An unlikely love story from a talented author

DIARY OF AN ACCIDENTAL WALLFLOWER
Jennifer McQuiston
Avon
ISBN# 978-0-06-233501-2
March 2015
Historical Romance

Clare Westmore has her sights set of the next Duke of Harrington and all seems going according to plan until she sprains her ankle in the park and is sidelined for weeks. It is one of these sideline moments, she spies her good friend Sophie going after Harrington and in a fit of despair, she sneaks off to the library, where she discovers her mother in a moment of indiscretion. Unfortunately, the doctor who was going to examine her ankle also sees this.

Dr. Daniel Merial is instantly attracted to and enamored with Clare. He becomes her personal doctor overseeing her healing ankle, and it is during these times he discovers how much he enjoys being with her. However, he knows she has her aspirations for the next Duke. As a lowly doctor, living on a meager income, he knows he has nothing to offer her. Try as he might, he can't stay away from her, or her siblings for that matter. As Clare and Daniel work through their attraction, Clare discovers that her friends are not who they seem and her life isn't as she thought. Soon all her plans go awry because now it is the doctor who has her heart and the future she envisioned for herself takes a drastic turn.

This delightful story between an honorable doctor who has bigger goals than tending the elderly and sick and a beautiful member of the ton who finds herself set off to the side, are two unlikely souls destined to fall in love. Their banter and easy attraction are enjoyable to read. Daniel is an upstanding man, knowing how much this attraction could spell doom for Clare and tries to behave accordingly. The secondary characters of Clare's sister Lucy and brother George are entertaining, as well as Lady Austerley, who at the end of her life, still is able to manipulate in a loving way. The mother and father of Clare also play important roles and McQuiston does an excellent job of still making their roles about Clare. A romance well worth the read.

Reviewed by Jennifer Jones
Rating: 4