Verity and the Forbidden Suitor

McAvoy brings a fairy tale feel to this diverse and illicit Regency romance, the second installment to the Du Bells series (after Aphrodite and the Duke). Lady Verity Eagleman, who longs for a sense of belonging she’s never felt among her cold family, feels like a thorn among roses while staying with the boisterous, tight-knit Du Bells. It’s there, however, that she meets handsome Dr. Theodore Darrington, who, despite his shyness, falls for her almost immediately. When one illness or another repeatedly throws them into each other’s paths, a friendship develops and slowly strengthens into love. Despite Theodore’s newfound fame in high society for his medical skills, however, his dubious parentage (he’s the illegitimate son of a marquess) makes him an unsuitable match for a lady. They’re both eager to sneak alone time together, but they have different ideas about where their relationship is headed: Theodore hopes to enjoy what little time they have left before they’re forced to part ways, while Verity believes they can find a way to stay together forever. The leads are well suited and the series conceit—which diversifies the upper echelons of Regency society sans historical comment or justification—continues to make for memorable, Black-centered love stories. Readers will be pleased. Agent: Natanya Wheeler, Nancy Yost Literary. (Apr.)