**ARC kindly provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**


Where to begin with this?! I adored this book! I thought it handled both the topic of traumatic injury and special needs in such a real and positive way, which i greatly appreciated ❤ i loved the characters, thoroughly enjoyed watching them grow as people and in their relationship. The ending was just perfect ❤😍 i cannot wait to buy this when it releases!

Rebecca Anderson's newest novel is a pure romance called Isabelle and Alexander. I enjoyed this novel even though there were a couple of things that would have made it better. The setting was well described and I enjoyed most of the characters. The whole story was told from Isabelle's point of view, which could and likely did read Alexander wrong sometimes. Granted Alexander wasn't known for sharing his feelings until the end of the story. There were a few places that could have used a little more fleshing out but overall was a delightful story with a happy ending which most of us that read these type of stories appreciate. I will definitely read another book by this author.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion.

This was a mixed bag for me. The historical details were interesting and well done – the city of Manchester, the work in the mills, the treatment Alexander received.

The romance was underwhelming. It might have worked better if we switched viewpoints back and forth. Alexander was just a blank slate –everything we learned about him was Isabelle’s impressions. And then they went from living in the same home and feeling their way to boom! In love! The slow burn was too slow and then I never really felt the burn. The author did not convince me of any chemistry or that these two would live happily ever after.

Also big <spoiler>he is still paralyzed from the waist down at the end but she is pregnant. Every romance <i>does not</i> have to include a baby, and in this case it definitely didn’t work for me. Hardly any kissing or touching then sex and a baby!</spoiler>

It wasn’t a terrible book, but it wasn’t great. I am willing to give the author another try though.

I read an advance reader copy from Netgalley.

This was a very sweet little romance. It is extremely quiet, not a lot happens, but that suits me just fine. If you aren't a fan of character (vs. plot) driven books then this is not the book for you.

In a strange way this reminds me of one of my all-time favorite books: Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier. In both books a newly-married woman tries to figure out her place in her new household, and the feelings of her husband are mostly a mystery to both her and the reader. This is definitely a much happier book than Rebecca, though!

I was very interested to see disability rep (and ASD rep) in a historical romance like this. It's certainly my first experience with it, but it was a welcome one.

The only thing that disappointed me was the final line of the epilogue, which I won't divulge because of spoilers. I felt it was unnecessary and very out of place considering the entire tone of the book. It almost felt like it was included out of obligation -- out of what the author thought the audience wanted.

I would like to first thank Shadow Mountain Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book and give an honest review. I was intrigued by the cover and the subject and decided to take a leap. The first two chapters went slowly. Isabelle is subject to an arranged marriage to a handsome man named Alexander who owns a cotton/clothes mill. Alexander is handsome but standoffish. Isabelle also is moved away from her family, especially from her cousin who she was raised with. Alexander takes Isabelle off to the country house and a bad accident happens. The local doctor was Alexander's family doctor who fills Isabelle in with Alexander's history. Isabelle decides that she was going to fight hard to save her husband and her marriage. Isabelle starts wearing him down and its truly a love story.

Arranged marriage books are not my typical go-to when I’m looking for a fun read, but I really enjoyed this one! I love that even though both characters were forced to get to know each other in less-than-ideal circumstances, they made the most of their situation and ultimately became closer because of their hardships. I read a lot of historical fiction romances, and I liked that this one had a plot different from so many others. Also, beautiful cover! This is my first read from Rebecca Anderson, and I’m excited to try out her other books.

This a proper romance from Shadow Mountain Press.  Proper romance means that there are no sex scenes.  No hot and bothered kissing scenes.  It’s all about relationship building.

Isabelle was fully aware of the arranged marriage thing before she entered into the agreement.  What she expected was not what she thought she’d get.  Her marriage was a fairly distant one.  I’m not sure what drove Alexander to such lengths to not take the offered friendship and support of his new wife.  I guess that’s the answer maybe found in the history of the time.

Just because this is a proper romance doesn’t mean that there is no emotion.  There’s plenty of emotion and growth.  A woman learning to navigate in a world that she is not used to, with a whole army of people she doesn’t know.  At that time, there wasn’t much respect for women and their thoughts.  I could understand Isabelle’s reaction when Alexander started to warm up.  It was nice but when tragedy struck, it struck hard.

I got to hand it to Isabelle.  She was far stronger than she gave herself credit for - fighting for her husband and trying to build an impossible relationship.

I give this book a solid 4 stars.

This is the first novel I have read from this author and did not know what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised. This is not the usual time period story, it is a story of growth during extreme trial. The characters learn so much about themselves and each other as this novel plays out. It also illustrates how little young women understood about marriage in the 1800s, perhaps even today. I will look forward to reading more from this author.

