Beatrice has palsy as a result of tools used on her during the birthing process and has not been treated kindly by her parents, or society. As a result, she has retreated into herself and decided to live her life as a scholarly spinster. Ford’s father is the carpenter at Beatrice’s family estate. Ford is currently filling in for his father and is doing nothing but distracting Beatrice from writing her dictionary. Beatrice believes Ford is the very worst of rogues, but is confused by the unfamiliar feelings he ignites within her. Ford knows Beatrice is the last person he should become involved with, but he just can’t seem to stay away!

I was hooked on this book from the moment Beatrice calls Ford a “malapert rapscallion”! Beatrice is such a great heroine. She is completely fine with who she is, but she is also willing to play her mother’s game to get what she wants – to live a life of a scholar. Ford’s total acceptance of Beatrice gives her the confidence she needs to finally just be who she is in society and with her mother. Ford, being a typical alpha hero, has to learn how to be vulnerable and willing to love.

I love the direction many historical romance authors are taking the genre. I love that Lenora Bell wrote an unlikely class pairing that many authors tend to avoid in historical romance. Or, if they write it, the hero is written in a way that he is wealthy, or inherits a title, so it is able to compensate him in the eyes of society. There was no “fixing” their difference of class in this book and I greatly admire Bell for taking what some might see as a risk, but it is exactly what I want to read!