The Woman from Paris: A Novel
The day of Lord George Frampton’s funeral is filled with more than the usual sense of drama. A gorgeous young woman sits among the mourners, catching the eye of David, the heir apparent, who’s pleased to see that she’s among the guests attending the memorial reception at his family’s estate. Pleased, that is, until his father’s lawyer introduces Phaedra as Lord George’s recently discovered stepdaughter. Staked to an equal inheritance as his three sons, as well as the family sapphires, Phaedra’s presence causes the expected amount of consternation. To George’s widow, she’s tangible proof of her husband’s secret life; to his skeptical daughter-in-law, she’s a gold-digging usurper. But to David, she just might be the love of his life. As Phaedra beguiles each member of her new family with her infectious joie de vivre, she struggles to conceal a secret that threatens to destroy everyone. Themes of remorse, recrimination, and reconciliation imbue Montefiore’s (The Mermaid Garden, 2011) otherwise bright and buoyant romance with a satisfying depth. --Carol Haggas