Dorien Kelly

I got this at a library book sale as an audiobook along with the first book in the Culhane Family series. The first book in the series is a contemporary romance while this book is historical romance. I believe the audiobook reader is the same one who does Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series which can throw me off when I hear a certain voice and associate it with one of that series's characters (who is not in this series). I wouldn't really say I enjoyed either book but if I had to pick, the first book in the series would be the one I preferred.

One of the things that almost always strikes me in historical settings is how little freedom most women had.

I'd actually been unaware of the push for American heiresses to wed titled foreigners (English, French, etc.) until a few years ago. Apparently, the cost to run the estates etc. was so much that the infusion of cash from the bride's dowry or family was needed. There are probably numerous non-fiction books about it out there though I think the one I read was called "To Marry An English Lord".

In this case, Mother Maxwell seems intent on her daughter marrying into a title. Father Bernard Maxwell seems to be pretty hands off until such time as undeniable and undesirable facts are presented to him. (At one point, I thought Amelia might end up being the one who married the soon-to-be-Duke since she seemed so caught up in the "romance" of it, while Caroline preferred to marry for love rather than status.)

I also don't get the "old money"/"new money" divide that permeated the "old money" families thinking, but that's an entirely different issue.… (mer)