THE VISCOUNT MADE ME DO IT

In Regency London, a bonesetter fixes a viscount’s arm—and then his heart.

Hanna Zaydan has spent her entire life working toward a career as a bonesetter. She’s successfully avoided her mother's attempts to marry her off to a fellow member of London’s Arab community and has managed not to draw too much attention from the local medical community, which sees her as a charlatan. By chance, however, she draws the attention of Thomas Ellis, Viscount Griffin, and is suddenly all too visible. Griff is a reluctant nobleman; much of the ton believes he was responsible for his parents’ deaths, and he depends on family friend Dr. Norman Pratt to stay connected with society. Dr. Pratt believes Hanna is a quack, but Griff continues to visit her because he believes she may be connected to his parents’ murders. When she heals a war injury that causes Griff incredible pain no traditional doctor has been able to cure, he realizes there’s more to her than he assumed. He continues his visits, and they fall for each other. There are any number of reasons they can’t be together: They’re from different classes and cultures, and Hanna’s career isn’t compatible with expectations for the future Lady Griffin. But though Griff is nearly engaged to another woman and a trial led by Dr. Pratt threatens to oust Hanna from London entirely, the two continue to see each other with great longing. The second entry in Quincy’s Clandestine Affairs series incorporates some touches of suspense, but at heart it's a classic Regency romance. What sets it apart is Hanna, a strongly written heroine who embodies a community and a career that aren’t often seen in the subgenre. Her romance with Griff is sweet and a little spicy, but the story really comes to life when she struggles with her hopes for her career, trying to figure out if she can keep the work to which she is devoted and also somehow keep Griff. The story stands alone, but those who enjoyed the unique perspective of Her Night With the Duke (2020) will appreciate this one as well.

A diverse and career-centric Regency that will please devoted readers of the genre.