Publisher: Shadow Mountain Publishing
Format: Trade paperback, eBook, & audiobook (368) pages
Genre: Historical Fiction, Inspirational Fiction, Victorian Romance
Synopsis
Isabelle Rackham knows she will not marry for love. Though arranged marriages have fallen out of fashion, hers has been settled for some time to combine the upper-middle-class wealth of her father's coal mines with Alexander Osgood's prospering Northern country textile mills. Though not a man prone to romantic gestures, Alexander is well-known as an eligible bachelor. His good looks have turned more than one head, so Isabelle is content to think of herself as Alexander's wife.
However, her marriage is not what she expected. Northern England is nothing like her home farther west in the lake country. Cold, dreary, and dark, the soot from the textile mills creates a gray hue that seems to cling to everything in the city of Manchester. Alexander is distant and aloof, preferring to spend his time at the mill rather than with her at home. Their few conversations are brief, polite, and lacking any emotion, leaving Isabelle lonely and desperately homesick.
Sensing his wife's unhappiness, Alexander suggests a trip to his country estate. Isabelle hopes this will be an opportunity to get to know her new husband without the distractions of his business. But the change of scenery doesn't bring them any closer. While riding together on horses, Alexander is thrown from his and becomes paralyzed. Tragedy or destiny? The help and care that Alexander now needs is Isabelle's opportunity to forge a connection and create a deep and romantic love where nothing else could.
My Thoughts
Isabelle Rackham marries mill owner Alexander Osgood knowing it is a marriage of convenience. His good looks set women's hearts fluttering and Isabelle marvels at her good fortune. But his manner is cold and distant. Only his rare smile hints at the possible warmth within. Their married life does not progress as Isabelle envisaged it would. While he spends most of his time at the mill, she lives a solitary existence in a house that she considers his not theirs, in a dirty and grimy northern mill town so unlike the lake country where she was raised, with few friends to call or call on. Assured by his household staff and the two men that help run his mill that Alexander is a kind and well-respected employer, Isabelle believes the fault of their strained relationship must lie with her. She attempts to draw Alexander out in various ways, but all fail, making her even more unhappy.
When Isabelle agrees to visit Alexander's country estate with him, she is cheered by the change it brings. Without the daily pressures of running a mill, he is more relaxed and approachable. She hopes that this will help them get to know each other better. Unfortunately, Isabelle's hopes are dashed when Alexander suffers a horse riding accident which leaves him paralysed. Once over the shock and panic, Isabelle is determined to nurse Alexander back to health, but acknowledges Alexander's right to determine his own medical treatment. Although some of his decisions cause her much anguish and frustration, she battles on courageously against her own perceived inadequacies, Alexander's taciturn nature and a very uncertain future.
Isabelle and Alexander is a romance about two strangers adjusting to an arranged marriage with the added difficulty of dealing with a disability. While there is no doubt that they both want the marriage to succeed, their personalities are very different. Isabelle is the more outgoing of the two; her warmth and enthusiasm for life are apparent. Alexander's true character is hidden behind a facade of reserve and is gradually drawn out as the story unfolds. He seems to be in awe of Isabelle, but aware of her unhappiness. I loved how he gleaned information from Isabelle's deliberately silly conversations to surprise her with little acts of kindness.
The treatment that Alexander endured, prescribed by the spinal injury specialist, Dr. Fredericks, and so rigorously administered by the nurse, seemed horrendous. I could understand Isabelle's reaction to this and also the threat of Alexander being confined to an asylum to endure more of the same, but in a less conducive environment.
On a lighter note, as Isabelle, I found the workings of the mill fascinating. The processes, the atmosphere and the noise were so well described that I shared Isabelle's relief at the relative peace and quiet of the weaving room.
I enjoyed Isabelle and Alexander. Reading it was a lovely way to spend a cold and wintry afternoon. I'm sure other readers of historical romance will enjoy it too.
Where to Purchase
AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY | BOOKSHOP | DESERET BOOK | GOODREADS
Meet the Author
WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS
Blog Tour Schedule
May 03 Lu Reviews Books (Review)
May 03 Timeless Novels (Review)
May 03 Our Book Confessions (Review)
May 04 Literary Time Out (Review)
May 04 My Bookish Bliss (Review)
May 04 The Book Diva's Reads (Excerpt)
May 05 Heidi Reads (Review)
May 05 Laura's Reviews (Review)
May 05 Wishful Endings (Review)
May 05 Gwendalyn's Reviews (Review)
May 06 Margie's Must Reads (Review)
May 06 Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen (Excerpt)
May 06 Relz Reviewz (Review)
May 07 Randi Loves 2 Read (Spotlight)
May 07 The Reading Frenzy (Review)
May 07 Nurse Bookie (Review)
May 08 The Christian Fiction Girl (Review)
May 08 The Bibliophile Files (Review)
May 09 Reading with Emily (Review)
May 09 Fire and Ice (Spotlight)
May 10 My Jane Austen Book Club (Excerpt)
May 10 The Caffeinated Bibliophile (Review)
May 10 Booked Solid (Review)
May 10 From Pemberley to Milton (Spotlight)
May 11 Greenish Bookshelf (Review)
May 11 Captivated Reading (Review)
May 11 The Green Mockingbird (Review)
May 12 For Where Your Treasure Is (Excerpt)
May 12 Bookworm Lisa (Review)
May 13 Books, Teacups & Reviews (Spotlight)
May 13 Library of Clean Reads (Review)
May 13 Robin Loves Reading (Review)
May 13 So Little Time (Excerpt)
May 14 Eli's Novel Reviews (Review)
May 14 The Lit Bitch (Review)
May 14 The Bluestocking (Review)
May 15 Reading Is My Superpower (Review)
May 15 Christian Chick's Thoughts (Review)
May 15 A Darn Good Read (Review)
May 16 The Silver Petticoat Review (Excerpt)
May 16 CozyNookBooks (Review)
No comments:
Post a Comment