Cassandra Linfield is a lady fossil collector who declares she will never marry as no man will ever take her studies seriously. When circumstances force her to travel to Town for the Season, Cassy infiltrates the hallowed portals of the Geological Society from which she has been banned. She is horrified when she comes face to face with her nemesis, the infuriating Earl of Rothbury.
Lord Rothbury is a gentleman-geologist with a turbulent romantic past. After a youthful disappointment he vows never to fall in love again, and makes the decision, instead, to seek out a convenient wife when he returns to England from his geological travels abroad.
Brought together by their close family ties, Cassy and Rothbury collaborate on a geological paper and discover a powerful attraction. Marriage, however, is the one subject they cannot agree upon. But when Cassy’s life is threatened, the two realize that love matters more than their objections.
Alissa Baxter wrote her first Regency romance, The Dashing Debutante, during her long university holidays. After travelling the world, she settled down to write her second Regency romance, Lord Fenmore’s Wager, which was inspired by her time living on a country estate in England. A Marchioness Below Stairs, her third Regency romance, is the sequel to Lord Fenmore’s Wager.
Alissa’s Regency romance, The Earl’s Lady Geologist (#1 in the Linfield Ladies Series) was released by Vinspire Publishing in February 2021.
Also the author of two chick lit novels, The Truth About Clicking Send and Receive (previously published as Send and Receive) and The Truth About Cats and Bees (previously published as The Blog Affair), Alissa currently lives in Johannesburg with her husband and two sons.
My Impressions:
The Earl’s Lady Geologist, book 1 in the Linfield Ladies series, combines all you’ve come to expect from a Regency romance — debutante balls, fine ladies and gentlemen, and grand country estates — with something a bit unique. Alissa Baxter’s heroine is not your run-of-the mill deb looking to hook a husband. She is well-educated, decidedly independent, and definitely not looking to marry, and a geologist to boot! Geology was a man’s field in those days, reserved for the wealthy class to study and report on. Cassy is a fun character with fears, doubts, and a good awareness of her own shortcomings. Paired with the handsome and sometimes arrogant Lord Rothbury, she comes into her own. The settings of Lyme Regis and London provide a good contrast between country and city society and expectations of the time. The position of women in early 19th century is eye-opening. I found all of the women in the novel to be engaging and enterprising in each of their social stations. Baxter also mixes in some mystery and danger — a good way to add depth to the romance. The faith thread is developed in a natural way, as well, highlighting the struggles we all face.
If you are a fan of the Regency genre, then give The Earl’s Lady Geologist a try. More books are promised in this series, and I am anxious to see where Baxter will take the other Linfield ladies.
Recommended.
Audience: adults.
(I received a complimentary copy from the author. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
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