The Perfect Spinster by Annabelle Anders

I have received a free e-copy of the book The Perfect Spinster by Annabelle Anders to review. You may find out more about the author on her website.

Here is the book blurb.

FIRMLY UPON THE SHELF…
Miss Olivia Redfield labors under no misapprehension that anything other than spinsterhood lies in her future. Not for lack of dowry, or breeding, or education, but because of one tiny flaw…. one might even call it… a curse. Removed from society for this ill-fated defect, she’s resigned herself to caring for others in a somewhat dreary existence. Until, that is, she falls for the charming but unattainable, Lord Kingsley.

TOO MUCH TIME ON HIS HANDS…
Gabriel Fellowes, Earl of Kingsley is doing a favor for a friend by overseeing the dangerous–– but promising––mine on the border of Viscount Hallowell’s property. With time to spare, he finds himself irresistibly intrigued by the viscount’s daughter, Miss Olivia Redfield, and delights himself in their mutual provocation. In no position to promise more than a dalliance, but unable to stay away, Gabriel takes the unprecedented step of befriending a woman.

IS FRIENDSHIP EVEN POSSIBLE…?
Their flirtatious attachment threatens to erupt in passion, but duty and honor forbid anything more. Will love be defeated when tragedy strikes, or can Olivia and Gabriel overcome Society’s dictates and put the notion of Olivia’s curse to rest once and for all?

The Perfect Spinster is book 2 in The Not So Saintly Sisters series, but works fine as a stand-alone read too.

I was drawn into this book from the bizarre scene described in the first chapter. Olivia and Gabriel, Lord Kingsley meet again in the most unusual of circumstances on the eve of Olivia’s sister Louella’s wedding to Lord Stanton, having not seen each other for about 10 years. Gabriel initially seems to have forgotten Olivia, who he used to taunt with the derogatory nickname “Lazy-eyed Livvy”.

Olivia has been banished with her maid Mary to the Dower house by her parents, just because they believe her lazy eye to be a devil’s eye curse, even though they made the condition worse, by making her wear a patch on her bad eye instead of the good eye. She has resigned herself to spinsterhood and has been occupying herself by being a good neighbour, currently helping out with the 4 motherless children of local miner, Luke Smith. But should the daughter of a viscount accept lowly Luke’s marriage proposal?

Gabriel and Olivia become friends, but is that all they want to be?

The Perfect Spinster is available on Amazon, currently priced at £4.13 in Kindle format and is also available in paperback. A delightful romantic read, which has been sensitively written. I’m certainly adding book 1, which is about Olivia’s sister Louella to my wishlist.

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Disclosure.  This post is a review of an e-book I was sent for free.  All opinions are my own.