The Marriage Method (The Crinoline Academy)
In 1864, Penelope “Nell” Trewlove loves her position as deputy headmistress at Miss Corvus’s Benevolent Academy for the Betterment of Young Ladies, a charity school that trains orphaned young ladies to bring down men who have wronged women. Miles Quincey is editor-in-chief of the Courant, a struggling London newspaper kept afloat by its scintillating gossip column. Hoping to break a major story, Miles is so intrigued by Miss Corvus’s school that Miss Corvus sends Nell to London to throw him off the scent. When Nell and Miles are hilariously caught in an accidental compromising position, they have to marry to preserve both their reputations and those of the Courant and the school. Meanwhile, Miles learns that his missing gossip columnist has been murdered, and Nell suspects the murder is connected to the disappearance of a young lady who was on her way to Miss Corvus’s. Together, the strangers-turned-newlyweds set out to solve both mysteries while slowly falling for each other.
The novel is a masterclass in the slow-burn romance, with deep character development, compassionate disability representation, and just a touch of (non-graphic) spice. Even the kissing-only scenes will leave readers hot under the collar. Highly recommended.
