A Provincial Peer by Sian Ann Bessey

A Provincial Peer
by Sian Ann Bessey

ISBN-13: 9781524426187
Paperback: 248 pages
Publisher: Covenant Communications
Released: May 7, 2024

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Lord Benning is no ordinary nobleman. The heir to an earldom, he feels more at home working on the farm at his father's country estate than socializing in the ballrooms of London. So when a mysterious, veiled woman mistakes him for a farmhand, he takes the assumption in stride. And though he is not offended, he is intrigued.

Following a devastating outbreak of smallpox, Caroline Granger and her young daughter, Meg, retreat to Caroline’s childhood home in the village of Leyfield in Gloucestershire. Left widowed and weakened by the ravages of the disease, Caroline wears a veil to hide her facial scars and to prevent the inevitable gasps of horror or murmurs of pity others offer in response to her altered appearance.

Caroline is mortified when she learns of her error in addressing Lord Benning—or Benedict, as she called him during their growing-up years—as a farmhand. But shared childhood memories and a precocious four-year-old inevitably draw Benedict and Caroline together, and it’s not long before Caroline realizes that Benedict accepts every part of her—including her scars. With newfound courage and a growing love for Benedict, Caroline feels the first stirrings of hope. But when the disease that took so much from Caroline finds its way to Leyfield, she stands to lose more than she can bear, and Benedict must decide exactly how much he is willing to risk for a chance at love.


My Review:
A Provincial Peer is a romance set in 1796 in England. Caroline married hastily and discovered that her naval husband chose the sea over her. He gave her a daughter but brought home smallpox, leading to his death and her scarring after her recovery. Now she hides behind a veil, but she slowly discovers that not everyone judges by appearance and many have scars. Her childhood playmate, Lord Benning, welcomes her charming daughter (and therefore Caroline) to spend time at his farm. The three spend time together, getting to know each other and coming to admire and love each other. Benedict supported Caroline's concerns and found joy in her company.

However, Benedict has some problems with the estates' steward. He must uncover what's going on while Caroline must confront her fear of possibly losing another loved one through disease. The characters were well-developed and likable. Historical details were woven into the story about how the weather created a food shortage and about a surge in smallpox at that time. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable romance.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.