Details
- Genre: Historical fiction
- Series: Victorians at the Beach (Book #1)
- Length: 155 pages (Kindle edition)
- Publication Date: July 2, 2025
Tropes
- Forced proximity
- Marriage of convenience
My Rating
Book Description
“Armed with an elite culinary education, a small inheritance, and the famed Mrs. Marshall’s recipes, Clara Ward is ready to open a gourmet ices shop that leaves the vacationers of Margate Beach talking. She didn’t anticipate feeding them a scandal… Or gaining a husband.
Clara Ward has dreamed of returning to Margate ever since her grandmother brought her as a little girl. Now, after years of working toward buying her own home and starting a gourmet ices shop, Clara’s goals are finally within reach. When a startling encounter with local doctor Ellis Archibald threatens to create a scandal before Clara has a chance to even start work, the enigmatic doctor proposes a marriage of convenience.
Between family and friends’ expectations, preparing her shop for its grand opening, and rescuing her own reputation, Clara feels the pressure of convincing everyone that she married for love. As she falls for Ellis on the shores of Margate’s beaches, Clara must decide whether her reputation and her shop’s future is worth upholding the lies or if the truth is worth causing a greater scandal.”
— from Goodreads
My Review
Clara Ward arrives in Margate ready to set up her ice cream shop. But an unexpected complication, in the form of Dr. Ellis Archibald, drastically alters her plans.
Learning about ice cream in the Victorian era (the flavors and the process of making it) was fascinating. Food history is one of my favorite things!
Ellis was so thoughtful. I wish I could read his POV, as well.
While I knew Clara’s decision to keep secrets was going to end badly, I could understand where she was coming from.
Clara thought she was a disappointment to her family, especially compared to her brother. However, they actually do appreciate her, which she realizes at the end.
See Content Notes
touching, noticing and awareness, some extremely mild innuendo, blood, kissing, a married couple share a bed (nothing happens), references to delivering a baby, allusions to women being pregnant out of wedlock
Favorite Moments
🍧 Hall By the Sea
🍨 the picnic
🍧 exploring the cave
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