I struggled with this book. It felt silly and forced compared to the others in the series. The characters seemed to change their entire personalities within moments of deciding they wanted something different. It was uncomfortable and distanced the characters. I felt no attachment and eventually grew bored.

This was an interesting book for me. It had unique characters and challenges that I normally would not choose to read about. Josi Kilpack handled a unique situation well. I loved Duncan and Hazel’s letters back and forth, especially the math riddles. I loved Hazel’s aunt and uncle, Duncan’s conversations with the doctor, and loyal friends. This book helped me see others in a fresh light.

Beautiful story. I loved the Hazel and Duncan's gradually growing to love each other, and the supporting characters. This is a story about what love is, and what love can be.

This was a fascinating peek into what life was like in the Regency era for two people navigating the world with challenges. Hazel had a club foot and Duncan struggled with what we would know today as some form of autism.

I loved the way the book told the story from both perspectives. It was especially interesting to read about the way Duncan experienced things. Hazel’s perspective on Duncan was also fascinating, as she had experience with a previous student who reacted to the world in much the same way that Duncan did.

This was a slow and steadily paced novel, which was exactly as it needed to be. The day to day life of these two characters and the way they learned to interact and live together was the point of the story. I really enjoyed watching their growth and interaction throughout the book.

I had not read any of the earlier books in this series and had no trouble reading Love and Lavender as a stand alone novel.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I always like Josi Kilpack’s books. Proper Romances focus mostly on the emotional connection between the love interests instead of the physical one. This is a very unique couple. Duncan is an accountant and it appears that he has the symptoms of some sort of neurological issue kind of like Asperger’s Syndrome because he is INCREDIBLY smart, but has difficulty in social areas of his life. I was impressed that an author would write a less than perfect main character. Hazel is a teacher at an all girls school and her niche is advanced mathematics. She wants to better young girls lives so they have the ability to pick and choose the rest of their lives rather than pigeonholed in an uneducated, underpaid and less satisfying life.

I enjoyed the story and I cannot imagine the research that this author had to do in order to make this book cohesive. I have to admit that I skipped over the math parts because I am not good at it nor understand it. I could definitely see the support each half of the couple gave to the other. It wasn’t an extremely romantic book, but it was very interesting.

I loved this. It was a different kind of romance showing how people with disabilities approach love. It was a beautiful story and I really liked both of the main characters.

This book was absolutely beautiful, incredibly written. The most impressive part about the book was the very distinct voices Josi gave to Hazel and Duncan. The way Josi structured her sentences and the flow of each paragraph naturally led to the personalities and emotions of each character in a way that was stunningly done.

Though the book was written from multiple points of view, I appreciated that we didn’t get Duncan’s point of view until quite a few chapters into the book. It allowed us to get so much of Hazel’s perspective and understanding before we dove into the chaotic nature of Duncan’s thoughts. It was genius story telling for these particular characters.

This story was so unique and I loved the way Josi built both the characters and their relationship. I was incredibly impressed with how she intelligently navigated Hazel’s broken body, Duncan’s ‘broken’ mind and their growing respect and love. The uniqueness of the romance was no less swoony and heart warming.

Josi’s descriptions of not only their characters and their background, but of how they viewed the world around them and the new experiences they had, brought life to the novel and emotion to the pages. I adored every part of this story and am incredibly impressed at the author’s portrayal, setting, and story telling. This story was no small undertaking, and was remarkably well done.

I love Josi Kilpack's Mayfield family series. This is the last of that series and the main characters in this one are a little different than the norm. Hazel Stillman was born with a clubbed foot and back then marriage and a family with that kind of physical abnormality was not likely, so Hazel teaches at a girls' school with dreams of one day owning her own school. When Uncle Elliott tells her the conditions on which she is to receive her inheritance from him, she's not at all happy. Hazel doesn't understand why she should have to get married to receive her inheritance. As the laws were at that time, once married, the money would no longer be hers, but her husband's. Duncan has personality “quirks” and habits that, in our time, would put him on the Autism spectrum. I’m sure back then people just thought him odd. Duncan and Hazel are “sort of cousins”, because Duncan was raised by Hazel’s Aunt Catherine.

