The Cautious Maiden 

Paperback, ebook

October 4, 2016

by Dawn Crandall

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Whitaker House 
• ISBN-13: 978-1629117508

Violet Hawthorne is beyond mortified when her brother Ezra turns their deceased parents' New England country inn into a brothel to accommodate the nearby lumberjacks.

But when Violet's own reputation is compromised, the inn becomes the least of her worries. In an effort to salvage her good name, Violet is forced into an engagement with a taciturn acquaintance 

Vance Everstone. 

As she prepares for a society wedding, Violet learns that her brother had staked her hand in marriage in a heated poker game with the unsavory Rowen Steele, and Ezra had lost. Now Rowen is determined to cash in on his IOU. With danger stalking her and a new fiance who hides both his emotion and his past, Violet must decide who to trust; and who to leave behind.

My thoughts: Ms. Crandall's newest regency starts with intrigue. Who is that man with her brother and why does he want her hair, of all things? Scandalized, and her self-confidence and self-esteem greatly hindered due to lack of hair (and any cancer survivor, cancer victim, or those that suffer from hair loss due to other causes will identify with that!) Vi doesn't know quite how to behave! 

Enter Vance. Fans of Ms. Crandall will recognize him as the rogue in one of her previous books, (The Bound Heart) but now he is redeemed. Readers DO NOT have to read The Bound Heart or any of the other books in the series (The Hesitant Heiress, The Bound Heart, or The Captive Imposter) to enjoy THE CAUTIOUS MAIDEN as it stands alone (as do all the books in this series) but they will want to in order to get to know the other members of the Everstone family. 

Dawn Crandall remains unique among writers of regencies in her first person historical tales.  But that's not the only reason to enjoy her stories! They are sweet, clean, and have unique and sometimes intriguing plots with swoon-worthy heroes. Fans of regency romances (particularly Laurie Alice Eakes or Julie Klassen) will likely enjoy Dawn Crandall's newest book, THE  CAUTIOUS MAIDEN.