Reluctantly returning to London for yet another Season, shy Nora Hamilton has nearly given up hope that she will ever find the love match she longs for. After all, the one man she does harbor feelings for—her closest friend, James—has made it perfectly clear he views her as just that: a friend. With James traveling half a world away and Nora's father pressuring her to marry for wealth and status, Nora is forced to set aside her desire for love and accept the future she has always dreaded.
Until James returns unexpectedly and Nora's feelings once again rush unbearably close to the surface. Determined to save what is left of their friendship, Nora ignores her own heart and allows herself to be swept up in the London Season, soon finding herself the object of two very different gentlemen's affections. Though she should be thrilled, both men come with a glaring fault: neither is the one man who holds her heart.

But there is much more at stake than heartbreak. When long-kept secrets are laid bare, Nora must face the fears that have plagued her all her life and decide what true love is worth.

This lovely novel by Joanna Barker features the unusual heroine Nora Hamilton, given that she is quiet and shy, and ill at ease in social situations. She embarks on an ill-conceived plan to thwart her domineering father's demand she marry a particular gentleman. Nora doesn't even know his first name.

Told entirely in the first person, the reader sees everything through Nora's eyes. Timid and insecure through much of the novel, she finally becomes assertive in a big way! Of course secrets abound; one in particular changes one person's behavior entirely.

This is very much a character-driven novel, and all the main players achieve personal growth, especially Nora and her father. James Allen is simply wonderful. The ending is sweet and heartwarming, plus one character's comeuppance is ironic indeed.

While first-person narration is not my favorite, the grammar is concise with few errors. The Regency period is accurately portrayed. The detailed descriptions of Almack's and Vauxhall's are charming. This book is clean. I am looking forward to more of Ms. Barker's writings.

Thanks to NetGalley and Covenant Communications for an ARC of this lovely novel.

Joanna Barker’s Best Novel Yet!

I fell in love with the writing of this novel, and I devoured it and enjoyed every bit, and in the end, the test of a good book, I shed a tear or two of happiness --- yes, it was that good!

This is a novel about familial love. The story revolves around Nora Hamilton and her family. Nora has been out for three years, and her father has dictated that she must marry! Her father has arranged for her to marry Mr. Weston, an honorable, good man, but Nora is not in love with Mr. Weston. Nora agrees with her father to be married at the end of the season to Mr. Weston, IF her sister Susannah can have her London debut, and IF her younger brother Ralph can go to London also -- she wants time with her siblings before she marries. The love Nora has for her family, and that they have for her is one of the compelling parts of this novel.


An additional stipulation she makes to her father is that she be allowed to spend time with her family friend, James Allen, who has just returned from an extended trip to the Caribbean where he was overseeing his family’s sugar plantation. Nora knows that her father does not approve of her relationship with James, and Nora herself has conflicted emotions about James; she feels like James can only love her like a sister. With these three provisos, Nora agrees to become formally engaged to Mr. Weston at the end of the season.

Of course, Nora has her own plans, and she wants to marry for love. Maybe she can find someone during the London season that she can love. She becomes attracted to Lord Worthington, her friend Harriet’s brother. He is very handsome and appealing to Nora -- she can talk with him. If she can find happiness and a future with Lord Harrington, she feels her father might scrap the engagement with Mr. Weston, as Lord Worthington holds a higher social status.

This is a novel about suitors. Will Nora find love? Will she settle for less? Who will she find love with? James, her family friend, the honorable Mr. Weston, or with the attractive and high ranked Lord Worthington?
This is a novel about secrets. Along this treacherous path of trying to find love, Nora discovers secrets others have held back from her, and she holds backs secrets of her own.

This is a novel about change. We see Nora come into own and grow as a person as she struggles to figure out what she wants out of life, trying to carve out happiness for herself and marry for love. In the end, changes in Nora and for a very satisfying and happy ending. Sigh!

I highly recommend this book to you! It was a very pleasurable read. It was a clean read, which to me, enhances the reading experience! Joanna Barker has developed so many interesting characters, and I would love for each of them, her sister Susanna and her brother Ralph, her friend Harriet, and her rejected suitors, to have their own story. Wanting more is truly another sign of a good book!

I was given an ARC of this novel from Net Galley. The opinions written here are my own.
#NetGalley

Once again, Joanna Barker has written a book that will have you enthralled until the very end. Miss Nora Hamilton finds herself, at a loss, with her friend James away in Jamaica and her father desperate to have her marry. She feels so alone, believing that James has left without telling of his reasons for leaving, believing that he has rejected her growing feelings for him. In her third season, Nora begins to gain the courage to speak out, requesting that she delay marriage to a possible suitor until the end of the season, if she can go to London with her sister and younger brother. She soon finds herself confronted by three men; James, the man she truly loves but who appears to see her only as a friend; Mr Weston, who she may have to marry; and Lord Worthington, whom she wants to believe cares for her but hides his feelings.
Whilst told solely from Nora’s perspective, this does not detract from imagining the inner thoughts of James. He is such a wonderful character, that is clear why Nora is in love with him. His wit and yet gentle manner with Nora, is described so vividly that I could feel her confusion. However, it is so apparent that James cares for Nora, but in telling only from her perspective, keeps the chemistry alive. The secondary characters add another dimension to this story, making this more than a simple romance. This is definitely a book that I will be keeping to read again. It is one to remember - 5+ stars!
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.