Lady August

June 1, 2021
In Michaels' Regency romance, a young woman becomes an unexpected heiress. Young August Summer is languishing in a low-intensity relationship with handsome curate Henry Fitzgerald, who seems to be in no hurry to marry her. Into this uneventful life comes an unexpected bombshell. From his deathbed in the countryside, Lord Bolton instructs his solicitor, Samuel Brooks, to seek out his nonmarital daughter--August. Lord Bolton has never seen the girl, but he fears he will not rest in peace if he doesn't acknowledge and care for her, so he plans to install her at his ancestral home of Linfield Hall, 30 miles outside of London, right alongside his other children, Charles and Rosamund. He intends to establish her in his world by, among other things, settling an enormous fortune on her (society loves an unexpected heiress, he quips). Samuel is initially appalled by the arrangement; he's doubtful that such a drastic change will be in anybody's best interest. Nevertheless, he carries out his commission and contacts August, who's astonished--and naturally worried about how her half siblings will react to her arrival at the hall. Her sudden vulnerability affects Samuel more than he expected. When readers initially meet him, he's opposed to the idea of marriage, but he finds his feelings for August steadily blooming even though his ambivalence is only deepened when his task expands to acclimating August to the rarefied atmosphere of the very rich. Their growing attraction is complicated by her half brother's decision to consign August to the care of her aunt, a dowager duchess dogged by rumors of her own. The novel is a welter of plotlines and classic Regency tropes. Michaels dives straight into some of the best-known romance conceits, from the Cinderella aspects of August's sudden rise from poverty to the oddball relationship with an unconventional older character to the confirmed-bachelor-finds-his-true-love device. Michaels imbues these storytelling elements with verve; the book's narrative drive is strong even in its opening moves and only grows stronger as the tale builds. The main characters are all drawn with a clear, vibrant energy, and even the book's villains, including, to an extent, August's half brother, are given a refreshing complexity. Michaels' strongest gift is pacing. The book jogs along from ball to dinner to carriage ride, and even the scenes in which characters pause and talk manage to contain a good deal of plot furthering. There are darker plot points along the way--Michaels doesn't shy away from some of the uglier aspects of her time period--but these moments fall away. And although the basic architecture of that plot is very straightforwardly simple--"going from the governess to member of the ton was no easy feat" neatly sums up the bulk of it--it's pursued with a zest that makes for easy, pleasant reading, all moving with propulsive certainty to pretty much exactly the climax that seasoned Regency readers will expect. An intelligent, involving story of a Regency Cinderella finding a new life and true love.

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Starred review from June 1, 2021
This book is recommended by BlueInk Review, a fee-based review service devoted exclusively to self-published books. Booklist is happy to partner with BlueInk to bring you the best self-published titles for adults and youth. Stars reflect the decisions of BlueInk reviewers and editors.Michaels ticks all the boxes in her second Regency romance. August Summer is shocked when handsome solicitor Samuel Brooks arrives at her Bristol home with news that her father, a man whose identity she has never known, is Lord Bolton. Bolton has left her a small fortune in his will and, on his deathbed, is determined she will be launched into London society. As August prepares for her new life, she and Brooks are drawn to each other, but Brooks has sworn not to marry. When scandal threatens August's prospects, will Brooks save her reputation by marrying her? August and Brooks are successful characters: engaging, strong-willed, and imperfect, both harboring secrets. Michaels also includes an excellent range of secondary characters, bringing depth to the plot. Regency purists may question the easy advance of August Summer into society and a few other premises, but most readers will easily overlook this. With steamy scenes, misunderstandings, slick dialogue, and lush period descriptions, Lady August is utterly delightful and highly recommended for fans of Julia Quinn and her Bridgerton novels.

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