An Elegant Facade

Back Cover

Lady Georgina Hawthorne has always known she must marry well.  After years of tirelessly planning every detail of her debut season, she is poised to be a smashing success and have her choice of eligible gentlemen.

With money and powerful business connections but no title, Colin McCrae is invited everywhere but accepted nowhere.  He intends to marry someday, but when he does it will not be to a shallow woman like Lady Georgina, whose only concerns appears to be status and appearance.

But beneath her flawless exterior, Georgina’s social aspirations stem from a shameful secret she is desperately trying to keep hidden – and that Colin is too close to discovering.  Drawn to each other despite their mutual intent to avoid association, is the realization of their dreams worth the sacrifices they’ll be forced to make?

Review

I loved Kristi Ann Hunter’s debut novel, A Noble Masquerade which kick-started her “Hawthorne House” series.  Partnering Jane Austen style setting and romance with some delightful intrigue, A Noble Masquerade, was one of my favourite historical novels of 2015.  The sequel, An Elegant Façade is easily my favourite this year so far.  The author expertly tied in (rather, overlapped) the last part of A Noble Masquerade but from Lady Georgina’s and Colin McCrae’s viewpoint, providing a unique perspective on the “past” events before jumping into the Lady Georgina’s story.

Lady Georgina is truly a multi-faceted character, an expert at manipulating social situations to her benefit, obsessed with persuading society that she is the epitome of a perfect lady, while also maintaining a close friendship with her lady’s maid, nurturing a deep passion for art, and harbouring a secret that, should it be made public, could be her ruin.  It is these various aspects that draw Colin McCrae to her, along with a desire for Lady Georgina to allow the world to see her for who she truly is, and not the perfect image she wants to display.

This was a truly wonderful read that I greatly enjoyed.  I highly recommend it and can’t wait until the next book in the series is released!

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.