I enjoy discovering new series to read, and think I’ve run across a good one. Unfortunately, only the first book has been published, but I’m hoping for more.
A young widow in Victorian England is confronted with the untimely death of her husband and a French doctor who is convinced the death was no accident. Lady Helena has a meddling family and a tragic history in love, but also possesses a stubborn independence that leads her to investigate her family history. The sixth of seven children, Helena has the unfortunate nickname “Baby”, and is frequently treated as such by her much older siblings. Helena realizes that, due to her age, she knows little about her parents (her father died when she was 19 and her mother has been slipping into dementia since his death). As a widow in mourning, her social options are limited, and she begins reading her mother’s journals to re-kindle an interest in herbology and to discover her mother. Of course, some things are better left in the past.
This is a well-written book with engaging characters (though perhaps Helena didn’t need quite so many older siblings). I look forward to the promised future books in the series.
I received access to this book from NetGalley.
Give me a book and a cup of tea 