Trigger warnings: shitty parenting, facial differences, war (in the past), PTSD, classism, mentions of miscarriage (in the past), bullying

I've been meaning to read Lenora Bell for a while, and this was recommended by a friend as a good starting point. And it was delightful. I loved the characters and the way that they both grow through spending time around each other - Beatrice becomes more confident and invested in life, Ford mellows and yet also grows more solid within his position and profession. I loved Beatrice's interactions with her friends, which added plenty of humour, and I also found myself desperately hoping that one of Bell's previous books features Beatrice's older brother and his (in this one) wife, because I was absolutely invested in the two of them. 

Anyway, I don't know that Bell will have the same place on my all time favourite historical romances pedestal with Tessa Dare and Eva Leigh, but she's definitely up there!