1813, Brighton, England
When Anna Lane offered her heart to Alexander Lennox, she did not expect to learn he had secretly promised his suit to another. Hurt and embarrassed, Anna begs her father to take her to the seaside where she can escape the gossip of the ton and recover, but her father insists they remain in London so he can attend to some business. Feeling the sting of rejection again, Anna longs for the day when she can dictate her own future and find a companion who will love her for who she is.
Born into modest circumstances, Graham's hard work and ability to spot a good investment has allowed him to provide for his mother and younger sisters. Now, with a new opportunity in his sights, Graham approaches Mr. Lane, his business partner and mentor, hoping to persuade him to travel to Brighton to close the deal. Graham must act fast or else he might lose his chance to turn his meager earnings into permanent financial stability.
To Graham's relief, Mr. Lane is interested in his proposal, but he counters with one of his own. He has business elsewhere, so Anna--whom he trusts with his business affairs--will accompany Graham to Brighton, and if she gives a good report, he will invest. Both Anna and Graham hesitate. Though they have a passing acquaintance through Anna's father, the two have never truly got along. Anna feels that Graham is only interested in money, while Graham feels that Anna is stubborn and self-absorbed.
The two reluctantly travel to Brighton together, and Anna is determined to find fault with every inch of the seaside town--including Graham. She is tired of feeling like a pawn being moved about by other people's desires. But while staying at Highcliffe House and seeing the kind and gentle way Graham treats his family, Anna wonders if there is more to her rival than she thought.
But it will take more than a day at the beach for these two headstrong hearts to admit that if they set aside their misconceptions about each other and be vulnerable enough to share their true selves, they might have a chance at real love.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Megan Walker was raised on a berry farm in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, where her imagination took her to times past and worlds away. While earning her degree in Early Childhood Education, she married her one true love and started a family. But her imaginings of Regency England wouldn't leave her alone, so she picked up a pen. And the rest is history. She lives in St. Louis, Missouri, with her husband and three children.
REVIEW
Anna Lane wants to escape a suitor after learning more about him. Part of her plan to escape is to convince her father to take her to the seaside. Her father has other plans and Anna Lane finds herself stuck spending time in Brighton with her father's business associate, Graham. Graham and Anna detest each other and have misconceptions about one another. Will they be able to find common ground?
In the beginning of Highcliffe House, Megan Walker makes William Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew references and reinvents the essence of the play into something completely new. Anna Lane comes off at first as a bit "shrewish" and begins to be "tamer" as she gets to know Graham and Graham gets to know her. I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It was light-hearted and funny. The author does a good job at making the book have unexpected scenes and twists. The book focused on character development with several scenes that helped the characters come to realizations. Overall, I thought this was a clever romance and I think it's one of my top favorites that I read this year. To learn more, click here.
Please note that I received a free copy to review, however, this is my honest opinion. This post contains affiliate links that help support this blog.
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