February 25, 2019
In this lackluster second Cavanaughs historical romance (after The Designs of Lord Randolph Cavanaugh), Laurens brings together two individuals who are, unusually, passionate about something other than elite society or each other. Lord Christopher “Kit” Cavanaugh has moved to Bristol to launch a yacht building business, which will improve the economy by hiring men displaced by the advent of steamships. Embittered by the long-ago schemes of his mother, Kit had painted himself as a rake to avoid a loveless marriage, but now he is surprisingly open to the right woman. When his business accidentally displaces the school for indigent boys, he’s reunited with its founder, Sylvia Buckleberry, a vicar’s daughter committed to social justice whom he met at his brother’s wedding. Back then, Sylvia hid her interest behind disdain, but when they’re thrown together again, the attraction is mutual. They must overcome their initial clash and work together to defeat various enemies and obstacles. Though the setting is appealing, the plot and characters are unconvincing and do not deliver Laurens’s customary sparkle and satisfaction. Agent: Nancy Yost, Nancy Yost Literary.
April 15, 2019
When Lord Christopher "Kit" Cavanaugh launches a yacht-building company, he inadvertently displaces a school run by Sylvia Buckleberry, a bridesmaid from his brother's wedding. As the two fight mysterious enemies to keep both ventures progressing, their negative first impressions give way to tender feelings. Realizing his passion for sailing could be directed into a business, Kit prepares to take "his first true step into the future he was determined to craft and claim." Unfortunately, when he rents warehouse space in Bristol's dock area, he's unaware that it will effectively kick a school out of the building. When the school's director confronts him, they recognize each other from his brother's wedding, where vicar's daughter Sylvia served as a bridesmaid. Sylvia knows Kit as a feckless aristocrat from her season, and she impressed Kit at the wedding as cold, rigid, and distant. He is stunned by the impassioned advocate who demands his intervention. For Kit, sponsoring a new space for the school is the right thing to do, but it also garners community good will and, thanks to the students' connections, introduces him to a wealth of skilled but unemployed tradesmen, since the shipbuilding industry has shifted to iron while his yachts will be built from wood. Getting his enterprise off the ground and the school settled keeps Kit and Sylvia close, yet as their feelings toward each other shift into a courtship, a series of dangerous attacks against her school and his workshop escalate. Longtime romance favorite Laurens continues the Cavanaugh series by connecting two figures who demonstrate courage and discernment in presenting their true selves and looking beyond their initial misconceptions in order to find happiness. Laurens' subtle nods to forgiveness, community-building, and second chances lend extra character and warmth to a winning love story.
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