REBECCA'S REVIEW:
"Ella had always been too practical to think of romance. Too practical to assume that happiness could indeed be found in anything beyond the walls of academia and duty."
Yet, the clock was ticking. Ella Wilde was acutely aware of the fact that if she was not married before the death of her father, that the Keatley Hall School for Young Men would pass down to a distant cousin and Ella's dream of expanding the institution to include young women would be forgotten. A very public broken engagement already marred Ella's fragile reputation, and while her father had her best interests in mind, his eye was now focused in on an insipid suitor who frankly would most likely bore Ella to death.
Marital aspirations aside, Ella was more concerned about the upcoming meeting of the prestigious Natural Philosophers' Society which was routinely hosted by Keatley Hall. The group had invited renowned prenologist Thomas Bauer to keynote the event, a man who had contributed to the ruin of Ella's late mother's reputation, a bright philosopher in her own right. When Ella's childhood friend turned solicitor Mr. Gabriel Rowe inquires about an invitation, Ella's hopes for an ally in exposing Mr. Bauer as a purveyor of cheap parlor tricks takes an upwards tic.
This lovely story not only matches up to its characters in all the ways that matter, but the twists and turns go from curious to dastardly in all the right places, leaving only two viable options; a ghastly outcome or a happily ever after. . . and I think we can all agree on which conclusion we prefer.
*I purchased a copy and was under no obligation to provide a positive review.
BackCover Blurb:
One woman works to expose a scientific fraud while also finding love in the latest sweet Regency romance by Sarah Ladd. Perfect for fans of Julie Klassen, An Unconventional Lady delivers what Publishers Weekly calls Ladd's "pitch-perfect blend of suspense and sweetness" (The Cloverton Charade).
She faces the worst ultimatum possible for a woman--marry a man she detests or lose the future she's always imagined.
Charming and headstrong, Ella Wilde always knew she was different than other women. Thanks to her unorthodox upbringing as the daughter of Keatley Hall School for Young Men's headmaster, Ella has long dreamed of opening a school for girls that would meet the needs of inquisitive, brilliant, unconventional young women just like her--girls who longed for the education exclusively reserved for boys. But there's just one catch: Unless she marries before her father dies, Keatley Hall will pass into the hands of a distant cousin. In that case, Ella will be left destitute, and at this point her only option appears to be an undesirable marriage.
Ella's family had long been proponents of phrenology, the belief that an individual's personality and dispositions were predetermined by the shape of their head. Shortly before her death, however, Ella's mother's views on phrenology changed, and she endeavored to expose phrenology as nothing more than a fraudulent parlor trick. Consequently, she earned the wrath of phrenologist community, who called her "unstable," "bizarre," even "dangerous"--and branded her daughter the same.
Now, renowned phrenologist Thomas Bauer is about to arrive at Keatley Hall to speak at the Natural Philosophers' Society gathering, and Ella embraces the opportunity to clear her mother's name--and her own--once and for all. And her partner in crime? None other than her childhood friend Gabriel Rowe, who's grown into an ambitious, handsome London solicitor.
Gabriel has his own scores to settle, and when he learns that Thomas Bauer is visiting Keatley Hall, he jumps at the chance to prove himself and right past wrongs. As he is drawn deeper into the unusual happenings, it's clear that he and Ella must work together if they want to unmask the truth. Over time, Gabriel's attraction to Ella's beauty and wit becomes impossible to ignore, and as the lines between professionalism and passion blur, they both must decide what they're willing to risk for happiness.
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