From the publisher: Hazel Stillman is a woman of rare independence and limited opportunities. Born with a clubbed foot, she was sent away as a child and, knowing her disability means a marriage is unlikely, she devoted herself to scholarship and education. When her uncle Elliott Mayfield presents her with the prospect of a substantial inheritance if she marries, Hazel is offended. What kind of decent man would marry for her money? Duncan Penhale has a brilliant mind and thrives on order and process. He does not expect to marry because he likes his solitary life, shared only with his beloved cat. When Elliott Mayfield, his guardian’s brother, presents him with an inheritance if he marries a woman of social standing, Duncan finds it intrusive. Hazel and Duncan believe they have found a solution to both of their problems: marry one another, receive their inheritances, and then part ways to enjoy their individual paths. But when Mayfield stipulates that they must live together for one year before receiving their inheritances, Hazel and Duncan reluctantly agree. At the end of the full year, will they go their separate ways or could an unlikely marriage have found unsuspecting love?

Josi S. Kilpack excels at writing about people who don’t often appear in historical fiction. In A Heart Revealed, she wrote about a vain woman coping with total hair loss. In this book, our heroine has a club foot and our hero has autism. (Imagine Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory in 1822 England and you have a pretty good understanding already of Duncan Penhale.)

Both Hazel and Duncan are prickly and at times annoying but the author presents them very sympathetically. This is book 4 in a series about a middle-aged man offering inheritances to various young people in his life if they marry. However, you definitely do not need to read the first three books to enjoy this one. They are more or less standalone stories. If you do want to start with book 1, it’s Promises and Primroses.

This is a very slow moving story. Hazel and Duncan are friends before they marry, but it takes a long time for that relationship to move beyond friendship. These two characters live together and go about their normal daily lives. Hazel has medical issues from her foot; Duncan struggles with people being put off by his ways and his dislike of being touched unexpectedly. If you like action, there’s not much here – few romantic interactions between the main characters, and no highwaymen or thieving street urchins. It’s probably unrealistic that life would have gone so well for this pair in 1822, but it’s nice to think so.

I read an advance reader copy of Love and Lavender from Netgalley. It is scheduled to be published in November 2021 and the Galesburg Public Library will own it. In the meantime, we own 10 other titles by Josi S. Kilpack if you’d like to read one of her other titles.

This is a book that will stay with me. The characters are unique and imperfectly perfect. Hazel was born with a club foot. Because of this deformity she was overlooked and pushed aside, even by most of her family. She was sent to school early and while there was able to learn and acquire all she needed to know to teach advanced mathematics. Duncan was born with Autism and was abandoned by his mother at a young age. Hazel's aunt took care of him until she passed away. When Duncan and Hazel meet at Lord Howardsford's house, Hazel's real uncle and Duncan's assumed uncle, an interesting conversation takes place. It is the start of an interesting relationship. I fell in love with each character. Main and side characters. This is so well written and researched. I absolutely loved reading it. I would highly recommend this book. It is not your average sweet historical romance.

Fourth of the series. Books 1&2 were my favorite. The way she handles the hero was nicely done. Never expected to have this kind of character placed in a regency setting. What a novel idea indeed! The honesty of the hero was refreshing because it absolutely held no malice. The heroine was equally interesting because she was understanding. One of the letters was also interesting, the one about men's and women's intelligence. The heroine is having difficulties with her deformity, but I like that she's headstrong. Never expected this to be a marriage of convenience. The arguments she made with their uncle were on point. Amelia was accommodating, and I liked her being part of the story again. The way Hazel was treated by her family was awful. They didn't even give her hope. When Hazel was talking about honesty and trusting few people, it resonated with me. Really appreciate that community adapted to Duncan's uniqueness. Her relationship with her twin was also on the mend. It's good to hear of Harry's change. The part where Hazel had an epiphany was moving. I sympathized with Hazel. Also, I think the portrayal of Duncan was on point because my sister had a student who was similar to Duncan. I give this 4.5/5 stars. Well crafted!!

