One Last Promise (The Stainton Sisters Book One)
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One Last Promise
by Amy Corwin
Edition: ebook, ARC
Synopsis: Love defies all obstacles to unite childhood friends…
Bespectacled and plain compared to her two sisters, Martha Stainton cherishes no expectations, except, perhaps, to one day become a doting aunt. After the death of their beloved father, Martha and her two sisters must leave their home and become dependents of their aunt in London. But Martha doesn’t want to leave—or lose her childhood friend, Quinton, now Lord Ashbourne.
On the eve of their departure, an unfortunate death during a dinner party brings Quinton to Martha’s door with a request to put to use her understanding of chemistry. She must analyze samples of the food and drink served to the unfortunate guest, apparently a victim of gastric upset.
With a heavy heart, Martha grants this last request and strives to make Quinton’s final memories of her pleasant. When her investigation reveals that their friendship has turned into something far deeper than a childhood bond, Martha learns that exposing a murderer and leaving behind the man she loves is far more difficult than she dreamed possible.
At the unexpected death of her father, Martha Stainton resigns herself leaving the life she has always known and her closest friend, Lord Ashbourne. When he comes to her with a mystery to solve, she promises to help him one last time. But will love win out in the end?
Martha, who was not the oldest of the three sisters, had my sympathy from the start. She was not a beauty, she relies on spectacles to not squint everywhere she goes, and she had a skill for chemistry. She was practical and intelligent. Even when jealousy tinged her thoughts, she approached things with straightforward logic.
Lord Ashbourne, of a more lively disposition, was the perfect foil for Martha. He has his own worries: he has an estate, but no money to make improvements. He is barely able to care for himself. His reasoning on matters was more instinct than based on facts. That made me worry whether he would be able to care for a wife and the inevitable children.
A lovely start to a trilogy, and one I would recommend to readers looking for a sweet story with a mystery. I received a copy from the author for reviewing purposes.
