Michael Stephenson has worked his entire adult life to regain his family's social status after his father lost the family's money and respectability years ago. His continued success as a barrister and a noble marriage will finish the job, and give his sister the security she deserves. With a lucrative and high-profile case in the works, and permission to court an eligible lady, Michael seems unstoppable-- until aspiring doctor Julia Bernay saves his life. Julia will stop at nothing to become a doctor-- but she needs to pass a Latin exam to officially enroll in medical school. For saving Micheal's life, she requests he tutor her in Latin. Sparks fly between the two, but several obstacles stand in the way as well. Can Julia forgive Michael for working on a case that would shut down the medical program for female doctors? Will Michael decide that true love is worth more than social standing?
Jennifer Delamere shows readers an interesting glimpse of the medical and legal fields in England in The Heart's Appeal. The second book in her London Beginnings series, this installment stands well on its own. While the plot itself was interesting, and I like Michael's character, I couldn't bring myself to enjoy Julia. What Delamere surely meant to be endearing, I found obnoxious. I applaud the attempt at creating a strong female lead, but it came off as pandering rather than inspiring. Again, Michael's personal struggles and dilemmas were believable, but Julia's seemed contrived and overblown. Delamere's writing was decent and the plot moves quickly. Without Julia's pushy petulance, I would have enjoyed the novel much more.
I received a free copy from the publisher. No review, positive or otherwise, was required—all opinions are my own.
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