***I received a free copy of this ebook from the ou lisher via NetGalley. All opinions and words here are my own, as always.***

This was an atypical but engrossing historical romance that kept me reading late into the night. The various characters’ stories were skillfully interwoven, adding layers of depth to the romance beyond answering “will they fall in love?” It was a story of why and how love, respect, and growth struggled but grew between both Isabelle and Alexander. As soon as I finished I wanted to return to the beginning and read it again.

This was a beautifully written story that kept my interest from start to finish. Fans of Elizabeth Gaskell's classic "North and South" will find plenty to enjoy here, with the reserved cotton mill owner Alexander and his bride by arranged marriage Isabelle.

The book begins with their wedding and Isabelle's move to her husband's home in Manchester. The two seem to have no pathway into each other's minds or hearts. They live amicably but mostly silently, just down the street from Alexander's mill, which demands most of his time and attention. Isabelle hopes that things will improve when they visit Alexander's childhood home in the country, but on their second visit, tragedy strikes in the form of a horse riding accident that leaves Alexander completely immobile.

This would be a blow to any couple, but it especially tests Isabelle and Alexander, who have not even begun to really know each other. The months that follow will push their relationship forward in ways they could not have imagined.

The author did an exceptional job crafting her scenes, allowing me to easily visualize and stay with Isabelle and Alexander every step of the way. She also created some really lovely side characters who support and encourage the two of them, such as the housekeeper and the doctor. I look forward to checking out other books by Rebecca Anderson!

What an unusual situation for a romance! Isabelle and Alexander marry as strangers, and two months later, Alexander becomes paralyzed by a riding accident. the novel is seen through the actions and thoughts of Isabelle as she learns to care for her husband and handle the situation. She matures over the months of taking care of her husband. Alexander changes, as well, as he works to overcome his disabilities. It was good to see a woman with 'special needs' included in the story. This is a novel I will never forget. Thank you, Netgalley, for giving me this opportunity to read and review this novel.

Isabelle and Alexander's marriage is arranged to strengthen their families standings and businesses, both hope that eventually their union will lead to friendship and love, but on a trip to the country Alexander is injured and all their progress is halted with new challenges around every corner.

This book was excellent! A fresh storyline, interesting setting and characters you enjoy more and more each page. I'm excited for more books from Rebecca Anderson.

I love for the main story of a romance to be two people getting to know, then understand and, finally, love each other. Other things do happen - Isabelle and Alexander face some major tragedies. But this is the story of their path to falling in love. And their path is very different than any I’ve read before!

Isabelle and Alexander by Rebecca Anderson starts with a marriage of convenience between well, Isabelle and Alexander. Isabelle isn’t opposed to the marriage, as she thinks he is very handsome and she can learn to love him, but leaving her family and childhood friend behind is quite a change she didn’t really anticipate. Alexander seems aloof and distant and doesn’t talk to her much, and they settle in a weird and lonely pace. Especially Isabelle is lonely in her new home, but she finds new friends with an employer of her husband’s family, wise Mrs. Kenworthy and Glory. Glory has an unspecified mental disability, and is definitely different which doesn’t fit with proper society, but Isabelle sees how amazing she is, and is eager to befriend this ray of sunshine. But then Alexander gets into an accident, and comes out paralyzed, and she has to care for him and make difficult decisions.

I came for the romance, but I stayed for the disability representation! It’s truly amazing how this book deals with disability. First we have Glory, who is portrayed excellently and the struggle her parents have is very realistic, and then we have Alexanders case. I cried and understood and laughed. This rep is one of the best ai’ve ever seen, not shying away from the harder topics, how every day can be different and all revolves around his mood, how he copes with his new life, his humor, how to relearn things, the hard rehab, and everything else. Grumpy doctors and stone cold nurses (I sure know the type) and kind doctors, too. And how hard it is to know what to do.

But I have to admit, how the relationship progresses is truly amazing. Isabelle decides to stay at his side and fight, and learns more every day, and you can see where that leads. Alexander grows a lot too, and they grow together. It’s one of the most beautiful romances I’ve ever read. Realistic relationships, friendships and realistic disability representation is what you get, along with a lot of feels. This book goes into my favorites ever, which is rare, and I cannot recommend it enough!

I received a free e-arc from the publisher through Netgalley, but it hasn’t influenced my opinions.

Isabelle was, for the most part, a strong independent women who had few troubles speaking her beliefs beside her feelings of her husband. Alexander however keeps everything inside, or is maybe just not telling them to her husband. But when a tragic events hits the newly inquired family, they might just have to fight to stay alive.

Arranged marriage novels are such a hard thing to write with trying not to rush the romance and add a few splats of hatred. Rebecca Anderson, I feel, did a pretty good job over the topic. The novel is well developed and well worded with the perfect language from the time. I found that the friendships that Isabelle developed were entertaining and a huge help to her relationship. This really was a great book.

The only big problem I have with the novel was that in the first few chapters I was a little lost over what was happening. After the first few, I was able to easy understand what was going on. I think the problem was that there was no formal introduction of the characters before hand, you were just thrown in on their wedding day. This is later explained what is going on but I was still a little confused.

