Say You’ll Be My Lady

The second in Pembrooke’s “Unconventional Ladies of Mayfair” series (after Not the Kind of Earl You Marry) follows Lady Serena Wynter, a leader of the Wednesday Afternoon Social Club and a woman determined to live life on her own terms. Charles Townshend is her dearest friend—rather ironic, since he’s also the person in her life who is most likely to follow society’s rules. Serena has a tempting proposition for him, but Charles’s adherence to society’s strictures comes from a secret in his past that he believes will forever cast a shadow over the future. Can Serena convince him that love is worth taking a chance, or will his past always haunt him? For all of Serena’s unconventionality, Pembrooke’s writing has a charming flavor to it that is reminiscent of authors such as Mary Balogh and Grace Burrowes. The characters and situations here still feel true to their time period.