First published 2005
Catherine despises her life and has good reason to feel trapped. Her father wants to marry her to the wealthiest bidder, regardless of how dreadful the man might be. Catherine refuses to accept this fate quietly. She uses her cleverness, sharp tongue, and cunning schemes to drive away multiple potential husbands. Her tactics work until a particularly repulsive suitor arrives from the north. This bearded man surpasses all previous candidates in age, ugliness, and revolting behavior. He also happens to be the richest of them all. Catherine faces her greatest challenge yet as her greedy father grows more determined to complete this profitable match. The young woman must deploy every trick she knows to avoid marriage to this piglike lord. Catherine's wit and high spirits fuel her resistance, but her father's greed threatens to overpower her schemes. The battle between a clever maiden and the men trying to control her destiny reaches its peak.
Genres: romance, historical-fiction, 20th-century, coming-of-age, 19th-century, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, strong-female-lead
Setting: Medieval
Period: 19th-Century
224 pages · Paperback · HarperTrophy
Content warnings: sexism