But like I said above, this was a great novel with excellent characters and language. I would perhaps like a sequel of what happens next but it ended perfectly and left me satisfied with the ending.

Thank you to Netgalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for letting me read this arc.

The best stories strike the balance between a satisfying end and still leaving the reader wanting more. Isabelle and Alexander did just that for me. I felt emotionally invested in their story, rooting for them alongside the other characters. The story moves along at a good pace, but never feels rushed. We linger in all the right moments. I really enjoyed reading this book and can see it being one I revisit. I also hope their story continues because I didn't want it to end. Even the side characters, such as Mrs. Burns, Dr. Kelley, and the Kenworthys are so well developed that I want to spend more time with them. This was the perfect feel-good story to read curled up with a cup of tea.
Thank you to Netgalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

How do I love this? Let me count the ways.

I haven't ever read a book quite like this. There was absolutely struggle, but there was redemption and love. There was friction between our couple from the beginning as they didn't meet before their wedding day. Then there was an accident and things changed even more.

Isabelle's experience was that of loneliness and I wouldn't be surprised if Alexander felt that too. The story was strictly from her perspective.

It was interesting in a historical to look at things like disability (in more than one character) and accessibility. I may have been more sensitive to this as I work with people with disabilities as a part of my career.

I loved every word on every page and found this to be a surprise for me as well as a balm to my soul.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley and this is my honest review.

Isabelle and Alexander is the story of a couple whose lives drastically change then suddenly change again. First, the couple struggles to acclimate to married life after an arranged marriage which is then made all the harder when Alexander suffers a horrific injury. All told from Isabelle’s point of view, you watch as she tries to find her role: where she belongs, and where she is wanted. Alexander is a stranger; already seemingly cold and reserved, his accident seems to make him withdraw just as the couple was warming to each other.

The author writes in a way that seems to make the pages turn themselves. The story was seamless and I found it easy to pick up and put down in my busy life. I find myself recommending books for people who need such reads, and rarely am I able to recommend a book that falls under the historical fiction category for these people. I am glad to have finally found one! I also love how romantic the book is with minimal physical affection. Isabelle and Alexander express their care by noting details about each other and intentionally arranging small or large pleasures for each other. I read in another review that the reader wished to have been able to see things from Alexander’s point of view, but I disagree. Having all of the story told from Isabelle’s point of view strongly relayed exactly how much of a stranger her new husband was to her, and how drastically her life had changed. Discovering with Isabelle the way Alexander’s mind works and how he must see things is part of what captivated me and kept me in the story. One thing I felt the book lacked was physical description of characters and surroundings. It may sound trivial wanting to know what Glory was wearing or how big Mr. Connor’s nose was, but I feel it would have helped me feel more submerged in Isabelle’s world, not just her mind. As I write that I feel the need to say I felt very much so submerged in Isabelle’s stream of consciousness. It is one of the reasons the story flowed so nicely.

All in all, I would recommend our library purchase this book as I already have several patrons in mind who I believe would enjoy this story. Thank you for sharing it with me.

Isabelle and Alexander was so different from the usual historical romances I have read. And it is not your run-of-the-mill arranged marriage story either. Alexander and Isabelle were just trying to get to know each other when his accident happened. To me, this story is not about Alexander, this story is Isabelle's. It is her journey, her path, and what she chose in the face of complete adversity. The emotional upheaval she goes through proves her fortitude, strength, and character. Where Alexander and Isabelle began and where they end up is beautiful and poignant. A difficult and magnificent story, Isabelle and Alexander is full of defining moments you do not want to miss. I received a copy of this book for free, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I have always wanted to read more historical fiction books, and I feel this is a very nice introduction to the genre.

This book was so simple and sweet to read. It follows Isabelle, a young woman in 1850, marrying a man she only knows the name of, and finding a way for them to truly love one another; even if the marriage was for business reasons only (typical of that time).

Isabelle finds herself working through situations she would never have expected in a marriage, and you feel your heart yearning for her and her husband throughout a difficult journey.

I really enjoyed the introductions of the different characters, and how Isabelle reacted and expressed her emotions to each. I only wish there were some chapters in Alexander's point of view, as I would have loved to know what his emotions were at different points in the story. The final few chapters and epilogue were beautiful, and it would have been great to read it in his view also.

Thank you for allowing me to read this beautifully written book, the writing was so simple yet so effective. The storyline was easy enough to follow; though often at times I wanted to jump in and get Isabelle and Alexander to talk to each other and open up - so the final few chapters were such a relief! Isabelle's optimism throughout the difficult situations was also very inspiring. I couldn't be happier that this was my first Netgalley review.

I blame Bridgerton for making me want to read historical romances.
I thought this was wonderfully written!
It’s a slow burn romance, but the build up was nice. I would’ve liked it to have a bit of a quicker pace however. There was a lot of lagging.
It portrayed Alexander’s plight with grace. It felt very raw.
There was a lot of inner monologuing with Isabelle. Too much I felt. She was not my favorite character, so hearing everything through her perspective was not my favorite. I tend to think books with multiple perspectives are more interesting and bring more to the story, so I wish we would’ve heard from someone else as well.
Cute slow burn romance!