I immediately loved this novel because it reminds me so much of North and South, which I LOVE. It is set in 1850 amid the textile industry. Isabelle and Alexander enter an arranged marriage. Isabelle is so sweet and hopeful for her marriage but Alexander is so cold to her. It was pretty sad seeing her continuously try and get shut down. Alexander decides to take her to his country estate where he suffers a horrible accident. The story takes a turn here, where Alexander finally tries to get to know Isabelle and their relationship gets a chance to grow. I really loved this story, it shows tremendous growth in both characters!

First and foremost, I want to thank Netgalley, the publishers at Shadow Mountain, and author Rebecca Anderson for allowing me to read an advanced copy of the Book Isabelle and Alexander. This story takes place during London's Victorian era. Isabelle is to marry Alexander in an arranged marriage to help further along both Alexander's business and Isabelle's father's business. As it was with arranged marriages at the time, Alexander and Isabelle had barely spoken a word to each other before they were wed, so they knew very little of each other. Once they returned to Manchester, England, after the wedding, Isabelle soon realized how alone she was. She knew no one in Manchester and her husband was working throughout the day and frequently at night. Alexander wasn't overly warm and compassionate with Isabelle, so getting to know each other took a lot of time. After a rough trip to Alexander's cottage in the country, things slowly seemed to be thawing between the two. They returned to the cottage and the two seemed to be getting along, then tragedy strikes. Now both Alexander and Isabelle must reimagine their life together in a way that they never thought possible. Alexander's attitude is at times lovely and he shows Isabelle that he is becoming accustomed to being married, but at other time, he is extremely distant and doesn't show Isabelle any emotion, other than anger. Isabelle, herself, needs to figure out her spot in Alexander's life and has a lot of trouble finding ways to make herself feel accomplished, especially when she is berated by others in Alexander's life. Her saving graces are their friends the Kenworthy family, their staff, especially Mae and Mrs. Burns, and Dr. Kelly, the doctor that they attribute to saving Alexander's life. The breaking point for the two newlyweds is when tragedy strikes again, only this time Isabelle's life is in endangered. After that, both Isabelle and Alexander realize how good they are together and how to live life as a married couple.

This story was a lovely periodic love story. I loved the friendships that Isabelle had Mrs. Burns and Mrs. Kenworthy. Both women never seemed to lack any confidence in Isabelle and Alexander's marriage or their love for each other. Glory and Isabelle's friendship was such a lovely part of the story. Isabelle's patience with Glory was refreshing, especially in a time when most would have just left Glory alone. Mrs. Kenworthy's love and patience for Glory knew no end. I had a bit of a love/hate relationship with Alexander. I understood that he felt like he was beneath Isabelle, so that attributed to his feelings of aloofness, but at other times, I just wished that he would show her some love and compassion. Isabelle's strength, at a time when women's strength was generally not one that was taken seriously, was at times heroic. I appreciated when she finally spoke up for herself and for Alexander. If you are a fan of period pieces like this, you will definitely enjoy this story. Thank you again to Netgalley, Shadow Mountain, and Rebecca Anderson for letting me read this early copy.

This book takes place after Isabelle and Alexander are married. It was an arranged marriage, and Alexander is not emotionally or physically connected to Isabelle now that they are married. His devotion is to his mill. Isabelle desires their connection to grow, but Alexander remains aloof; he seems to be extremely shy and unsure how how to interact with Isabelle. During a trip to their country home (an attempt on Alexander's part to deepen their relationship), Alexander falls from his horse and is paralyzed from the neck down. The rest of the book details Alexander's healing and the growth of their marriage through the challenges.

I liked that this book was different than most other books in this "Proper Romance" genre. It was real with the challenges and "good and bad" days one has when going through a trying time. What I felt it was missing was character development on Alexander's side. Everything was from Isabelle's perspective, so it was often hard to understand Alexander's feeling or motivations. I wish the author would have hashed out more of his feelings or thoughts as the book developed. I also wish the author would have shown us <spoiler> the contents of the letters he's written/dictated to Isabelle. Or at least the first one. I was really confused on why Alexander was SO withdrawn and unwilling to have conversations or physical interaction with Isabelle in the beginning. I want to know more of his personality and motivations for his actions in the beginning. </spoiler>

Overall, I enjoyed this read. I loved that it depicted several people with disabilities and made them focal points in the novel. I think Isabelle had a lot of growth as a character, and while I wanted more from Alexander's character, I'd still recommend it to friends who like this genre of book.

I really struggled to enjoy the story and characters. Isabelle was very one dimensional and not having anything from Alexander’s viewpoint was a huge detriment to the story. There was absolutely no chemistry between them at all and no chance for anything to develop until far into the book (even then it was very forced). About the only thing I enjoyed was having it set in the business class, though the author did handle the disability issue for the time period well.

I was provided with an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love the Proper Romance Series by Shadow Mountain Publishing, and this book does not disappoint. It is a beautifully written story about love and overcoming tragedy. This book shows that love can overcome any obstacle. I could not put this book down. The saddest part was when it was over.

