Highcliffe House (Proper Romance Regency)
In 1813 London, young Graham, a fledgling entrepreneur, arrives at the impressive townhouse of the wealthy Mr. Lane. Graham has come across a lucrative opportunity in Brighton but, having to care for his mother and sisters, he cannot fund it all. He offers Lane a partnership. Lane is interested but wants to inspect the location. Having a personal rendezvous in Bath, Lane sends his young daughter, Anna, to accompany Graham to Brighton.
Upon learning of a suitor’s duplicity, Anna is upset and wants to go with Papa to the beaches at Lyme. Graham thinks very little of Anna and considers her self-centered. However, both reluctantly agree and travel to Brighton; they reside at Graham’s family home, Highcliffe House. Anna is impressed at Graham’s caring ways for his family and that he is not just a money-grabber. The two will need to disregard their misunderstandings to give true love a chance.
This is another agreeable Regency-era romance novel by Megan Walker. As mentioned in her biography, “imaginings of Regency England wouldn’t leave her alone,” and that certainly helps her evocative descriptions of the settings. Brighton in the 1800s comes alive before our eyes. The dialogue and the banter between Anna and Graham are delightful. In alternating chapters, the first-person viewpoints of Anna and Graham are masterfully done to bring out the characters’ thought processes. This technique helps to expose the change in Anna and Graham’s attitudes toward each other.
The novel is an interesting study of how two people who dislike each other can change their minds and clarify their fallacies when fate brings them together. This is a charming enemies-turning-into-lovers story, and an ideal beach read.
