About the Book:

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–girls who longed for the education exclusively reserved for boys. But there’s just one catch: Unless she marries before her father dies, Keatley Hall will pass into the hands of a distant cousin. In that case, Ella will be left destitute, and at this point her only option appears to be an undesirable marriage.

Ella’s family had long been proponents of phrenology, the belief that an individual’s personality and dispositions were predetermined by the shape of their head. Shortly before her death, however, Ella’s mother’s views on phrenology changed, and she endeavored to expose phrenology as nothing more than a fraudulent parlor trick. Consequently, she earned the wrath of phrenologist community, who called her “unstable,” “bizarre,” even “dangerous”–and branded her daughter the same.

Now, renowned phrenologist Thomas Bauer is about to arrive at Keatley Hall to speak at the Natural Philosophers’ Society gathering, and Ella embraces the opportunity to clear her mother’s name–and her own–once and for all. 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 Thomas Bauer is visiting Keatley Hall, he jumps at the chance to prove himself and right past wrongs. As he is drawn deeper into the unusual happenings, 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 beauty and wit 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.

My Thoughts:

First, I’ll say that I enjoy Sarah Ladd’s writing and that this was an interesting book. It might be, however, the first time I wished I was watching a movie rather than reading a book. For one thing, I had hard time placing the story within the stated time period. I’m not sure if that was just me or something in the writing, but I think visuals would have actually helped. But, mostly, the intrigue was dialogue and speculation, whispers and thoughts within thoughts. It made for complicated and sometimes somewhat slow reading, but I imagine it would have made a fabulous film. Have you ever seen An Ideal Husband (from 1999 with Rupert Everett, Julianne Moore, Minnie Driver, Cate Blanchett)? An Unconventional Lady reminded me of that sort of witty posturing, scandal and sleuthing, with a different topic at the center of the action. Normally, I don’t like to make comparisons, but here I am doing it anyway. So when you sit down to read, bring your imagination and visualize the intrigue unfolding and see what connections it makes for you.

The book took several unexpected twists and turns and I always enjoy a book that’s not predictable. The pace also picked up considerably closer to the end of the tale. In addition, the story demonstrated how easy it is to begin to believe something, even when it is untrue, which I think is a cautionary tale for all of us. All in all it was a good read and maybe (hopefully) we’ll see it on screen someday.

I received a free digital copy of this book for review. My opinions are my own.