cover image Promises and Primroses

Promises and Primroses

Josi S. Kilpack. Shadow Mountain, $15.99 trade paper (352p) ISBN 978-1-6297-2457-7

In Kilpack’s pleasant first Mayfield Family Regency, two romances blossom in two generations of the Mayfield family. Elliott Mayfield hatches a plan to marry off his nieces and nephews and save the dwindling family fortune. His first target is his nephew Peter, a widower. Peter is focused on finding a new governess for his daughters, but the most appealing candidate, Julia Hollingsworth, turns out to have a surprising connection to his uncle. Meanwhile, Elliott reconnects with a woman from his past. Kilpack (Miss Wilton’s Waltz) smoothly introduces the Mayfield clan and sets the stage for the series while making plenty of room for developing this volume’s central characters. Peter’s love for his daughters is balanced with his deficiencies as a father, and he’s plagued by his scandalous past. Independent Julia’s unconventional interest in dog breeding is set against her mother’s desire for Julia to marry well—but not into the Mayfield family. The passages about Julia’s interactions with the dogs can be wordy sometimes, but otherwise the narrative flows smoothly. Regency fans will be eager for more Mayfield romances. (Sept.)