The adopted daughter of an artist and his high-born wife, Winifred Cunningham has made peace with her childhood as an abandoned orphan and found contentment with her chosen family in Regency England. She is hoping that she can soon start another one with her friend Owen Ware, a younger brother of the Earl of Stratton. But when she meets another of his brothers, Nicholas, a colonel in the cavalry, her reaction to him makes her reevaluate what her heart truly desires. Nicholas knows it’s past time he marries and Grace Haviland, his commanding officer’s daughter, seems like the right choice—a woman of beauty and refinement who understands the military life. But his encounters with Win, who loves children and has no artifice, call forth a buried longing for the kind of passionate spousal affection he sees between many of his relatives. Despite their age difference of 13 years, both realize that their connection is special. Except for some minor tension while ensuring that the previous objects of Win and Nicholas’ affection are not harmed, there is no conflict in the plot. Much of the story takes place at a lengthy house party where Win and Nicholas end up conversing and understanding each other beyond their initial impressions—hers of him as a trained killer and his of her being plain and plainspoken. The novel’s events are preceded by a note from the author explaining the various characters from both their families whose courtships appeared in the Ravenswood and Westcott series, and the last fifth of the book feels like a list of the same people as they assemble for Win and Nicholas’ wedding. While some readers might find the low stakes and off-page sex make for an undemanding comfort read, others might be turned off by the leisurely pacing and scenes of rural socializing.
