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by S. Isabelle
Bridgerton meets The Davenports in this wildly entertaining standalone romance, following a young Black woman trying to balance her independence with her future in 1860s London's high society.
Stella Sedgwick is a lost cause.
Banished from etiquette lessons and unsure of her future, Stella dreams of a writing career and independence, but 1860s England offers little opportunity beyond marriage or servitude for a sharp-tongued, dark-skinned girl.
When her late mother's former employer summons Stella to London, he tells her of his intention to bequeath one of the family's great estates to her. It's a life-changing inheritance, but one that will precipitate a legal battle that would be easier if Stella were married. With her cousin Olivia by her side, Stella is thrust into London society and must navigate fashion and balls, insults and stares, and a rekindled connection to Nathaniel, her childhood best friend with a rakish reputation.
Beyond the marriage market, living in London presents intriguing opportunities to Stella, like picking up her mother's anonymous advice column to guide readers through upper-class perils. As new acquaintances are made and old secrets are uncovered, Stella must decide when to play by the rules, when to break them, and when to let herself follow her heart.
"Stella tells her story with humor and wit. While race does play a part in the story, it is Stella's personality, humor, and strong-mindedness that drive the story and will endear it to readers. Multiple swoonworthy suitors will leave readers wondering if Stella will give up her plans for spinsterhood. Isabelle has created a Regency romance that will satisfy romance fans who are not quite ready for Bridgerton but hunger for the balls and gossip of high society." —Booklist (starred review)
"Isabelle crafts a compelling lead in Stella; her dissatisfaction with her society's gender norms chafes against her secret desire to experience true love in this sweeping period romance." —Publishers Weekly
"Stella's navigation of a society that is unwelcoming to non-white people is well written but would have benefited from more robust historical context. Still, the strong character development will help readers understand the complex choices each character faces. Strong pacing throughout culminates in a slightly lackluster ending. Romance enthusiasts will enjoy this work, although history buffs will be left wanting more details." —Kirkus Reviews
"The Great Misfortune of Stella Sedgwick is my new favorite young adult romance. I fell in love with Stella from the instant the story began, and now I'm pledged to her, body and soul. S. Isabelle handles the difficulty of otherness with a light hand and a deft pen, and her romantic scenes caused me to physically swoon. I love this book most ardently." —Alexene Farol Follmuth, New York Times bestselling author of Twelfth Knight
"Bridgerton fans will swoon over this book! The fiercely independent (and hilarious!) Stella Sedgwick is instantly lovable as she forges her own path in London high society. Full of romantic yearning, rich historical details, and sharp social commentary, this book kept me hooked from start to finish. I adored it." —Jordyn Taylor, award-winning author of The Paper Girl of Paris and The Rebel Girls of Rome
This information about The Great Misfortune of Stella Sedgwick was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
S. Isabelle is a reader, writer, and hoarder of books. After earning a Master's degree in library science, she took that love of reading to youth librarianship. When she isn't writing, you can find her binge-watching TV shows, drinking heavily sweetened coffee, or stressing over baseball.
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