April 1, 2025
DEBUT Due to her father's debts, Evelyn Seaton and her mother are forced to leave their estate and take refuge at her great-aunt's residence in York. Evelyn secretly obtains a job in a local bookshop, only to find that she must compete with the owner's nephew to keep her position. The nephew, William, who recently returned from London with a book deal, is equally unhappy but eventually warms to Evelyn. However, a secret keeps him irritable and at arm's length from her and everyone else. Evelyn has her own burden of secrets, being blackmailed by a local debutante and trying to keep her mother from finding out about her job. When Evelyn's father arrives from London, making promises he cannot keep, Evelyn confronts him, and once she finds out about William's lies, wonders if she can forgive a man whose behavior has mirrored her own father's deception. VERDICT With many side characters and subplots, debut author Austin keeps the pacing lively and crafts a vivid York, but the romance gets a little lost among too many plotlines. Still, this Victorian-era story is a promising and engaging start for a new author.--Eve Stano
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