A LADY FOR ALL SEASONS

A desperate almost-spinster finds new hope with an unexpected friend.

In 1820, much is changing among the ton, but Miss Verbena Montrose is still facing the same challenge she did before King George III’s death: If she doesn’t get married to a rich man soon, her family will be destitute. When she learns that her “Achillean” friend, Étienne Charbonneau, also faces ruin, she proposes a marriage of convenience to save them both. This seems certain to work, until the popular poetess Miss Flora Witcombe writes a verse about their relationship that hints at its farcical nature. Furious and terrified, Verbena wastes no time in confronting Flora, only to find that she rather likes the woman. Flora, for her part, is instantly smitten by Verbena, and delighted when they strike up a friendship. Though they become close, however, Flora is keeping a secret: She was born William Forsyth, a novelist who isn’t quite as popular as Flora. And in fact, though he does not feel entirely William, neither does she feel entirely Flora—they are both, at different times, for different reasons. So, even as Verbena starts admitting her attraction to Flora, she separately meets William, who wants to woo her, and things get complicated. Despite the difficulties they face, this story is first and foremost a comedy of errors, witty and stuffed with all the hijinks one would expect from a book in which Lord Byron makes numerous cameos. Though some slow-burn romances suffer from complicated plots that could easily be resolved if everyone was just honest with each other, that is not an option for Flora/William, and Alexander makes the most of this for madcap plot development while always writing their characters with respect and tenderness. The story is deeply grounded in its historical setting, but never at the expense of the queer joy that radiates throughout.

Genderfluid historical romance at its finest, and funniest.