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Kindle Edition Digital Ebook Purchas Details
  • 03/2024
  • 978-1-64669-045-9 B0CSKQ3NKN
  • 315 pages
  • $5.99
Paperback Details
  • 03/2024
  • 978-1-64669-043-5
  • 315 pages
  • $15.99
Hardcover Details
  • 03/2024
  • 978-1-64669-044-2
  • 315 pages
  • $29.99
Cindy Patterson
Author
An Unlikely Arrangement: Brides of Biltmore
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?
Plot/Idea: 7 out of 10
Originality: 5 out of 10
Prose: 7 out of 10
Character/Execution: 7 out of 10
Overall: 6.50 out of 10

Assessment:

Plot/Idea: Patterson crafts a refreshing historical romance with an entertaining lead in Abigail Dupree, an unconventional female in every way. The central idea—of a man protecting Abigail from further "ruin" by falling in love with her—is unique and appealing.

Prose: The prose flows smoothly, transporting readers into the novel's time period through Patterson's elegant writing and eloquent dialogue.

Originality: An Unlikely Arrangement follows standard romantic tropes, though Patterson infuses the novel with fresh spirit through her creative female protagonist.

Character/Execution: Abigail, as well as the male romantic lead Garrett Barringer, are well-defined characters who effortlessly fit the genre. Readers will appreciate the easy, polished repartee between the two. 

Date Submitted: June 05, 2024

Reviews
The first novel in the Brides of Biltmore series from Patterson (author of Broken Butterfly) infuses a sweet classic romance with a compelling story of personal evolution. Abigail Dupree despairs of her parents’ choice for her future husband: William Arendell, a boorish lout many years her senior. But a scandal in Abigail’s past brought shame upon her and her family, limiting her options for marriage in early 1900s North Carolina high society. When Abigail slips away from the house to avoid a social engagement that will force her to interact with her terrible suitor, she finds herself in a precarious situation. Fortunately, she encounters Garrett Barringer, her father’s handsome and gentlemanly new employee who escorts her back to safety.

Abigail chafes at Garrett’s continued overprotective interference in her life and the complications he creates as she plans to salvage her tarnished reputation, but his presence forces her to look at things in a new way. Abigail’s journey of self-discovery has many twists and turns as she struggles to know her mind and follow her heart while still honoring God and her family. Her lack of self-awareness, while occasionally frustrating, lends authenticity to her character. Readers who are patient with the pace of her growth will be rewarded with an inspiring journey towards greater maturity and self-knowledge.

Though Abigail strives to be “grown up” and independent, she must navigate the many restrictive social conventions of the Gilded Age, which affect everything from her forbidden friendship with her maid Rose to the social graces at parties, including those she attends at the wealthy Vanderbilt family’s new Biltmore Mansion (keep an eye out for a charming cameo by the bold Alice Roosevelt, daughter of Theodore). Abigail’s strong Christian values also affect her thoughts and actions, offering crucial touchstones as she struggles with control, guilt, and forgiveness. Readers who enjoy Regency romance will find all its traditional components here, along with deeper, spiritual reflection on love.

Takeaway: Gentle, slow-burn romance with a convincing heroine at a crossroads.

Comparable Titles: Jen Turano’s Behind the Scenes series; M.A. Nichols’s The Kingsleys series.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-

Formats
Kindle Edition Digital Ebook Purchas Details
  • 03/2024
  • 978-1-64669-045-9 B0CSKQ3NKN
  • 315 pages
  • $5.99
Paperback Details
  • 03/2024
  • 978-1-64669-043-5
  • 315 pages
  • $15.99
Hardcover Details
  • 03/2024
  • 978-1-64669-044-2
  • 315 pages
  • $29.99
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