At first, these two don’t seem as if they would get along very well since Duncan is very regimented with his schedule and doesn’t like change, but as their relationship progresses they mesh quite nicely like two puzzle pieces. I liked how Duncan showed he cared for Hazel with his actions. One of my favorites was when he found a cobbler to make new boots for her, which helped with the pain in her clubbed foot. I liked how Hazel was able to calm Duncan when he was over stimulated or upset. I really liked the character of Hazel. She was independent and knew what she wanted. She accepted her disability but didn’t let it stop her from making her dream of owning her own school for girls become a reality. I liked how the author showed the struggles Hazel and Duncan faced and how they handled them. I loved that what started out as a marriage of convenience turned into a true marriage and that Duncan and Hazel got a happily ever after.

This is not your typical historical romance. It’s a gentle and slow love story that shows that everyone can find love. I thoroughly enjoyed this series from Josi Kilpack. I received a complimentary copy from the publisher Shadow Mountain via NetGalley. All thoughts expressed in my review are my own.

4.5 stars

What do you get when you combine two atypical romance novel protagonists with a Regency setting, two unconventional dowries, and a marriage of convenience? Well, for starters, you get this tender & beautiful romance from Josi S. Kilpack – Love and Lavender!

The tentatively budding relationship between a neurodiverse hero & a physically challenged heroine is one of the sweetest romances I’ve read in recent memory. While both Hazel and Duncan take some getting used to, their awkwardness (particularly Duncan’s) becomes endearing with little effort on the part of the reader. Kilpack has done a masterful job of drawing these vivid characters, amplifying their value through the other’s eyes. And I found it equally poignant that the character whom we would be more likely to outwardly judge as the most difficult to love turned out, in fact, to be the easiest.

I absolutely adored that their friendship – which led to their marriage of convenience – developed through writing letters, that through these frequent communications they were able to form a connection with each other. A connection that neither of them were anticipating or used to. This allowed them to get to know each other – and for readers to do the same, in such a way that showed us rather than told us. In fact, Kilpack develops these characters and their relationship thoughtfully and realistically, neither labeling Duncan or Hazel nor exaggerating their mannerisms to make a point. I greatly appreciated her approach and found that their characterizations enhanced my enjoyment of their journey all the more.

Bottom Line: Love and Lavender is a sweet and unique marriage of convenience romance, with dimensional characters (main & supporting) and a gentle message of faith and inherent worth. A story of being loved even when deemed unlovable and of subtly challenging those social conventions when it matters. While this is the fourth book of a series, it reads nicely as a standalone, and there are many layers to explore beneath the surface of its main plot. An excellent choice for Regency romance & marriage of convenience fans!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book

Well, this is quite the book! It's not very often you come across a romance featuring a hero on the autism spectrum. As others have said (I'm quoting from Sarah Monzon's review because she words it just right), "This is not an alpha male hero or a sweet hero who says all the right things. You probably won’t swoon over him or collect him as a book boyfriend. And yet the notes of the romance are just right. The heroine for him is just right."

A very sweet romance where two unique people find their places in the world.

Note- Clean, although there are conversations about marital relations (worded specifically like that). Thanks Netgalley for the ARC! The opinions are my own.

It was courageous of Josi Kilpack to write an historical novel about a couple with disabilities. I suspect it is difficult to find historical information about how people with disabilities were treated by their families and by their communities. Kilpack has developed characters that are coping fairly well. Although this works very well in the story, it might be optimistic. Overall this was a satisfying romance, and definitely worth reading.

This read quite similar to others in this series. I wanted more! But was left feeling like this was just another Hallmark.

Love and Lavender by Josi S. Kilpack is not your typical historical romance. And it was all the better for it.

Hazel and Duncan are somewhat misfits among their family and friends. Hazel has chosen to be a teacher over a wife and mother. Duncan is gruff and focused (if this were a contemporary book, he would probably be diagnosed somewhere on the autism scale). These two strike up an unlikely friendship through letters and bond via word problems (as in the math kind).

Kilpack does such a good job in this book giving us contrasting characters who understand each other as their sweet friendship blossoms into love. This may just be my favorite book in the Mayfield Family series.

