Isabelle and Alexander

March 1, 2021

DEBUT Isabelle Rackham and Alexander Osgood have married not for love but rather to advance the fortunes of both their families. Isabelle has hope, though, that the handsome man she married may turn into someone with whom she can at least share affections. But Alexander runs hot and cold as a husband, interested one minute, neglectful the next. When his horse throws him during a ride at the country estate, Isabelle rushes to Alexander's side to find him barely alive and unmoving. With help, he is taken back to the house, where a doctor determines he's paralyzed from the neck down. There is some chance he may regain movement in his torso, but it will require time, effort, and patience. Isabelle is determined to assist her husband's healing in any way she can, even if it means pushing beyond the unspoken boundaries the two had previously followed. VERDICT Anderson's first foray into historical romance is an atypical, yet satisfying story set in Victorian Manchester's upper middle class. Hand this to readers looking for a book that navigates the peaks and valleys of two strangers attempting to make a life together despite the hardships life throws at them.--Kellie Tilton, Univ. of Cincinnati Blue Ash

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May 1, 2021
For Isabelle Rackham, marrying Alexander Osgood is a family business decision rather than a romantic pursuit. But a girl could do worse than a nuptial pairing with Manchester's most eligible bachelor. Yet married life is not what Isabelle expects. Alexander is standoffish and obsessed with his business. When the unthinkable happens, and a terrible accident leaves Alexander immobile, they are thrown into unexpected and challenging roles. As they navigate the treacherous road to recovery, Isabelle must use her quiet spunk, busy mind, and compassionate spirit to woo her husband in a wholly new way. Anderson's debut is a lovely northern England Victorian romance about confronting the seemingly impossible and the power of empathy. Anderson also addresses the time period's treatment of physical and intellectual disabilities. Most of all, she beautifully depicts love in its many forms beyond romance, such as compassion, patience, and vulnerability; and her characters illustrate the ways that these expressions of love carry us through even the darkest hours. Isabelle's loving and persevering fervor and devotion will resonate with any caregiver's heart.

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