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Love and Lavender by Josi S. Kilpack
Love and Lavender
by Josi S. Kilpack (Goodreads Author)
Currently Reading
This is such a beautifully written, heartfelt, and emotional story about two people with disabilities growing together and finding love.
Hazel has a physical disability, club foot, and it is difficult for her to walk. She was sent away when she was young, and she is now a math teacher. Duncan has more of a mental disability. He is extremely sharp, but socially a bit awkward. Both have no inclination to marry, but when Uncle Elliot presents them each with an opportunity to claim an inheritance if they marry, and this inheritance would ease their burdens, they begin to consider the possibility. Maybe a marriage of convenience is the solution to their problems. They could marry, collect the inheritance and part as friends. Of course it's not that easy, because one of the stipulations is that they must live together for a year before receiving the inheritance. My heart just melted as these two stuck it out and their relationship grew into something more than friendship. These two were absolutely perfect for each other and Ms. Kilpack did a brilliant job of creating their story and bringing these two characters and their journey to life. Ms. Kilpack writes such unique love stories, and this one was just amazing. I can't wait to read her next book!

I received a complimentary advanced reader's copy from Netgalley and Shadow Mountain and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Love and Lavender beautifully brings together a quirky gentleman and a physically disabled lady. Uncle Elliott seems to know what he is doing when he requires Hazel and Duncan to live together for a year to receive their promised funds. For a while the reader is not sure they are going to make it. Hazel has her foot with which to contend, as well as, the betrayal of her family sending her off when she was young embarrassed by her ‘deformity.’ Similarly, Duncan does not appear to have true family support with his quirkiness of being on the autism spectrum. Yet, they form a friendship and even fall in love. Just, neither knew they were in love. It begins to look like they will not make it for a full year together.

Duncan was raised by his father’s mistress, Catherine, after his father died. Being a retired educator, I found the love Catherine had for Duncan easy to see as portrayed by the writer. Numerous couples, or even a single person, adopt and raise a child/children who need a good parent/s. Although fiction, Duncan was fortunate to have a ‘Catherine’ in his life. Eventually, Delores joined his ‘family’ of supporters. Even the parish where he attended church loved and protected him. Hazel, also, became one of his devotees over the year.

Hazel is sister to Harry from Rakes and Roses. It is not necessary to read in sequence as this is a standalone, but it did help me to ‘know’ Harry’s story and what he went through to become the man who wants to see Hazel again.

You will love this unique romance with two adorable characters. Hazel takes a while to see love and independence are not exclusive. Duncan is so real in his ‘experiments’ with touch. I loved this romance and the Mayfield Family series. Looking forward to more.

It's not everyday you come across a romance book that features a neurodiverse character, let alone one with a disability. Where other writers in the genre might have shied away from creating characters with such "imperfections", Ms. Kilpack allowed the unique experiences of Hazel and Duncan to enrich her story. What's more, "Love and Lavender" isn't just a novel about a couple overcoming adversity and discrimination. Kilpack's skillful writing allows for moments of levity, and I found myself genuinely laughing out loud at certain sections of the book. I will continue to encourage her efforts to portray underrepresented characters in her books and cannot wait for what she brings us next! Would absolutely recommend the book to any historical romance enthusiasts out there.

This book is emotional, heart-warming, heart-wrenching, moving, and so much more. Whenever I picked up "Love and Lavender", I was whisked back in time to the Regency Era, and went on such an emotional journey with this story.

This is the fourth book in Josi S. Kilpack's "Mayfield Family Series", and it is truly amazing. Ms. Kilpack's writing is very visceral, vivid, and she brings each element on her story to life in a very special way. I truly feel like I have left my couch and am right there with all of the characters from the first page to the last. The way her characters grow is absolutely beautiful too.

Hazel is a young teacher who happens to have been born with a clubbed foot. Because of this, devastatingly, she is often seen as an outcast in society, and has had to really make her own way in many aspects of her life. She wants love, but does not believe that she will find it because of how much of society views her.

Duncan is a brilliant young man, who, today, we would maybe consider Neurodivergent. He views and reacts to various aspects of his life differently from many others, and is often, heartbreakingly, looked down upon by society because of it. Duncan does not think he will find a love match, as he does not feel anyone could ever fully understand him.

