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Title details for Isabelle and Alexander by Rebecca Anderson - Available

Isabelle and Alexander

by Rebecca Anderson
ebook
2 of 3 copies available
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2 of 3 copies available
London, 1850
Isabelle Rackham knows she will not marry for love. Though arranged marriages have fallen out of fashion, hers has been settled for some time to combine the upper-middle-class wealth of her father's coal mines with Alexander Osgood's prospering Northern country textile mills. Though not a man prone to romantic gestures, Alexander is well-known as an eligible bachelor. His good looks have turned more than one head, so Isabelle is content to think of herself as Alexander's wife.
However, her marriage is not what she expected. Northern England is nothing like her home farther west in the lake country. Cold, dreary, and dark, the soot from the textile mills creates a gray hue that seems to cling to everything in the city of Manchester. Alexander is distant and aloof, preferring to spend his time at the mill rather than with her at home. Their few conversations are brief, polite, and lacking any emotion, leaving Isabelle lonely and desperately homesick.
Sensing his wife's unhappiness, Alexander suggests a trip to his country estate. Isabelle hopes this will be an opportunity to get to know her new husband without the distractions of his business. But the change of scenery doesn't bring them any closer. While riding together on horses, Alexander is thrown from his and becomes paralyzed. Tragedy or destiny? The help and care that Alexander now needs is Isabelle's opportunity to forge a connection and create a deep and romantic love where nothing else could.

  • Creators

  • Series

    Proper Romance Victorian

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    May 4, 2021

  • Formats

    • Kindle Book

    • OverDrive Read

      • ISBN: 9781629739953

    • EPUB ebook

      • ISBN: 9781629739953
      • File size: 2254 KB

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Library Journal

      March 1, 2021

      DEBUT Isabelle Rackham and Alexander Osgood have married not for love but rather to advance the fortunes of both their families. Isabelle has hope, though, that the handsome man she married may turn into someone with whom she can at least share affections. But Alexander runs hot and cold as a husband, interested one minute, neglectful the next. When his horse throws him during a ride at the country estate, Isabelle rushes to Alexander's side to find him barely alive and unmoving. With help, he is taken back to the house, where a doctor determines he's paralyzed from the neck down. There is some chance he may regain movement in his torso, but it will require time, effort, and patience. Isabelle is determined to assist her husband's healing in any way she can, even if it means pushing beyond the unspoken boundaries the two had previously followed. VERDICT Anderson's first foray into historical romance is an atypical, yet satisfying story set in Victorian Manchester's upper middle class. Hand this to readers looking for a book that navigates the peaks and valleys of two strangers attempting to make a life together despite the hardships life throws at them.--Kellie Tilton, Univ. of Cincinnati Blue Ash

      Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • Booklist

      May 1, 2021
      For Isabelle Rackham, marrying Alexander Osgood is a family business decision rather than a romantic pursuit. But a girl could do worse than a nuptial pairing with Manchester's most eligible bachelor. Yet married life is not what Isabelle expects. Alexander is standoffish and obsessed with his business. When the unthinkable happens, and a terrible accident leaves Alexander immobile, they are thrown into unexpected and challenging roles. As they navigate the treacherous road to recovery, Isabelle must use her quiet spunk, busy mind, and compassionate spirit to woo her husband in a wholly new way. Anderson's debut is a lovely northern England Victorian romance about confronting the seemingly impossible and the power of empathy. Anderson also addresses the time period's treatment of physical and intellectual disabilities. Most of all, she beautifully depicts love in its many forms beyond romance, such as compassion, patience, and vulnerability; and her characters illustrate the ways that these expressions of love carry us through even the darkest hours. Isabelle's loving and persevering fervor and devotion will resonate with any caregiver's heart.

      COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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