A CHANGE OF LOCATION

An American woman is wooed by the English countryside—and a dashing country gentleman—in Porter’s debut contemporary romance novel.

Hannah Ballard, an American film location scout, is in England trying to find the perfect setting for an 18th-century historical epic called Forsaken Fortune. She finds herself trying to cater an impromptu party to promote her employer, Acorn Films. When she wanders into an artisanal cheese shop called Wincott & Sons, she’s served by Martin Latimer, who instead of being a cheesemonger turns out to be the Marquess of Milverston (and, oddly, the landlord of the cheese shop), an archetypal handsome aristocrat and “a charming guy who has a title and an enormous country house.” When he discovers why Hannah is in England, he suggests she come visit him at Stanwell House. The house is located in the county of Somerset in Milver Vale, which he believes is perfect for the film. Hannah sets off to meet him, and as soon as she arrives and agrees to Martin’s scheme, she finds herself slowly falling in love with the area and with the dashing Martin. Porter has perfectly captured the romance trope of finding unexpected love while traveling to new places. The author also deftly portrays the machinations of a twentysomething career woman who’s somewhat closed off to romantic intrigue. Porter skillfully immerses readers in the fictional Milver Vale and vividly evokes British village life, from pubs to fun characters to countryside exploits. Despite the idyllic setting, Hannah lives in constant fear of her name being circulated too widely, which could mean attracting unwanted attention to her family: primarily her Uncle Chase, who’s served prison time for manslaughter. Martin is on a crusade to support the welfare of the village and hopes that the production might bring more business in. While this is undoubtedly a novel of romantic escapism, Porter never gets treacly or predictably sentimental.

A charming sojourn to the English countryside for readers who enjoy smart love stories.