Product Details
- Title: Love and Lavender
- Author: Josi S. Kilpack
- Series: Mayfield Family, Book 4:
- Publisher : Shadow Mountain (November 2, 2021)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 320 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1629729299
***I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own***
Hazel Stillman is a woman of rare independence and limited opportunities. Born with a clubbed foot, she was sent away as a child and, knowing her disability means a marriage is unlikely, she devoted herself to scholarship and education.
Now working as a teacher in an elite private girls' school, she is content with the way her story has unfolded. When her uncle Elliott Mayfield presents her with the prospect of a substantial inheritance if she marries, Hazel is offended. What kind of decent man would marry for her money? Besides, she loves her freedom as a professional, respected woman. When she hears rumors of the school possibly being sold, however, she knows she must consider all her options.
Duncan Penhale has a brilliant mind and thrives on order and process. He does not expect to marry because he likes his solitary life, shared only with his beloved cat. When Elliott Mayfield, his guardian's brother, presents him with an inheritance if he marries a woman of social standing, Duncan finds it intrusive. However, with the inheritance, he could purchase the building in which he works and run his own firm. It would take an impressive and intellectual woman to understand and love him, quirks and all.
Hazel and Duncan believe they have found a solution to both of their problems: marry one another, receive their inheritances, and then part ways to enjoy their individual paths. But when Uncle Mayfield stipulates that they must live together as husband and wife for one year before receiving their inheritances, Hazel and Duncan reluctantly agree. Over time, their marriage of convenience becomes much more appealing than they had anticipated. At the end of the full year, will they go their separate ways or could an unlikely marriage have found unsuspecting love?
My Review
Love and Lavender was a happy surprise for me. This was a slow build romance with very unique characters. The Mayfield Family Series has been a wonderful read! The premise is that Great-Uncle Elliott Mayfield promises to gift an inheritance to his great-nephews and nieces. The kicker is, they must agree to his terms: to marry a certain type of person and live better lives than their descendants.
In this novel, we meet Hazel Stillman, born with a disability of a clubbed foot. She never felt loved and accepted by her family because of her disability. She is a Math teacher for girls and very intelligent. The man she meets and has to decide to marry is Duncan Penhale. He has what we know today as being on the Autism Spectrum. The author did a fabulous job writing about the challenges of both Hazel's disability and Duncan's Autistic traits.
This story is very much a character-driven one where we see the many awkward interactions of the two characters as they learn to navigate being "married" to one another. Both Hazel and Duncan are written very well. There are many sweet moments as they learn and discover things about each other. The overall feeling in this book is one of acceptance and tenderness. Love and Lavender would make a great gift for anyone looking for a different kind of clean romance with a nice ending. The epilogue was one of my favorites ever. This novel is another beautiful job by Author Josi Kilpack.
***Meet Author Josi S. Kilpack***
Josi S. Kilpack has written more than thirty novels, a cookbook, and several novellas. She is a four-time Whitney award winner, including Best Novel 2015 for "Lord Fenton's Folly, and has been a Utah Best of State winner for Fiction. Josi loves to bake, sleep, eat, read, travel, and watch TV--none of which she gets to do as much as she would like. She writes contemporary fiction under the pen name Jessica Pack.
Josi has four children and lives in Northern Utah. For more information about Josi, you can visit her website at www.josiskilpack.com or her blog at www.josikilpack.blogspot.com
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