Disclosure statement: I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Why I Chose This Book

You all know I love a good Regency romance and the synopsis sounded just so sweet. I couldn’t resist!

First Initial Thoughts

Hazel is getting older and has concluded that she will never marry. Especially with her clubbed foot. No man will want to endure marrying someone with a disability. During that time, many with physical disabilities sadly were discarded and not given a chance to prosper in society. However, due to her family's financial situation, I think she was able to make something for herself. She was independent, witty, and intelligent. She was sent to a boarding school at a young age and became a teacher soon after graduating. She has been a math teacher for 10 years and absolutely loves teaching girls mathematics. She believes girls should be able to learn any subject when at this time it was not appropriate for ladies to learn subjects that weren’t needed at the home.

Duncan is in this late 30s and currently works in a financial building as a clerk. He has found out that he can have his inheritance to own the Burrow Building if he marries someone of good standing (wealth). At the beginning when Duncan meets we get a sense something is not quite right with him. He is a very intelligent man but thrives on order and process. I found it kind of hard to read- how he had to eat a certain meal exactly to his process. However, I gave him grace because it is concluded that he probably had Autism. Most likely High Functioning Autism. He was awkward around others socially, he had exact routines, and he did not like change - to name a few clues.

Daniel and Hazel after meeting decide to continue writing to each other. Over the next year and a half, they develop a great friendship over the letters. When the two confide in each other of their life issues - Hazel’s school closing and Duncan’s inheritance they decide to get married. So that Hazel can use the inheritance money to buy the school and Duncan can inherit the building. A win-win situation. However, Hazel’s uncle won’t have it. He wants them to live together for a year before they decide what they want to do. Can they live together and is there something more than just friendship?

Setting

Ok, so do I really need to mention it again? You all know I love Regency Romances because they are set in England. What’s more to love? The cottages, English countryside, tea time, and so much more is what you will find in this thought-provoking novel. I definitely could see myself living there as well- such an idyllic place to live!

Final Thoughts

I loved that Josi had the main characters with Autism and a physical disability. Both of the characters had disabilities that affected their life. However, they never let it get to them. They were able to create a life independently without relying on someone else to support them. This is something anyone with a disability wants one day and I loved that Josi showed that in this novel.

The only thing about Duncan that kind of irked me was that it was implyed that people with Autism can’t love. I don’t think that’s necessarily true. Yes, their disability may get in the way for them to fully show that they love someone but I do think that they can love someone just like anyone else. Just in a different way. Duncan wasn’t this male hero that said all the right things. He is definitely different and I think Hazel fit perfectly with him. They both understood each other and supported each other in eachother’s dreams and desires. And most importantly they got along so well with each other. I think that is what’s most important in a relationship.

I enjoyed reading their relationship blossom over the year that they were living together. I won’t say what happens at the end but I liked how the author portrayed a realistic view of marriage and relationships. Overall, this was a beautiful romance story between two marjonalized people - and we need that more!

Would I Recommend?

Yes! I think anyone, especially those that have Autism will appreciate this beautiful romance story.

Love and Lavender, is the fourth installment from the Mayfield Family series by Josi S. Kilpack. I loved the other books in the series and this one is no different. Four and a half stars..

Last year I read one of Josi S Kilpack’s sweet historical romances and I thought it was a nice read with a lot of potential. I added a few of her other novels to my TBR list after reading Rakes and Roses so when this one came up for review I thought I would continue with the series. Rakes and Roses was the third in the Mayfield Family series and this one, Love and Lavender is the fourth.

If you enjoy sweet romances you will no doubt recognize Kilpack’s name as she has written quite a few historical romances as well as a few mystery novels. She has a knack for writing interesting main characters with believable romances and Shadow Mountain Publishing is my go to publishing house for proper/sweet romances so if you are a fan of that genre be sure to check them out.

I picked this one up while I was out of town at a weightlifting meet and I was eager to have something positive and quick to read through. Something that would be a little bit fluff and a little bit feel good to distract me. While this was a feel good read with a positive outcome, I didn’t feel like it was ‘fluffy’. It did have quite a bit of substance to it, while it wasn’t necessarily ‘heavy’ it had a range of content to draw on which was nice.

