Once Upon a Maiden Lane (Maiden Lane, #12.5)
Elizabeth Hoyt
A stand-alone novella from New York Times best-selling author Elizabeth Hoyt! Miss Mary Whitsun is far too intelligent to fall for the rakish charms of a handsome aristocrat. But when the gentleman in question approaches her in a bookshop, mistaking her for his fiancée, Lady Johanna Albright, the flirtatious encounter only raises more questions. Could Mary, a servant raised in a St Giles orphanage, actually be Lady Joanna's long-lost twin sister? If so, Mary has been betrothed since birth - to the rakishly handsome aristocrat himself.... Henry Collins, Viscount Blackwell, is far too intrigued by Mary to let her go so easily. He's drawn to her sharp mind, her indomitable spirit, and the fiery way in which she dismisses him - ladies simply don't dismiss Lord Blackwell. But as Mary makes her first hesitant steps into society, she can't help but wonder if she truly has a place in Henry's world - or in his heart.
No posts yet
Kick off the convo with a theory, question, musing, or update
Your rating:
0 0I am so happy Mary Whitsun got an on-page HEA. She wasn’t in every book in the series, but almost. Even if she was seen and not heard a lot of the time, I always loved knowing she was still there.
The premise of this book is fun while also shedding some light on how weird the class system was, and quite frankly still is. Henry falls head-over-heels for Mary the moment she opens her mouth and hates that she has even a moment of insecurity or discomfort in her new situation. Mary learns to dig down for her confidence, finding that those around her love her for her and not because she’s a great employee.
I was a bit nervous about this novella as the other novellas in this series weren’t my favorites. But the author hit all the right notes with this one. I had all the feels and it helped to end this series on a bright note. If you’ve read this series, I suggest you don’t disregard this one just because it’s a novella.
0
© 2024 Pagebound