(Possible Spoilers!)
What starts out as a marriage-of-convenience story in order to gain an inheritance after one year of marriage shifts into something much deeper. As Hazel and Duncan begin to truly get to know one another better, they come to care and respect each other. They grow together and bring out the best in each other, and truly love and understand the others wants, fears, and desires. Both are so much more than society sees them as, and, at a time when some disabilities were so incredibly misunderstood, they are there for each other through the good, bad, and everything in between. They truly are one another's happily-ever-after.

If you enjoy historical romance, I highly recommend this book. It kept me turning the page into the early hours of the morning, and I am so looking forward to reading what Ms. Kilpack writes next.

Thank you so much to Shadow Mountain Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC of this book, and to Shadow Mountain Publishing for sending me a physical ARC as well, it is incredible. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Well! I am in tears. This was a beautiful story. I loved the latest installment of this series. I fell in love with the life and love that was created between Hazel and Duncan. I think Josi is a marvelous writer and will always be a big fan! And this is my favorite title ever!

This was such a unique love story! Duncan and Hazel had certain limitations that made them think that falling in love wouldn't be part of their future. When Hazel's uncle gives her the news that he will give her an inheritance once she marries, she never expects to take him up on it, nor how it will change everything. I loved Duncan's character- his honesty and awkward affection. I thought the author wrote his character so well! If you enjoy regency romance, I would highly recommend you adding this one to your TBR!

I'd like to thank NetGalley and Shadow Mountain for allowing me to read this book.

I was entertained by her last book, Rakes and Roses, that I thought to dive into this book when I was offered to read it.

I'd like to thank the author for writing a happy ending for a character with a disability. It's not one that people see all too often, and one that probably would not happen often back then. However, I had some concerns about Duncan overall given the time period.

I think that Duncan bettered from having some sort of medical care, and not just seeing a doctor for 'chats' on his life. He has anger issues he needs to sort out, he has a disability and, his wife is handicapped as well.

I felt bad for Elizabeth, since she was someone with a good head on her shoulders despite her disfigurement with her foot. Though she seemed to have her issue mostly corrected by use of the foot, the fact that she has to play a bit of a second mother with Duncan is a bit... eh for me, and that ending had me concerned for her welfare.

Maybe I am coldhearted, maybe I'm too realistic, but I just couldn't find the two main characters gelling with one another.

This dual point of view was a fascinating look inside the heads of a brilliant autistic man who is extremely literal in his words and interpretations, and a woman who has struggled with being seen and accepted for who she is, with all her limitations and her own level of brilliance.  Josi Kilpack's next entry in the Mayfield Family series is unique and memorable.  I appreciated her tactful treatment of mental and physical disabilities and her emphasis on the abilities that are sometimes overlooked.  This is a sweet romance with strong characters that I very much enjoyed!

I received a complimentary copy of this book.  All opinions expressed are completely my own.

I throughly enjoyed this story and it is a perfect addition to the Mayfield series.

Hazel Stillman has limited opportunities. She loves her job as a school teacher, however, she has no prospects for marriage. Born with a club foot, Hazel has accepted her status and has put her efforts into furthering her education and pushing for the further education of all women, especially in mathematics. With Uncle Mayfield's offer, she could purchase her beloved school.

Duncan Penhale is a strange man. While he is brilliant and excels in his work, he is rigid and has difficulty interacting with others. He has no expectations of marriage because of his strange behaviors. When the brother of her guardian, Uncle Mayfield, offers an inheritance, Duncan sees only freedom.

But when Uncle Mayfield steps in with his marriage inheritance for each of them, hoping they will find love and a better live, Duncan finds he can solve both of their problems. A "marriage" to each other will allow them to inherit and allow each of them to find the freedom they crave. But a marriage in name only is not what Uncle has in mind.

I throughly enjoyed watching Hazel and Duncan find themselves, and in the process, love.