Summary
Hazel Stillman is a woman of rare independence and limited opportunities. Born with a clubbed foot, she was sent away as a child and, knowing her disability means a marriage is unlikely, she devoted herself to scholarship and education.

Now working as a teacher in an elite private girls’ school, she is content with the way her story has unfolded. When her uncle Elliott Mayfield presents her with the prospect of a substantial inheritance if she marries, Hazel is offended. What kind of decent man would marry for her money? Besides, she loves her freedom as a professional, respected woman. When she hears rumors of the school possibly being sold, however, she knows she must consider all her options.

Duncan Penhale has a brilliant mind and thrives on order and process. He does not expect to marry because he likes his solitary life, shared only with his beloved cat. When Elliott Mayfield, his guardian’s brother, presents him with an inheritance if he marries a woman of social standing, Duncan finds it intrusive. However, with the inheritance, he could purchase the building in which he worksand run his own firm. It would take an impressive and intellectual woman to understand and love him, quirks and all.

Hazel and Duncan believe they have found a solution to both of their problems: marry one another, receive their inheritances, and then part ways to enjoy their individual paths. But when Uncle Mayfield stipulates that they must live together as husband and wife for one year before receiving their inheritances, Hazel and Duncan reluctantly agree. Over time, their marriage of convenience becomes much more appealing than they had anticipated. At the end of the full year, will they go their separate ways or could an unlikely marriage have found unsuspecting love?

Review
In romances, enemies to lovers is always my favorite troupe—however, fake relationships/marriage of convenience lands a close second. This was one of the biggest things I was looking forward to in this novel! In this one I liked Hazel and Duncan together from the very beginning and could clearly see that they had a mutual respect and connection that made sense as a reason for marrying one another to essentially help each other get what they both wanted. It also helped really set up a solid foundation for their romantic intentions when that time came. I felt invested in their relationship especially through their early letters to one another at the beginning. I love letter writing between couples and could really see their attraction and respect for one another in those letters.

One thing that I thought was interesting in this book that added a lot of depth was Hazel was born with a clubbed foot. Having a character that has endured a physical deformity in a historical novel is almost unheard of. Almost every historical romance I’ve read the woman is young, vibrant, and atypically beautiful. Sometimes the man might have suffered some kind of disfigurement or injury but the woman is almost always shown as perfect. In this novel I love how our main character has a physical deformity that she has to essentially work through and has impacted her life quite a bit. I also loved how Duncan basically didn’t see it that way and ultimately that made me love him right off the bat in this book.

but Kilpack doubled down on this book with her characters as Duncan had his own set of limitations and disabilities that were different than what Hazel had to deal with physically. I loved how the author really incorporated unique characters with limitations into this one and I think a lot of readers will find an endearing plot with wonderfully drawn characters. The characters for me were more complex and developed that I was expecting in a romance and it was both refreshing and fun to read about Duncan and Hazel. If you are a historical romance fan you need to get this one on your radar immediately! It was a wonderful read!

Book Info and Rating
Genre: Historical Romance, Regency Romance, Inspirational Fiction

Publisher: Shadow Mountain Publishing (November 2, 2021)L

ength: (320) pages

Format: Trade paperback, eBook, & audiobook

Tour Dates: November 1-28, 2021

Rating: 4 stars

3.5-4 Stars (view my extended review on Goodreads)

The latest installment of the Mayfield Family books, 'Love and Lavender', brings us Hazel and her not-quite-adopted-cousin, Duncan. Despite not reading the previous volumes (they work as standalones), the references to the other family members' pasts and how marriage changed them filled me in just fine. Hazel and Duncan team up to achieve their life goals, but will soon find that plans change when your partner-in-crime turns into a pretty awesome helpmeet.

I’d like to highlight what sub-tropes I identified (really like making these up): we have friends-to-lovers, self-arranged-marriage, and a faux-fake-relationship with complex characters that have disabilities.

