She’s not getting a lot out of this arrangement because, even though her mother wants the family to marry into a title, no one is pushing Penelope into a marriage to a man severely in debt. Initially, Penelope’s motivations felt a bit unclear. They discovered they had similar taste in music and an instant attraction, but that’s not a lot to base a marriage on. Nev and Penelope had only met once before he proposed. Surprising everyone, including herself, Penelope says yes – otherwise, there would be no book. I appreciated how up front Nev was about his intentions, and that Penelope’s family was totally supportive if she wanted to turn him down. “The long and short of it is, I’ve come to ask you to marry me.” Penelope’s heart plummeted into her boots. My father had run into debt before he died. “I own I am a little surprised to see you.” “I’m so sorry to hear about your father.” He proposes to our heroine, Penelope, because she’s rich, but her family made money from business (the horror!) and so she’s not had any titled suitors. Nev is now Lord Bedlow, in charge of the wellbeing of his mother and younger sister, not to mention a crumbling estate in deep debt.

The story begins when our hero, Lord Nevinstoke (Nev), who spends most of his time drinking, gambling, and attending the theater with his mistress, suddenly finds out his father has died. When I saw that In for a Penny featured one of my favorite tropes– a marriage of convenience–I was sold. Her story, “Promised Land,” had me laughing out loud and reading sections to my husband, and I was excited to pick up a full-length work. Before reading Hamilton’s Battalion, I had never heard of Rose Lerner, but her novella in that collection grabbed my attention. In for a Penny was Rose Lerner’s first book, and although it shows a little bit in the pacing, it was a delightful read! I picked this one up after reading Hamilton’s Battalion, which is a collection of three historical novellas that Carrie reviewed positively. She’s a feminist, an Episcopalian, and a Hufflepuff.

As a teenager, she read romance ironically, but these days she loves happily-ever-afters with her whole heart. Emma Holliday is a Berlin-based writer, blogger, and all-around creative type. Theme: Class Differences, Marriage of Convenience

Promised Land by Rose Lerner