Waltz with a Stranger
*Starred Review* Aurelia Newbold would do anything for her twin sister, Amelia, including giving up the man of her dreams. After all, it isn’t as if Aurelia and James Trelawney, Lord Trevenan, had formed any sort of close, personal connection. Aurelia met James at a soiree a year earlier, when he discovered Aurelia in the conservatory, where she had retreated to get away from the attention her injuries always seemed to draw. The offer of a waltz from James was too tempting to resist, and for one lovely moment, Aurelia forgot about her scar and limp. Now, after spending a year at a healing spa, a newly rejuvenated Aurelia returns to London, only to discover that in the interim Amelia has become engaged to James. Aurelia knows Amelia could not find a kinder, sweeter gentleman than James, and even though her own heart is breaking, Aurelia will do everything in her power to see that their wedding day is perfect. Sherwood effortlessly evokes the world of Edith Wharton and Henry James, and her exquisite character development, memorable secondary characters, and impeccably researched historical setting infuse this elegantly written debut with a richness and depth worth savoring. --John Charles