Mystery, romance, and a forgotten piece of history combine in the latest Regency novel from Sarah E. Ladd. Perfect for fans of The Other Bennet Sister and Miss Scarlet and the Duke, An Unconventional Lady delivers what Publishers Weekly calls Ladd's "pitch-perfect blend of suspense and sweetness" (The Cloverton Charade).
She faces the worst ultimatum possible for a woman--marry a man she detests or lose the future she's always imagined.
Charming and headstrong, Ella Wilde always knew she was different than other women. Thanks to her unorthodox upbringing as the daughter of Keatley Hall School for Young Men's headmaster, Ella has long dreamed of opening a school for girls that would meet the needs of inquisitive, brilliant, unconventional young women just like her.
But there's just one catch: Unless she marries before her father dies, Keatley Hall will pass into the hands of a distant cousin.
As Ella works to solve her future, she must also resolve her past: Determined to clear her mother's name, who was branded "unstable" for daring to challenge a man's scientific theories, she starts to ask questions no one wants to answer. And her partner in crime? None other than her childhood friend Gabriel Rowe, who's grown into an ambitious, handsome London solicitor.
Gabriel has his own scores to settle, and when he learns that a certain scientist is visiting Keatley Hall, he jumps at the chance to prove himself and right past wrongs. As he uncovers secrets from the past that bleed into the present, it's clear that he and Ella must work together if they want to unmask the truth.
Over time, Gabriel's attraction to Ella's wit, alongside her beauty, becomes impossible to ignore, and as the lines between professionalism and passion blur, they both must decide what they're willing to risk for happiness.
