by A. G. Howard
First published 2018
Twenty-five-year-old Felicity Lonsdale has spent nearly ten years pretending to be a dowager twice her age. She sells caterpillars to butterfly consortiums while raising her late brother's two daughters on an isolated Irish estate. The dying earl left them the property, but now his estranged son threatens to expose Felicity's deception and claim his inheritance. A ghostly presence in the castle turret prevents her from fleeing with the girls. Nick Thornton arrives seeking the transparent-winged butterflies rumored to connect with the afterlife. The Roma viscount's heir carries devastating guilt over his wife and baby's deaths following their elopement. He offers to help Felicity fight the earl's son in exchange for studying her glass butterflies. