Hawthorne Dorning runs his brother's estate and must also oversee his younger brothers still at home while also setting up a new business using the botanicals grown on their land. He goes to neighbor Margaret Summerfield who seems to have an excellent grasp on scents and herbals. Both Margaret and Thorne have had a longtime secret crush on the other, but circumstances intervened in their relationship. Now they have a chance to redeem their past.
Having read all of Ms. Burrowes works, I appreciate her understated style. Her villains are unlikeable but not caricatures. Her heroes and heroines are people who are dealing with everyday problems and finding their way forward as best they can. No one swoops in to save them; they must solve their own issues and they do in a practical manner while never losing the romance. Thorne and Margaret are wonderful here, and the reader roots for them all the way through the book. They exemplify the best of Ms. Burrowes protagonists.
I really enjoyed the book. The Dorning family have provided rich stories and I look forward to the tales of the rest of the family. ( )