Welcome to my tour stop! Read my review of this new Proper Romance below...
Isabelle and Alexander
(A Proper Romance Victorian)
By Rebecca Anderson
Adult Historical Romance
Paperback, Audiobook & ebook, 368 Pages
May 4, 2021 by Shadow Mountain Publishing
Summary
London, 1850
Isabelle Rackham knows she will not marry for love. Though arranged marriages have fallen out of fashion, hers has been settled for some time to combine the upper-middle-class wealth of her father's coal mines with Alexander Osgood's prospering Northern country textile mills. Though not a man prone to romantic gestures, Alexander is well-known as an eligible bachelor. His good looks have turned more than one head, so Isabelle is content to think of herself as Alexander's wife.
However, her marriage is not what she expected. Northern England is nothing like her home farther west in the lake country. Cold, dreary, and dark, the soot from the textile mills creates a gray hue that seems to cling to everything in the city of Manchester. Alexander is distant and aloof, preferring to spend his time at the mill rather than with her at home. Their few conversations are brief, polite, and lacking any emotion, leaving Isabelle lonely and desperately homesick.
Sensing his wife's unhappiness, Alexander suggests a trip to his country estate. Isabelle hopes this will be an opportunity to get to know her new husband without the distractions of his business. But the change of scenery doesn't bring them any closer. While riding together on horses, Alexander is thrown from his and becomes paralyzed. Tragedy or destiny? The help and care that Alexander now needs is Isabelle's opportunity to forge a connection and create a deep and romantic love where nothing else could.
Praise for the Book
"Anderson’s first foray into historical romance is an atypical, yet satisfying story set in Victorian Manchester’s upper middle class. Hand this to readers looking for a book that navigates the peaks and valleys of two strangers attempting to make a life together despite the hardships life throws at them."— Library Journal
"Isabelle transitions from an unaware, leisure-class woman to a more enlightened spouse and supporter of the working class. Intimacy and romance develop between Isabelle and Alexander because of simple gestures, like a long look or a thoughtful gift, and their conversations. Their slow, stately courting is reader appropriate for any age or audience. Manchester also gets its due as a place of grit and incredible production. Descriptions of bustling mills reveal their impact on the couple’s family and its fortunes. Isabelle and Alexander is an intimate and touching romance novel that focuses on women’s lives in the business class of industrial England."— Foreword Reviews
"Isabelle must use her quiet spunk, busy mind, and compassionate spirit to woo her husband in a wholly new way. Anderson's debut is a lovely northern England Victorian romance about confronting the seemingly impossible and the power of empathy. Anderson also addresses the time period’s treatment of physical and intellectual disabilities. Most of all, she beautifully depicts love in its many forms beyond romance, such as compassion, patience, and vulnerability; and her characters illustrate the ways that these expressions of love carry us through even the darkest hours. Isabelle’s loving and persevering fervor and devotion will resonate with any caregiver’s heart."— Booklist
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My Review
ISABELLE AND ALEXANDER is a Victorian romance between a cotton mill owner and a coal miner's daughter as they navigate marriage and then a terrible accident. Its a story that explores the complexity of marriage and the care, patience and strength needed to face a debilitating injury. Readers should be ready for all the emotions this story will evoke as they turn the pages, and the love they'll have for these characters and this story in the end.
I don't think the cover can properly convey the journey this story will take readers through. The beginning is an awkward start between Isabelle and Alexander as Isabelle tries to get to know her husband who is practically a stranger to her. She tries to engage over and over and can't seem to connect with her husband and then she faces an even greater challenge when he falls from his horse and is paralyzed (not a spoiler as it's in the summary). It's a heartbreaking, emotional roller-coaster of a story as they traverse this new normal and try to still build love in their marriage.
I loved these characters so much! The beginning was a bit of a rough start but then it was just endearing and heartbreaking. So many feels in this book! I appreciated that the author was very blunt in the beliefs and practices at the time for what they call "simple" and also "invalid." What Isabelle and Alexander both had to go through was astounding, although anyone in the same situation would have an equally challenging road ahead of them. The information about the cotton mill was also interesting and it reminded me quite a bit of North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell. I loved the friends Isabelle makes both inside and outside of the house. I also loved seeing her relationship with Alexander weave and flow with so many little nuggets of wisdom throughout.
In the end, was it what I wished for? This was a heartbreaking and heartfelt story with delightful characters. The romance is sweet, but it's also so much more than that as its a deep and abiding love that develops between the characters. A story that will make readers swoon, cry and laugh, sometimes at the same time. Definitely worth the read!
Content: Clean
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through Austenprose, which did not require a positive review. All opinions are my own.
About the Author
High school English teacher by day, writer by night (or very early morning), she loves hiking, Broadway shows, food, books, and movies. She is happily married and a mom to four above-average kids.
Tour Schedule
Join the virtual blog tour of ISABELLE AND ALEXANDER (Proper Romance Victorian), Rebecca Anderson’s highly acclaimed historical romance novel, May 3–16, 2021. Over forty popular blogs specializing in historical fiction, inspirational fiction, and Victorian romance will join in the celebration of its release with spotlights, exclusive excerpts, and reviews of this new Victorian-era novel set in Manchester, England.
May 03 Lu Reviews Books (Review)
May 03 Timeless Novels (Review)
May 03 Our Book Confessions (Review)
May 04 Literary Time Out (Review)
May 04 My Bookish Bliss (Review)
May 04 The Book Diva's Reads (Excerpt)
May 05 Heidi Reads (Review)
May 05 Laura's Reviews (Review)
May 05 Wishful Endings (Review)
May 05 Gwendalyn's Reviews (Review)
May 06 Margie's Must Reads (Review)
May 06 Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen (Excerpt)
May 06 Relz Reviewz (Review)
May 07 Randi Loves 2 Read (Spotlight)
May 07 The Reading Frenzy (Review)
May 07 Nurse Bookie (Review)
May 08 The Christian Fiction Girl (Review)
May 08 The Bibliophile Files (Review)
May 09 Reading with Emily (Review)
May 09 Fire and Ice (Spotlight)
May 10 My Jane Austen Book Club (Excerpt)
May 10 The Caffeinated Bibliophile (Review)
May 10 Booked Solid (Review)
May 10 From Pemberley to Milton (Spotlight)
May 11 Greenish Bookshelf (Review)
May 11 Captivated Reading (Review)
May 11 The Green Mockingbird (Review)
May 12 For Where Your Treasure Is (Excerpt)
May 12 Bookworm Lisa (Review)
May 13 Books, Teacups & Reviews (Spotlight)
May 13 Library of Clean Reads (Review)
May 13 Robin Loves Reading (Review)
May 13 So Little Time (Excerpt)
May 14 Eli's Novel Reviews (Review)
May 14 The Lit Bitch (Review)
May 14 The Bluestocking (Review)
May 15 Reading Is My Superpower (Review)
May 15 Christian Chick's Thoughts (Review)
May 15 A Darn Good Read (Review)
May 16 The Silver Petticoat Review (Excerpt)
May 16 CozyNookBooks (Review)
Are you a fan of this line of books? Will you be reading this one?
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