"A Lady of Esteem" by Kristi Ann Hunter

 


Kristi Ann Hunter's Hawthorne House series kicks off with this Regency era novella. I've been wanting to check out this author so this was a nice starting point.

Our heroine for this story is Amelia Stalwood, a somewhat quirky young woman who has been largely forgotten by her guardian, left to be raised by the household staff in his seldom-used London home. Amelia, as a result, is much better friends with her own servants and the servants of neighboring homes than any of the gentry who reside in them. One day she's caught fulfilling a maid's duties in a marquis's home, and while she escapes without giving her name, she is quite embarrassed and knows it's a close call.

The marquis is intrigued by this unusual creature who had appeared in his library, and more so when he bumps into her in his garden only days later. How can he discover who she is? Anthony has a past full of regret and shame, and has only recently ventured back to London after spending a few years avoiding the follies which had previously engulfed him there.

Twists and turns bring Amelia and Anthony together again, but the death of Amelia's guardian and the uncertainty of her future leave their budding relationship in question. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the beginning of this novella. Amelia seemed like a breath of fresh air and someone I would like to know. However, I felt this went the way of many novellas, with choppy plot movements and insufficient character development. I do plan to read the first full-length book in this series, as many of these defects tend to sort themselves out over the length of a novel, and the author did a good job giving us a glimpse into the Hawthorne family through their friendship with both Amelia and Anthony.