An Unlikely Arrangement
An independent heroine with a scandalous past. A true gentleman with baggage of his own. Can two strangers forced together into an unlikely arrangement lead to a lasting romance?
In 1902, Abigail Dupree is but a breath away from her grand societal failure. To save her family from humiliation and financial ruin, Abigail becomes a bargaining trade in her mother’s eyes. A bargain that will extinguish Abigail’s last hope of a happily-ever-after. If only she could return to the mountains of Asheville, North Carolina, she might have a chance to reunite with the only man who has the power to save her reputation.
Garrett Barringer, arrives in Charlotte, North Carolina to escape a past that no longer wants him. He takes an undisclosed position with Mr. Dupree. When it is revealed that part of Mr. Dupree’s purpose for bringing him on board is to chaperone his beloved daughter, Garrett abruptly discovers that he has taken on more than he bargained for. Abigail Dupree is more beguiling than any other woman he’s encountered, but he must resist his heart for the sake of propriety and to keep a promise made to her father.
When her father hires Garrett Barringer, a man that seems far too young to be a lawyer, and possesses far too many favorable characteristics, Abigail resists his charm but cannot deny her heart is compelling her toward him. But she will not allow the man to ruin an opportunity she has waited for nearly five years.
Garrett is suddenly aware what his life was and what it could become in the presence of Abigail Dupree. Will he be able to give up the woman who has stolen his heart, for her happiness?
Abigail stands to lose all if Garrett Barringer sees past her physical beauty and uncovers the ugliness of her imperfect past. Will Abigail continue on the condemned path she’s fashioned for herself, or trust that God wants a future for her she never believed possible?
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Author has a gift for emotional description, that pulse-pounding realization that escape is needed, and the physical. Author also gives us rounded settings with plenty of sensory details to add realism, and author brings our attention to some details that can be revealed, while others require our patience for well-crafted story structure. Revelations are very authentic for an injured, fearful character who must unspool slowly, and the author's empathetic writing forms great logic in that. ~Writers Digest
An inspirational novel about hard-won love finding its truth path.~Kirkus Reviews