The Artful Match by Jennifer Delamere - A Book Review

   

     The Artful Match is the third book in Delamere's London Beginnings series. Delamere is a new-to-me author, and as such, I had not read the first two books in the series. Fortunately the book's prologue gives just enough background information to help a new reader, and not enough to spoil their wanting to go back and read the previous books. I certainly enjoyed The Artful Match enough to want to read other books by this author, and enough to want to know the stories of the main character's two sisters and their father.

     Caroline (better known as Cara) Bernay had been serving the Needenham family as a governess for their four-year-old son Robbie for almost two years prior to a disastrous outing that led to her dismissal. Vowing never to serve as a governess again, Cara headed to London to connect with one of her sisters, not knowing that Julia was out of the country with her new husband. While she'd never considered using her artistic talents to support herself, finding herself alone on the streets of London and meeting a fellow artist gave rise to that possibility. Langham Burke, brother of the Earl of Morestowe, took Cara under his wing, finding her a temporary home and opportunities within the art community. His brother, Henry, was captivated by Cara's beauty and her ability to work with his wayward ward, but his responsibilities as Earl and his family's dwindling finances dictated where his attentions must lie.

     The Artful Match deals with themes of honesty, integrity and the importance of character over station. While the aristocracy does not carry quite the same stature as it did in the late 1800s, there are elements of social status and the class structure that continue to insert themselves. The idea of being a person of high character who can rise above one's current circumstances resonates across time. I am grateful to have received a copy of this book from Bethany House via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. I was under no obligation to provide a positive review and received no monetary compensation.