I really enjoyed Hazel and Duncan. I think they each had great character development and history and that they worked well together. My only problem was with Hazel’s rather swift realization that she was in love and what followed. It felt out of character for the two people we had spent an entire book getting to know and then leaving it for the last page or two. I feel like the ending could have been much more fleshed out.

I was provided with an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a truly unique and moving story.
I recently watched a movie about a woman with an amputated lower leg who accomplished incredible things during the war. So naturally, when I read this synopsis about a woman with a clubbed foot, I was intrigued. Not only would her view on life be much different than most peoples, but aside from a limp, her condition would not have been seen by the outward eye, due to the fashions of that time. And those that learned of it could either show their humanity in still loving her as the person she is or show their true colours in not seeing past outward appearances.
Before I even picked this book up, I wanted to know what kind of woman she was. Is she hardened, or optimistic towards life? What are her struggles? Does she have people who support her? And most importantly, what kind of man is she about to meet?

The intellect of both Duncan and Hazel astounded me. They both have brilliant mathematical minds. Over the course of a year and a half they share letters with such intriguing conversation and mathematical puzzles that flew over my head but I’m sure my husband would love, as he enjoys numbers and understands them!
Duncan is a character, he is odd in his conversational manner, very blunt and to the point, and needs precision in details. So much so that I thought at first he had severe OCD, which I later learned was closer to autism. No doubt that is what makes him an exceptional mathematician. But because he a little bit odd and treated as such by most, it gives him a humility that many men of that time did not posses. If he is given simple facts, he accepts the outcome despite prejudices and biases.

If you read the synopsis, Hazel and Duncan both have an opportunity to inherit either money or property, which for both of them would be the biggest difference in their own circumstances. The only catch- they must marry someone of genteel birth to get their inheritance. With both Hazel and Duncan having unique character traits and limitations, their marriage options were not many. But what if they married eachother? I had thought the largest of struggles in marrying may have been due to Hazels deformity, but Duncan’s autism really comes to the surface when things don’t go his way. It was startling and I probably would have run for the hills had I seen a man act the way he does when upset. Which just shows how much better of a person Hazel is than I. It is much easier to look past an outward appearance and see the person underneath and come to love them than it is to handle a difficult personality in a relationship. My brain has been waving all the red flags at this relationship as I see Duncan’s behaviour. I know that it is in part a condition, and now such a thing is treatable and easier to get help for. But back in the early 1800’s? That would have been scary for both parties to deal with.
Yet Hazel has a way with Duncan that makes them compatible. The year of their marriage is spent getting to know one another and it became this beautiful relationship that blossomed before my eyes. I have truly never read such a unique relationship and been so moved by it. It brought tears to my eyes seeing the sincere love develop between the two.

This story has been such an honour to read. It brings to light struggles that are not as common for many of us. But it can give us an appreciation for what they go through and for many how they stay positive and keep living their fullest life in light of limitations. It is something for all of us to try to emulate.

Thank you NetGalley. Shadow Mountain Publishing and the author, Josi. S. Kilpack. for the complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Content: clean
Romance: a few chaste kisses
Violence: A few punches are thrown. Hazel has problems with her clubbed foot that cause her a great deal of pain.
Language: none.

I really enjoyed this story of two “broken” people learning that being “broken” is only a matter of perspective. Duncan thinks differently than most people, which had caused him to be less social than others, but something about Hazel “heals” him and takes away most of the unpleasantness.

Hazel has felt broken since birth, but her clubbed foot is to blame for her social awkwardness. She was blessed to attend school and then become an advanced math antics teacher. She never dreamed about marriage and family. That is, until Uncle Elliott made his stipulations on her inheritance known.

Both Duncan and Hazel want to keep their lives as normal as possible. But to receive their inheritance, both of their lives are going to turn upside down. Will they be able to last a year as man and wife?

I appreciate the notes on the back of the book. Knowing that Duncan is autistic from the beginning helps me understand him more.

Thank you to Net Galley for the advanced copy of Love and Lavender. All thoughts are my own.

