Publisher: Thomas Nelson, January 11, 2022

Format: ebook 

Pages: 320

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

An inheritance could provide her with financial freedom, a rare accomplishment for a woman in the Regency era; she only has to marry one of two men to gain it. But what if her heart belongs to a third?

Brushed cruelly aside by the only father figure she’s ever known and then hospitalized by her arranged husband months before his death, Amelia Pembroke means to take control of her future at last, one way or another. Yet she knows all too well she faces an uphill battle, considering her transient sleeping spells are only getting worse.

Cluett’s Mesmeric Hospital has been something of a refuge for Amelia over the past year, even if it didn’t exactly improve her condition. But when her doctor is murdered and her name surprisingly turns up in his will, her options take a drastic turn. She has thirty days to marry one of two named gentlemen—strangers to her—and she will inherit everything from her friend and doctor, Mr. Cluett. One simple decision and all her financial troubles are at an end. The only problem is it’s not a simple decision anymore. Not when she’s falling in love with another man.

Ewan Hawkins has received his first assignment as an apprenticed solicitor: to update a man’s will. Finally, a chance to prove to society that possessing a disfigurement won’t hold him back. Thus, he means to do his job well. Of course, he never could have anticipated a murder, nor the strange clause added to the will—nor, most importantly, the charming widow who has found a way to capture his heart. 

My Review:

Thank you Thomas Nelson for the copy of this book.
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Read if you like historical mysteries.
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Amelia is living in a kind of hospital/institution for her sleeping spells. While there, her doctor is murdered and she is set to inherit his estate-if she chooses between two gentlemen to marry.
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Amelia is frustrated and wants to be able to make her own decisions but feels like she must choose because her decision impacts other people too. While the mystery was intriguing, I thought the decision was a little weird and I wanted a bit more romance.
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CW: murder, domestic abuse, abandonment, hospitalization, imprisonment.