The Baron’s Honourable Daughter-Lynn Morris

The Baron’s Honourable Daughter Lynn Morris FaithWords, May 6 2014, $15.00 ISBN: 9781455575596 When the Earl of Maledon suddenly died, his estate unraveled while his widow grieved alone in her chambers and his six year old son seemed lost with his new responsibilities. Realizing someone had to take charge, the new Earl’s eighteen years old stepsister Valeria Segrave began giving orders to the household and others working on the estate. However, though she knows she can do the job, the males universally reject her being in charge because of her gender, youth and lack of a blood tie to the late Maledon. A relative of her deceased stepfather, Lord Alastair arrives. Though attracted to the newcomer, Valeria feels unworthy of him as she thinks he deems her lacking in the social graces of a lady. In London for a season, her actions seem to affirm his first impressions. However, not one to back down from a challenge, Valeria takes on Alastair in a gender battle of wits and love. This engaging Regency romance is an entertaining historical that showcases the lack of support for a young female trying to do the right thing for her family and employees. Readers will root for spunky Valeria who makes the tale fun; as she believes in herself in spite of overwhelming sexism and other biases, with an “anything you (Alastair) can do, I can do better (from Annie Get Your Gun) attitude. Harriet Klausner