AN EARL, THE GIRL, AND A TODDLER

An accidental father and a woman without a past combine to create an unusual family.

In 1812, families across England are devastated to hear of the wreck of the Minerva, a passenger ship en route from Jamaica. None is more upset than Daniel Thackery, Earl of Ashbrook, who was expecting Phoebe Dunn to arrive after they fell in love by correspondence and married by proxy. When he arrives at the docks, he’s instead presented with a toddler, one of the only survivors. Though Phoebe hadn't said anything about having a child, the girl is a "Blackamoor," like Phoebe and Daniel, and he decides to pretend he's her father and raise her in London. He names her Hope. Unbeknownst to Daniel, however, the girl's actual mother has also survived the wreck. Jemina St. Maur arrived in England suffering from amnesia and was put straight into Bedlam Hospital; she's lucky to be liberated with help from the Widow's Grace, a secret group led by Daniel's aunt that's devoted to helping women in trouble. Daniel and Jemina are charmed by each other, but it isn't until Jemina learns that Daniel knows more about her unremembered past than he's let on that their lives truly collide. The more they interact—particularly after Hope meets Jemina and grows attached—the more it seems clear they should be together. But their relationship is built on a series of lies and possibly even a complex conspiracy against Jemina, so it’s not clear they will be able to do so. In the second volume of the Rogues and Remarkable Women series, Riley builds on the world she first unfolded in A Duke, the Lady, and the Baby (2020), and readers should start there before moving to this volume. But it’s worth the investment, and fans of the first book will be delighted by this story, which brings the same elaborate storytelling and portrayal of a more diverse Regency world than is traditionally found. Riley’s commitment to writing the complex emotions of motherhood remains a crucial part of the series—also a welcome addition to the genre. Well-researched, with a fascinating author's note at the end, this story proves the first was no fluke.

A historical romance of impressive heft.