01/04/2021
Misinterpretations in the language of love abound in Sullivan’s winning debut, the first in her League of Scoundrels series. While vacationing in Italy in 1897, 24-year-old Brit Lottie Carlisle hatches a plan to escape the machinations of her uncle, Sir Alfred Lewis, who wishes to marry her off by season’s end. She hopes to ruin her reputation with the eligible bachelors of London by giving her chaperone the slip and living alone in the Italian countryside for a year, but her plan is upended when Alec Gresham, her uncle’s ward and her own former flame, now an agent of the crown, is sent to track her down. Though Lottie is dismayed to be discovered, seeing Alec once more after his abrupt departure from her life five years earlier stirs long-buried feelings. Alec informs Lottie that Sir Alfred is dying and persuades her to return home with him—and as they travel the Italian countryside, the picturesque backdrop and gently teased mysteries about Alec’s life as a spy keep the pages turning. Alec and Lottie’s former closeness is nicely contrasted with their present-day tension as their feelings reignite. This satisfying love story will especially appeal to historical romance fans looking for a break from the typical English setting. Agent: Amanda Jain, Bookends Literary. (Mar.)
