The Vicar's Daughter

November 21, 2016
After a leisurely start, this Regency romance picks up steam as the plot unfolds. Cassie’s ambitions are hampered by her shy, emotionally fragile older sister, Lenora, who must marry before Cassie’s parents will allow Cassie to come out in society. Cassie hatches a plan to kindle a love affair between Lenora and handsome Mr. Glenside, a newcomer to their small village. Circumventing decorum and her stringent mother’s watchful eyes, Cassie begins a secret correspondence with Mr. Glenside, pretending to be Lenora, explaining her sister’s terrible social shyness. Before long, Cassie falls for Mr. Glenside herself, only to be dismayed by her plan’s unexpected success. Once her sham is revealed, chaos erupts, afflicting people throughout the village and leaving Cassie with a complicated mess to untangle and a determination to alter her methods. Kilpack (A Heart Revealed) creates convincing chemistry between the two protagonists and captures subtle nuances of familial conflict and affection. Themes of betrayal and reconciliation, forgiveness and redemption, and the high value of integrity and kindness in all relationships make for a sweet and satisfying tale.

April 1, 2017
If it were left up to her older sister Lenora, Cassie Wilton would wind up being a spinster for the rest of her life. Family tradition dictates that only one Wilton daughter at a time can make her debut in society. So far, the four oldest Wilton daughters have successfully made matches, but for the last three years, the painfully shy Lenora has failed to make a connection with even one eligible suitor. So Cassie decides to give Lenora a little help by writing some letters to Evan Glenside, the hottest matrimonial prospect in Leagrave, under the guise of her sister. Upon receiving Evan's thoughtful and considerate replies to her letters, Cassie is even more certain her plan will work until she begins to wonder what it might be like to be married to Evan herself. With its perfectly imperfect heroine and charmingly realized English village setting, Kilpack's sweetly romantic love story is a superb choice for fans of traditional Regencies and readers of inspirational historical romances.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)