisurely start, this Regency romance picks up steam as the plot unfolds. Cassie’s ambitions are hampered by her shy, emotionally fragile older sister, Lenora, who must marry before Cassie’s parents will allow Cassie to come out in society. Cassie hatches a plan to kindle a love affair between Lenora and handsome Mr. Glenside, a newcomer to their small village. Circumventing decorum and her stringent mother’s watchful eyes, Cassie begins a secret correspondence with Mr. Glenside, pretending to be Lenora, explaining her sister’s terrible social shyness. Before long, Cassie falls for Mr. Glenside herself, only to be dismayed by her plan’s unexpected success. Once her sham is revealed, chaos erupts, afflicting people throughout the village and leaving Cassie with a complicated mess to untangle and a determination to alter her methods. Kilpack (A Heart Revealed) creates convincing chemistry between the two protagonists and captures subtle nuances of familial conflict and affection. Themes of betrayal and reconciliation, forgiveness and redemption, and the high value of integrity and kindness in all relationships make for a sweet and satisfying tale. (Apr.)