Isabelle and Alexander by Rebecca AndersonMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Source: Received to review from Netgalley.
Genre: Historical Romance
Book Description: Manchester, 1850
Isabelle Rackham knows she will not marry for love. Though arranged marriages have fallen out of fashion, hers has been settled for some time. Alexander Osgood is handsome, well-known, and wealthy, but he is distant and aloof, spending much of his time at his textile mill.
Moreover, Northern England is nothing like Isabelle's home in the Lake Country, and her marriage is far from the fairy tale she expected. Conversations with Alexander are awkward, when they happen at all, and Isabelle struggles with loneliness.
Sensing his wife's unhappiness, Alexander brings Isabelle to his country estate. During their time together, the couple begins to build a friendship, opening up to each other about the details of their lives. But when a tragic accident leaves Alexander unable to walk, their fledgling relationship is tested.
Isabelle is determined to see to her husband's recovery, and in caring for him, she discovers within herself an untapped well of strength and courage. In learning to rely on each other, the couple has an opportunity to forge a love connection that they both have longed for but never dreamed could be.
My thoughts: Isabelle and Alexander is a sweet story that deals with an arranged marriage with unexpected difficulties.
Isabelle is a woman of fortitude. Life has not turned out how she expected, in spite of disappointments, she rises and excels at the challenges placed in front of her. When the story begins she is looking forward to an arranged marriage to Alexander Osgood. He is new money and the owner of a clothing mill. He is not a man of many words and it leads to frustration on both of their parts.
Shortly after their marriage, Alexander is thrown from his horse and left with paralysis. This is not a good start to their marriage, particularly one where they are strangers. This was an interesting conflict that is not typically part of a romance book. I loved how Rebecca Anderson was able to write this realistically. She portrayed the frustrations of the characters. The story is written in the first person, but she described Alexander's reactions that indicated his feelings.
It is at this point that Isabelle really shined for me. Her determination to take care of her husband and help his recovery was admirable. She is compassionate, not just in her dealings with her husband but also with Glory, a disabled young woman that Isabelle takes under her wing. She is so patient and kind. It became understandable how Isabelle could transition into a caregiver.
I loved this journey. This wasn't just a book of romantic fiction to me. I was inspired by the characters. This is not your typical romance, this is something more.
Source: I received a complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
Isabelle is a woman of fortitude. Life has not turned out how she expected, in spite of disappointments, she rises and excels at the challenges placed in front of her. When the story begins she is looking forward to an arranged marriage to Alexander Osgood. He is new money and the owner of a clothing mill. He is not a man of many words and it leads to frustration on both of their parts.
Shortly after their marriage, Alexander is thrown from his horse and left with paralysis. This is not a good start to their marriage, particularly one where they are strangers. This was an interesting conflict that is not typically part of a romance book. I loved how Rebecca Anderson was able to write this realistically. She portrayed the frustrations of the characters. The story is written in the first person, but she described Alexander's reactions that indicated his feelings.
It is at this point that Isabelle really shined for me. Her determination to take care of her husband and help his recovery was admirable. She is compassionate, not just in her dealings with her husband but also with Glory, a disabled young woman that Isabelle takes under her wing. She is so patient and kind. It became understandable how Isabelle could transition into a caregiver.
I loved this journey. This wasn't just a book of romantic fiction to me. I was inspired by the characters. This is not your typical romance, this is something more.
Source: I received a complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
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About the Author: Rebecca Anderson is the nom de plume of contemporary romance novelist Becca Wilhite, author of Wedding Belles: A Novel in Four Parts, Check Me Out, and My Ridiculous Romantic Obsessions. Isabelle and Alexander is her debut historical romance novel.
High school English teacher by day, writer by night (or very early morning), she loves hiking, Broadway shows, food, books, and movies. She is happily married and a mom to four above-average kids.
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