Loving Lady Marcia

July 16, 2012
Kramer scores with the inaugural House of Brady imbroglio. Lady Marcia Sherwood, daughter of the marchioness of Brady—and yes, her sisters and stepbrothers have names to match—was compromised by seductive Finn Lattimore on her 16th birthday. She has kept it a secret, but her strong sense of honor has prevented her from seeking marriage in the five years since. Just as a jealous rival costs Marcia her beloved position as the headmistress of a girls’ academy, Finn returns to London and reveals Marcia’s secret to his brother, Duncan, Lord Chadwick. Appalled by his brother’s behavior, Duncan decides to make Marcia’s situation right through marriage. Marcia is not immune to either Finn’s charm or Duncan’s determined pursuit, but she is most committed to returning to the academy. Though Kramer (If You Give a Girl a Viscount) includes her characteristic lighthearted touches, she’s smart and confident enough to take her characters and their situations seriously, turning what could have been a one-line joke into a deep and appealing story. Agent: Jenny Bent, the Bent Agency.

September 15, 2012
For Marcia Sherwood, one of three sisters in the House of Brady, marriage is not an option. Four years ago, while traveling to a wedding in Dublin, Marcia fell in love with Finnian Lattimore. Marcia thought they would spend the rest of their lives together until Finn's older brother, Duncan, Lord Chadwick, sent Finn away to America. Unfortunately, before they were separated, Marcia and Finn had already celebrated their love. Fortunately for Marcia, she has found a new calling as the headmistress of Oak Hall. But her comfortable life is turned upside down when the school's current benefactress (a jealous former schoolmate) has Marcia dismissed. While mapping out her future at the Brady townhouse in London, Marcia unexpectedly runs into another roadblock on the road to happy spinsterhood in the form of Duncan Lattimore. Fans of the TV sitcom The Brady Bunch will be amazed at how cleverly and unexpectedly Kramer improvises on the show in her latest incandescently witty, completely captivating Regency historical.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)