A Well-Trained Lady Author: Jess Heileman
Series: Seasons of Change #4
Genres: Historical Romance
Format: eBook, Print
Pages: 346
Date: July 28, 2020
Publisher: Vagabond Publishing
Everything has changed. Except her heart.
Arabella Godwin is an Incomparable in London Society—elegant, wealthy, and meticulously trained. Yet, she has nothing to show for her efforts aside from her pretentious reputation and a collection of disappointed suitors. When her plan to secure a promising offer of marriage is temporarily delayed, she must bide her time in the company of an estranged childhood friend—the much-too-endearing, but regrettably untitled, Augustus Brundage.
As the friends’ tattered relationship returns to familiarity, Arabella must prevent herself from fully regressing into the carefree, impressionable young lady who once foolishly trusted Augustus with her heart. To make the same mistake again would ruin everything she has worked for—and certainly more.
But can a heart be so easily trained?
Rating: Mild+. Mild kissing; some violence or horror.
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This is a second chance romance, one of my favorite tropes. It is clean and a sweet romance though not without its trials. Redemption seems to be a bit of a theme for some of its characters. Arabella has been trained to be just like her mother who is a horrible person so she isn’t terribly likable at first but as she lets down her walls she becomes the delightful person she used to be. Will it last?
Her father is also pretty bad but he redeems himself and allows Arabella to try to redeem herself if she is willing to do so. Without her father, the resolution of the book could never have occurred. Her friendships with her real friends also provide opportunities for redemption.
There was a pretty nasty twist in this that would make any soap opera proud. I couldn’t figure out how it could possibly work out and be believable but the author successfully did it.
Augustus is an awesome hero. I liked him from the beginning. And Ruth is a true friend if only Arabella can be good enough to deserve such a friend…
Sex: no
Language: no
Violence: prior to opening of book, domestic abuse and murder/suicide. In the book, some domestic physical and emotional abuse
*I received a complimentary ARC of this book and voluntarily chose to review it