Book Synopsis
Will the storm that brought them together be the scandal that tears them apart?
Captain John Calder has finally secured the means and standing to propose to the woman he has dreamed of since the day they met—and a house party offers the perfect opportunity to become reacquainted with her.
But a violent storm on the road to Blackwell changes everything. The cold and damp strike John down with a sudden and violent return of the ague.
Evelyn Blackwell, traveling to her family’s estate to secure a suitor for her disgraced cousin, is caught in the same storm and forced to take refuge alone in an abandoned cottage. The door flies open to reveal a fevered stranger who promptly collapses at her feet. She keeps vigil through thunder, darkness, and delirium, certain he may not survive.
But he does survive and in the morning light, they promise to leave as strangers, hopefully never to see each other again, bound only by the secret of a shared night together.
However, days later, John arrives at Evelyn’s house party. Now they must spend weeks together while Evelyn balances arranging a match for her cousin with memories of that night—memories John does not share.
The longer they spend in each other’s company, the more Evelyn wonders if her cousin’s happiness can come only at the cost of her own—and whether the storm that brought her and John together has set her heart on a course to be broken apart.
Book Details
- Publisher: Arbory Press
- Publication date: June 21, 2026
- Genre:
- Series:
- Language: English
- Print length: 308 pages
- ISBN-10: 173674786X
****I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, NetGalley, book tours, and or authors. A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.****
My Review
What makes a great romance? Kissing is a great start, and this book delivers a wonderful one right at the beginning! But you will find so much more than that in A Most Unfortunate Happenstance by Esther Hatch.
This story is a clean, sweet Regency romance with zero steam, making it perfect for readers who love a proper historical love story. The main characters are two incredibly strong, stubborn people (growing up, my dad always called me "determined," so I relate!). Both arrive at a two-week-long house party with competing agendas. Evelyn Blackwell is on a mission to ensure her cousin, Harriett, finds a husband, and she will do anything to make that happen. Meanwhile, Captain John Calder will do anything to get back to Harriett, believing she has been waiting for his return from the war. [1] When Evelyn and John secretly cross paths, it forces them into a delicious forced proximity trope. Trapped together at the same estate, they share incredible banter as they try to keep their secret meeting quiet. Their constant miscommunications and misunderstandings lead to endless humorous moments for the reader. Some of my absolute favorite scenes involved late-night library meet-ups, sharp dinner-table banter, strategic seating-arrangement maneuvers, and, of course, a thrilling shooting competition.
Seriously, I never wanted that shooting chapter to end! I actually went back and reread it before moving on to the next chapter because the chemistry and tension between Evelyn and John were just that good.
So, who fell first? You will have to read this darling romance to see how they finally come together, and to find out exactly what "most unfortunate happenstance" sets everything in motion!
If you love sweet Regency romance packed with forced proximity, hilarious misunderstandings, and unmatched banter, this book is an absolute must-read!
****Meet Author Esther Hatch****
Esther Hatch grew up on a cherry orchard in rural Utah. After high school, she alternated living in Russia to teach children English and attending Brigham Young University in order to get a degree in archaeology. She began writing when one of her favorite authors invited her to join a critique group. The only catch was she had to be a writer. Not one to be left out of an opportunity to socialize and try something new; she started on her first novel that week.
Visit her at estherhatch.com.
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