cover image A Lady Most Lovely

A Lady Most Lovely

Jennifer Delamere. Grand Central/Forever, $8 mass market (416p) ISBN 978-1-4555-1896-8

Delamere follows An Heiress at Heart with an intense mid-Victorian Christmas story. Tom Poole returns to England after making his fortune in Australian gold mines and falls for Margaret Vaughn, an heiress engaged to another man. Margaret is living a lie: her deceased father left her estate in debt, and her fiancé’s wealth is a fabrication. When she breaks off her engagement, she agrees to borrow money from Tom, though she still thinks his self-made success is inferior to her heritage. Meanwhile, a man from Tom’s past threatens to destroy his future with Margaret. Fans of inspirational romance will appreciate subtle references to Tom’s Christian faith and the lack of explicit sex scenes, and the undercurrent of attraction between Margaret and Tom is a powerful force that keeps the story moving. (Oct.)