The Vicar's Daughter was a delightful book about how good intentions don't always lead to good results. Lenora and Cassie are sisters and are living under the rule that only one can enter society at a time. Cassie is ready to have an opportunity to meet a man and get married but has to wait for Lenora to marry first. The problem is Lenora is extremely shy and has already had several unsuccessful seasons.

After encouragement from Cassie, Lenora attends the first ball of the season. She meets a man outside on the bench when their backs are to each other. The man, Evan Glenside, heard Lenora sneezing and hands her his handkerchief. Evan is new to society after becoming the heir to his uncle's estate. This is the first ball he has attended.

When Lenora tells Cassie of Evan, Cassie has hope that Lenora will finally come out of her shell and begin a courtship with Evan. When Lenora fails to do that, Cassie decides to help her by writing letters to Evan pretending to be Lenora. Evan responds and opens up in the letters to Cassie, thinking he is opening up to Lenora. Yet when he meets Lenora, he does not feel any connection to her. He does feel an attraction to Cassie however. Evan is coerced into pursuing a courtship and a proposes marriage thinking Lenora will eventually be like the woman in the letters. When he discovers Lenora has not written the letters, all parties must cope with the fall out.

This book really shows how love conquers all and how God can heal the most broken of hearts.

This book has a way of looking at life straight on with no mirages fluttering through. Not that that the characters don't have their mirage moments. But, as romantic entanglements come into play consequences are not shied away from. In this way The Vicar's Daughter seems to be a more realistic Regency than many.

A theme presented through the book seems to be the importance of being who you're meant to be. I don't want to give away plot points so I'll try to speak vaguely. Whether it's restrictive rules of parents, enabling of others, or the inability to move past disappointments, there are many things that can keep us from being who we really are. This story shows that pushing beyond barriers can help to achieve happiness, even if the process is heart wrenching.