THE VISCOUNT'S LADY NOVELIST

A Regency-era romance is complicated by secrets in the second novel in Baxter’s Linfield Ladies Series.

Harriet Linfield retreats to her family home of Linfield Court in the English countryside after her older half brother’s wedding. She hopes to work on her writing, but her peace is quickly disturbed when her other brother, James, brings his good friend and academic collaborator Viscount Wentford to stay with them. Not only is Wentford writing a geology paper with James, but he’s also soon revealed to be Harriet’s neighbor: Both have inherited estates from extended family members, and they share a land boundary. Immediately, Harriet’s guard is up against Wentford as a potential suitor, because—perhaps too quickly—it’s revealed that she was previously preyed upon by a fortune hunter named Mr. Anderson. However, this early exposition leaves plenty of space for the characters to evolve and surprise readers in ways that enable exploration of the story’s wider historical context. The story skillfully mentions real figures from the period, such as Jane Austen, William Wilberforce, and Hannah More, which will satisfy history enthusiasts. Baxter’s detailed research shines through at other points, including during a particularly comical exploration of contemporary attitudes toward women’s education—one which arrives in the form of handsome and opinionated poet Augustus Wynn. The work also intriguingly touches on the abolition of slavery in England. As Harriet grapples with her past and present, she pursues her ambitions and reconciles with the fact that she feels like an outsider in her own family. Overall, Baxter presents a heroine who’s introspective and endearing as she desperately tries to follow the many rules of Regency propriety.

A charming love story set in the English countryside that’s grounded in impeccable research.