An Heiress at Heart (Love's Grace)
In debut author Delamere’s clever historical and subtly inspirational romance, Lizzie Poole moves to Australia in 1846 after having an affair. When her lover marries a wealthy miss, Lizzie’s brother ends up fighting a duel. Certain that he has killed his opponent, he flees with his sister. Five years later, Lizzie returns to England masquerading as Ria Thornborough, who left England herself after marrying the brother of her fiancé. She and Lizzie met in Australia and look identical. After contracting a fatal disease, Ria begs Lizzie to go back and make amends with her family. Lizzie steps into Ria’s privileged life and finds that Ria’s in-laws, especially Geoffrey Somerville, capture her attention and emotions. Bits of her own former life seep into her new existence until she is threatened with exposure. Delamere does include Christian elements, but the classic historical plot will appeal to many readers. The romance is filled with emotion and sexual energy, but there is no explicit sensuality, filling a current genre gap for readers who prefer inference. --Amy Alessio