Characters: Hazel is truly a force to be reckoned with. Ahead of her time, she fights for female independence through providing both basic and advanced education. Imagine if she could run for Parliament! Her only real enemy is herself, but we can’t really fault her for that. Her patience with Duncan is definitely derived from Kilpack’s sister’s experience as a Special Ed teacher (very realistic). I appreciated Kilpack’s excellent attention to describing Duncan's thought processes. It reminded me of 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time' and I seriously recommend you give that a read. I know most readers will relate to Hazel more, but -since I have ADHD- I actually related to Duncan’s perseverance to live his life as fully as possible despite his social awkwardness (courtesy of his ASD). Remember: no one neurodiverse person has the same experience.

Gorilla in the room: What being physically disabled and/or neurodiverse was like in the regency period. Reality check: frankly, none of this would've happened. It was mentioned/glazed over in the book at one point that Duncan would've been sent to an orphanage/asylum, but Hazel's fate would’ve been only slightly better. Realistic? Absolutely not, but it makes for a good story within the period confines and hopefully inspires readers to be more understanding of what it means to be neurodiverse. What ~is~ realistic is both Hazel and Duncan’s belief that they are “broken”: broken brain, broken leg/foot. Many of us (including me) who have disabilities have referred to ourselves as “broken”. We’re just different and we do our best to live our best life :)

My biggest issue: It’s kinda off-putting that this can appear to reinforce the original neurotypical thought: the only people who can accept a disabled person as a partner is another disabled person (aka, like likes like). I’m sure that’s not what the author meant, but it's not historically inaccurate to put them together. Hazel does seem to infer this at times, but doesn’t outright say it.

Overall: Fans of Kilpack will not be disappointed. This was a pretty good read. I adored their bonding over math problems (I can say I was half right about the sequence -no, I didn’t cheat!) while letter writing and their passionate down-the-rabbit-hole discussions that would keep my ADHD brain entertained for days. I pretty much guessed how the climax would go -and appreciated the dose of comic relief expertly placed into a serious talk. The comedic relief was ON POINT. The ending -while mostly expected- was all good feels.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for this eARC. All opinions expressed are my own.*

I was so excited to read the new book in the Mayfield family romance series by Josi Kilpack. I've enjoyed getting to know this family and this book introduces us to Hazel Stillman. She's offered the marriage deal by her uncle that generally kicks off the story and has been the pattern in the other books in the series. Hazel is offended by the offer, however, thinking it was made because no man would marry her unless she brought a financial windfall to the union. When Hazel meets Duncan, her aunt's ward, she is wary of him and his obvious quirks, but they strike up an unusual friendship that is based on their mutual love of math. When extreme circumstances come up for both of them regarding their employment, it seems like marriage would be the best solution to find some stability, then go their separate ways once that is achieved. But could a marriage be more than that for them?

I enjoyed getting to know both Hazel and Duncan. They are such well-rounded characters with relatable problems. They both are navigating a relationship for the first time and make mistakes, their backgrounds and previous experiences coloring their perspectives about what marriage should or could look like. I loved that both our hero and heroine were dealing with perceived physical and mental limitations, but still found themselves falling in love. I really wanted them to find their happily-ever-after with all they'd been through! I didn't expect some of the twists and turns in the story and the inner and outer conflict the characters faced. Hazel does make a decision regarding Duncan's family that I wished would have been more resolved, but overall, I can understand why she comes to the conclusion she does. I thought the secondary cast and setting were very well done, but the author truly excelled at weaving together a beautiful story of what love truly means.

If there is one thing that I can expect when I pick up a book written by Josi S. Kilpack is that I will be reading an intelligent story with unforgettable unique characters, characters that have real-life issues or challenges so different from the unrealistic perfect heroes of most romance novels. I was not disappointed by her latest novel which tackles a woman with a club foot and a man on the autism spectrum. So interesting!

Both Hazel and Duncan stand out as characters and would have been considered weird in their day, but I loved how realistic the author made them. She brought out the best in them and did not sugarcoat their issues. Instead, we see the possibility of love growing between two people shunned by a society that did not fully understand their limitations and who did not always embrace their strengths. Hazel is a strong feminist character, whose kindness and forgiveness take her far in life. So many great lessons without the preachiness.

The story flowed well and kept my interest throughout. I was rooting for this couple. I loved the setting that added to the intrigue of living at a time when certain conditions were not well understood. The author did excellent research because her portrayal of what life must have been like for both these individuals was well done.

