Ladd's debut imagines a resolute heiress in the mold of Jane Austen's Emma. Amelia Barrett, however, tasks herself beyond matchmaking. To fulfill her promise of raising a deceased friend's child, Amelia must defy her family's marriage scheme and propose to the infant's father, a sea captain she has never met. Consequences ensue, among them Amelia's and Captain Sterling's oft-mistaken assessments of the other's intentions. Though narrator Jackie Schlicher's diction does not perfectly fit the Regency setting-1814 England-her dignified delivery and well-modulated tone successfully convey this tale of proud aims and sometimes-questioned trust in God. -VERDICT An ideal purchase for fans of Julie Klassen, Catherine Palmer, T. Davis Bunn, and other writers at the intersection of historical romance and inspirational fiction. This work offers satisfying period detail, characters that demonstrate and inspire empathy, and credible introspections about faith. Though verbal anachronisms (e.g., when characters "process" events) distract from the narrative flow on a few occasions, readers will warm to Amelia and Graham and appreciate Ladd's rendering of the tension between external propriety and internal turbulence. ["Ladd's charming Regency debut is enhanced with rich detail and well-defined characters," read the review of the Thomas Nelson pb, LJ 4/15/13.-Ed.]-Linda Sappenfield, Round Rock P.L., TX (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.