July 1, 2019
Beautiful rag woman Raina Bretton is offered an unbelievable chance for a new life at Rothbourne Abbey by a mysterious stranger whom she crosses paths with in a dark alley in London's East End. With her parents dead and her childhood friend, Sully, presumed drowned on the ill-fated ship Maiden Faire, there is nothing left to keep her in Spitalfields. Arriving at the abbey, Raina is struck with a sense of misgiving that only grows when she discovers that she has been hired to pose as the Countess of Enderly. Mystery and intrigue abound and everyone at the abbey seems to be hiding something dangerous. Raina must tread carefully as the secrets she keeps and those she uncovers could ruin not just her life, but also the lives of many of those around her. Politano (Lady Jayne Disappears, 2017) has a gift for combining historical romance with gothic elements and uses both diary entries and lines from some of the classics to propel the story forward. Recommend to fans of Julie Klassen, Victoria Holt, and the Bront�s.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)