I have not read any of Kilpack's previous novels in this series but now I plan to. Each is a stand-alone novel and includes a flower in the title and as a token woven through each story.

If you are looking for good clean romance novels with unique storylines, Kilpack is an author to discover. I have a few of her novels on my bookshelf that I'm wondering why I haven't read them yet. Time to rectify that!

Although Hazel Stillman is of noble birth, her clubbed foot resulted in her family’s casting her aside from her youth. Her twin brother’s mismanagement and squandering of the family’s assets has made it necessary for Hazel to support herself by teaching arithmetic at a school for girls that’s rumored to be up for sale. Since advanced learning classes are not typical for young ladies, Hazel’s position and livelihood may be in jeopardy. Her predicament is a precarious one unless she marries and accepts her uncle Elliott’s generous dowry of fifty thousand pounds. Hazel feels insulted that her benefactor is offering this large sum as though a man needs to be bought to marry her. But she knows her prospects are few to none because of her physical deformity. So what is she to do?

Meanwhile, Hazel’s “cousin,” Duncan Penhale, is in a somewhat similar situation. He, though, is not of noble birth, but is of the working class. However, “Uncle Elliott” is also his benefactor and Duncan could inherit property that would greatly benefit him if he marries a genteel woman. Duncan is content living his current regimented life, but his employment arrangement has become distressing to him. His inheritance will remedy that situation, but marriage would be challenging for Duncan because he is not an ordinary man. He has difficulties understanding peoples’ expressions and emotions, he angers quickly, paces when he’s excited or anxious, doesn’t like to be touched, is socially awkward, lacks tact and is direct to the point of embarrassment. His peculiar behavior would be difficult for any woman to tolerate, but Hazel seems to have the ability to cope with Duncan’s various odd mannerisms. She’d met Duncan once and they’d corresponded for more than a year, enjoying number riddles that each would solve in their next letter. But could it be enough familiarity to justify a marriage? Uncle Elliott’s stipulation requires cohabitation for at least one year as a married couple. Could Duncan and Hazel live together for a year as husband and wife in order to collect their respective inheritances and then move on to pursue their individual endeavors thereafter, free and clear? Or will their uncle and aunt Amelia’s clever manipulation change both their lives in a way that neither one expected?

Love and Lavender is my favorite book thus far of 2021. It was an impeccable story that I read eagerly from cover to cover, including the acknowledgements. The characters were magnificently written and it was easy to form a bond with them. I especially appreciated Duncan’s character. Although his condition is not stated in the story it’s apparent that he’s autistic, which accounts for his quirkiness. I loved his character!! His bluntness and literal interpretations made me chuckle. Duncan says what ordinary people would like to say but dare not for propriety’s sake. And although Hazel was sometimes appalled by his directness, she admittedly found his natural candidness refreshing at times. Duncan displayed odd behavior, but he also possessed many admirable qualities. His solicitousness towards Hazel was endearing…. always helping her navigate stairs or making sure she had a proper boot made by a skilled cobbler to ensure her comfort.

Another aspect of the book that I found refreshing was the secondary characters. Although some “ordinary” people might be put off by Duncan, there were those who cherished and appreciated his intellect and companionship. A doctor acquaintance, Dr. Randall, became a consultant and advisor to him and was patient and kind. Delores, who worked in the pub downstairs and made sure he had a warm meal to take upstairs to eat after work and fish for his cat, Elizabeth. Harry, Hazel’s twin brother whose shift in character warmed my heart. His acceptance of and willingness to be entertained, intellectually stimulated and unwittingly insulted by Duncan made me smile. Other notable characters were Amelia, Uncle Elliott’s wife, who was a tremendous help to Hazel. Sophie, Hazel’s wise and loyal friend, and Mrs. Randall, the doctor’s wife who assisted Hazel with her endeavors while she lived in Lavender House in Ipswich. Truly, a great cast of characters that I grew to love and admire.

I could talk about this book FOREVER. While reading the acknowledgements I came across this statement from the author…

“This book was written during the most difficult period of my life…”

I don’t know what the author was going through when she wrote Love and Lavender, but I have been inspired by her ability to concoct such a fine story during a time of trial.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a story with a great setting, fabulously developed characters and a conclusion that will make your heart scream with joy.