I’m a sucker for Shadow Mountain’s Proper Romance line, so I jumped at the chance to read this newest addition, I’ve read several books by the author before (but not under this pen name). This genre is new for her (as far as I know), and I thought she did a nice job.

This was a “stay up way too late reading” kind of book for me. I felt so bad for Isabelle, but admired her determination to make the best of a situation that had many challenges. I liked Alexander too, but it did take awhile to get to that point with him being so closed off at the beginning,

I can see myself reading this again and look forward to more in this genre by the author.

I was really disappointed in this book. The story had a lot of potential, but it just fell flat for me. I think adding chapters from different viewpoints would have given the story more depth. As written, it is really just a first person narrative, and that makes the story really one sided, I also didn’t find the characters relatable or likeable. Overall, not my favorite book, but if you’re looking to read a historical fiction novel, you might still enjoy this one!

I'd like to thank Shadow Mountain for allowing me a proper read and NetGalley being the platform in which provided me the read.

I love clean romances, which come from chemistry, dialogue, and good writing. Arranged marriage stories always are a bit of a hit and miss with me. Mainly because you have to feel that the journey that lead the two characters to get to that level of 'trust' has to be earned.

In this book, while I do think it was earned, I feel though it came through rather poorly. Which is why I could only rate this three stars. It is not a bad book, do not get me wrong! I feel this book will have people either rating it high or rating it somewhere in the middle like I did.

Isabelle was too good for Alexander, and throughout the book I feel that I could empathize with her on her caring and constant hope that her husband cared for her. The author didn't seem to really give purpose of why he was so aloof and uncaring towards her? Was it the mill? Was it a constant battle that he had to put duty over loving someone? It didn't feel very clear to me. We are treated to a paragraph about his childhood, but from what I seemed to gleam is he did not seem to have an unhappy one, but a good one based on the type of class he was born into. So that's where a lot of the confusion lied. Why was he treating her like he wanted nothing to do with her? Throughout the book you're treated to Alexander constantly belittling his wife or going two steps forward to go two steps back. It just was oddly written and as a literal person and or someone who picks up on empathy, I found it a bit of a murky recovery for someone to have a poorly written gradual change. SO, we're just going to go with 'maybe his father instilled some desire to focus on the mill and nothing else'.

Since the plot was pretty bare bones and focused entirely on the communication/love/resolve between the husband and wife, for me to not get a very clear or well written 'struggle' is what caused me to knock it down two stars. I will say that, again, it is a good book but not once that I personally felt deserved a 4 - 5 star review.

Perfect for fans of Elizabeth Gaskell’s NORTH AND SOUTH.

Isabelle is an authentic Victorian heroine who does what she’s expected to do. When her parents arrange her a marriage, she happily complies. She tries to make the best of her new home in Manchester, but something happens that isn’t expected. Her husband, Alexander, has a riding accident and loses his mobility. Together they must navigate his changing health, their marriage, and his mills.

I loved Glory, a girl with special needs, but the biggest heart. I liked that Alexander’s accident, nor partial recovery, aren’t skimmed over. He doesn’t magically get better, but love shows them both that it has a power all of its own.

A sweet, slow-burning romance in one of my favorite tropes (arranged marriage).

I have a lot of thoughts about this book but am having a hard time wrestling them down and lining the up into anything coherent. Did I like the book? Yes. And more so, I have a feeling the story will stick with me and I’ll be thinking about it even after I’ve read dozens more books since. I really appreciated the uniqueness of the story and having a hero who suffered an accident and became paralyzed and then the further struggle of practical strangers trying to find footing among such uneveb ground to find their way to love. The plot is slower than I usually prefer and yet I found myself saying “one more chapter.” And while the romance is sweet and slow, it is also a little thin. My romance-loving heart could have done with a bit more in that department. While I thought the hero a great character, I’m not collective him as a book boyfriend mainly because we didn’t get to connect with him enough as readers (in my opinion). So. I liked the book. It’s going to stick with me. But....I’m not sure what exactly the but is, I just know there is a but....

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is not your average arranged marriage book. It delves into hard subjects, especially for the time period. I loved watching the relationship between Isabelle and Alexander ebb and flow and finally grow as they came to understand and help each other. The mill works and the medical history of the time period was fascinating to me. I would highly recommend this book. It is a romance with depth.

Sweet historical novel about a marriage of convenience. When Isabelle’s father suggests a marriage between her and mill owner Alexander Osgood, she is willing to make the commitment for the betterment of her family’s and Alec’s businesses. Alec, however, seems to feel he has married out of his league. He keeps his emotions to himself, making Isabelle feel their marriage will never be loving. A riding accident could cement her feelings. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to be an early reader in exchange for my review.