Oh boy, this book took me for a ride! I loved it so much! The interaction between the two main characters drove me mad and I loved it! So much change and humility! It was amazing! This one is a bit heavier than I am used to with Proper Romance, but it didn't bother me one bit! Ms Anderson is very eloquent in her writing and I thoroughly enjoyed the story!

Official rating: 4/5 stars

Admittedly, I'm a huge sucker for slow burn, arranged marriage trope, but this- this was an unexpected gem in my Netgalley reading pile.

Isabelle Rackham knows when she marries Mr. Osgood that she's not making a love match, and she's okay with that. She does it for the sake of her family and ultimately, it also helps that Mr. Osgood appears fairly pleasant and not half-bad to look at. However, the marriage is not at all what she expected, Mr. Osgood is at times cool and distant, and tragedy strikes just as they both begin to open up to one another.

The second half of the novel is dedicated to showing Isabelle's journey and development as she grows to learn to look after and love someone with a disability. Her dedication, spirit and kindness were an inspiration to behold and found myself adoring her for her single-minded drive to learn and support her husband. That to me is the real love story in 'better or for worse, in sickness and in health' and I am all for it.

Some might feel the romance a little lacking, but I thought it representative for the time period and I felt the final conclusion all the better and more fulfilling for it.

This historical romance focuses around an arranged marriage with sweet Isabelle and the appearing cold Alexander. He comes off as indifferent towards her and when their romance very slowly shows some promise there is an accident that immediately puts a halt on things. Isabelle takes her marital duties in its strongest sense and stands by and supports her husband even if he is unaccepting points. The author does not show Alexander’s POV, but through his actions and words the reader can tell his devotion and love for his wife.

I have yet to be introduced to this authors work before and am excited to see more by her. She gives the reader a full story with plenty of twists and turns to keep one engaged. It’s a historical piece with a romance that fits any era.

This is a lovely gentle book. I did find it quite slow to start with but I really fell in love with all the characters and hope there is a 2nd one to find out how their stories continued.

The historical detail about millls at that time was written well and reminded me of North and South.

The central love story took a long time to build through the book but it felt so real. Two people hampered by their place in society and I loved the box of letters that Alexander wrote to Isabelle. Writing how he felt when he couldn’t speak those words was a lovely touch.

The supporting characters add a real depth to the story and showed both Isabelle and Alexander the different types of love that are out there from. Love of a spouse, love of a child, love of an employer.

I am sure for some it to will be too gentle but for me at this extraordinary time in the world to escape to a gentle love story was just what I needed.

This was a clean, lovely story of an arranged marriage between Isabelle Rackham and Alexander Osgood. The plot was simple but, once I started reading this book, I could not set it aside.
Their marriage started out as a business venture with nothing more than mutual respect for each other. The couple's growing feelings are shattered by a life-altering event that tests their commitment to one another.
I liked the fact that both Alexander and Isabelle were members of the working class, not nobility, and that the setting was Victorian-era Manchester instead of London. The author's writing is superb; I could find nothing to complain about and plenty to praise in this novel. Ms. Anderson is a new author to me, and I hope to ready many more of her novels in the future.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Isabelle was raised knowing she would marry well for her family and not for love. Still, she is caught off guard after her marriage to mill owner, Alexander, who spends most his time at his mill. Just when Isabell thinks she and her husband are building a connection, tragedy strikes and everything changes.

I’m going to be honest. From the title, I was expecting this to be told in alternating chapters: Isabelle AND Alexander. Instead, it is told exclusively in third person from Isabelle’s point of view, and we never get to know Alexander. While her struggles to adjust to marriage and then the task of caring for an invalid made her a sympathetic character, I never felt like I understood her or some of her reaction to things.

In fact, I was left with a lot of questions about the story. Why was the marriage arranged between Isabelle and Alexander? It is stated that it was to benefit her father’s coal mine and Alexander’s mill, but how? It is never said. Isabelle informs us that she knew her marriage would help her family rise socially, but I’m not sure how marriage to a mill owner did that.

We are treated to a doctor who is portrayed as cruel in his treatment of Alexander. This saddened me, as medicine is an ever-changing thing. The doctor was doing his best for the time. There is also a nurse, Nurse Margaret, which confused me since I thought women trained in nursing didn’t occur until four years later when Florence Nightingale made it more acceptable for a woman to be trained.

It was also annoying that the story begins with Isabelle taking “as deep a breath as her coresting allowed.” Strange that a young woman of a moderately wealthy wouldn’t have a properly fitting corset, as a properly fitted corset doesn’t interfere with breathing.

Overall, the story was...ok. I can’t pinpoint anything really wrong with it. It lacks the romance I’ve come to expect from this publisher. There was nothing really extraordinary and is not one I think I would be eager to reread.

I would recommend this to readers who enjoy historical fiction but are not expecting a grand romance.

It was an alright book, i liked the relationship between isabelle and Alexander but the story was a little boring and flat.