A Provincial Peer

About the Book:

Title: The Unassuming Curator
Series: Georgian Gentlemen #5
Author: Sian Ann Bessey
Publisher: Covenant Communications
Release Date: May 7th, 2024
Genre: Historical Romance

Lord Benning is no ordinary nobleman. The heir to an earldom, he feels more at home working on the farm at his 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.

Book Review:

This was just the sweetest read. It was low stress and I adored the characters and the story. A Provincial Peer is the 6th book in Sian Ann Bessey’s Georgian Gentlemen series. I have been eagerly awaiting this book and it did not disappoint. 

I adored Caroline and Benedict. They were just lovely characters and I connected with them from the beginning. I really liked their growth throughout the book and reading about them falling in love. They were both trying to future out their lives and they weren’t looking for love but it crept up on them.

Caroline was learning what it looked like to start her life again after not only getting sick and losing her husband. She was doing her best to care for her daughter, Meg. But she was still struggling. I liked how she learned to trust herself and see that her scars don’t make her a person. 

Benedict was just the sweetest character. He was unlike other lords but he was trying his best to care for those under him. I loved how he connected with both Meg and Caroline. He truly loved Caroline and Meg, and they found a way into his heart. 

The romance was perfect. I liked the progression of Caroline and Benedict’s relationship and how they knew each other beforehand. Meg was just lovely. The plot was interesting and I wanted to see how Caroline and Benedict would come together as they worked to help those suffering from sickness and lack of food. 

A Provincial Peer was a stunning conclusion to this amazing series! I could not recommend this book enough. It was fun to read as part of a series but it can definitely be read as a standalone. I am sad to see this series end but I am excited to get my hands on whatever Bessey writes next. 

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, I was not required to write a positive review.