I have really enjoyed the Mayfield Family series, and wish they would come out sooner, but Love and Lavender was worth the wait. Hazel Stillman has a club foot, and is certainly not defined by this disability. She is bright, independent, and she teaches at a private girl's school. Duncan Penhale is on the spectrum, he loves order and predictability and struggles in social situations. Josie takes these two individuals and binds them together with the promise of Uncle Elliott's generous marriage dowry. The catch is that they must live together for a whole year.

What a poignant novel! This is a deep and meaningful relationship -- not a marshmallow relationship. It is a tale of two imperfect people, (aren't we all?) that would have had a hard time fitting into the mold in Regency England.
You grew to care for them and root for their success in love, and you hoped that they would be able to find love and happiness. You weren't sure that they would --- and that made me cry.. Making one cry is a hallmark of a good book. Josie is a beautiful writer who crafts unique characters and engaging dialogue. I wanted, in the worst way, for things to work out for them. I adore Josi Kilpack's Mayfield series, and this is one of my favorite in the series.

It was a very cute story, read in one sitting.

It took me a while to get into it, I generally don't enjoy books where there are communications in letters. But after they got married, I really got into it and lover the interactions between the characters, and the slow love that grew between them. It was all done very carefully and sweet.

Recommend to anyone that like a cute slow-burnt romance

Josi S. Kilpack tried to do something new in the world of Proper Romance- she wrote this book about a man who (we are led to assume) falls somewhere on the autism spectrum. The leading woman had a club foot which, in the time period, made her a social pariah. Her parents shipped her off to boarding school at a young age and now she teaches advanced math courses at one. Their uncle (or pseudo uncle) basically offers them a reward for marrying, and the two decide that, after a year or so of writing to each other, they should get married in name only. This would allow them to reap the reward for following their uncles directives and would have the financial ability to live their independent lives as they wish.

The premise is interesting and I liked Kilpack's ideas. However, I had a really hard time getting into the book. It felt slow to me, and it was hard for me to root for the two characters together, especially at first, as I wasn't sure that the relationship would be a healthy one. But overall, the characters grew, and it was a good read. I'd recommend it to someone looking for a romance book that features characters outside of the typical romance genre, but for an end-of-the-day, relaxing read, I didn't enjoy it as much as I'd hoped.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

What a lovely romance! The historical details, the depth of the authentic characters, and the realistic dialogue all contribute to an immersive story. This is not a lighthearted tale about balls and flirtations, as is typical in the genre. The protagonists are flawed humans, as we all are, and their feelings are relatable. The plot is unusual, but in an intriguing way that kept me reading far past my bedtime. Although this is the fourth book in the Mayfield Family series, I have only read one other and found this to easily be a standalone story; however, it was delightful to get glimpses of the characters from the third book. Love and Lavender is a beautiful and inspirational story about loving people just as they are.

“Love and Lavender” is a first time read by Josi S. Kilpack, a new author to this reader. The was just a well-written and wonderful story to read.

Miss Hazel Stillman has a career in education where she teaches mathematics and is content that she would never marry having a physical impairment with her foot. She loves her freedom and is respected as an educator. Her uncle has provided her with the best education but now offers her a large dowry in hopes that she will one day marry. Her uncle also offers her cousin, Duncan Penhale a gifted and odd individual a similar type of inheritance as he has been a ward raised by another aunt to Hazel. Duncan also has no notion for the idea of marriage as he likes his solitude and beloved cat. Both Hazel and Duncan must marry in order to receive the inheritance that their uncle offers.

After writing each other for one year, they become friends through correspondence and their love for numbers. It is not until Hazel hears rumors of the school being sold, she knows she must consider all options in order the have the school continue and retain her freedom. For Duncan, he sees a chance to purchase the building in which he works and run his own firm. It is Duncan that comes up with a solution of a marriage of convenience, however they must live together for one year as man and wife in order to secure their uncle’s generosity.

I loved both characters and their thought process of things that would make the lives work for them. Hazel has quite a bit of insecurities to overcome and let along dealing with Duncan and his daily routines. What starts out as unordinary, turns into an ordinary growing affection, respect, and love between both characters. This was just a sweet and heartwarming story that I very much enjoyed.

Thank you NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review. All opinions in this review are my own.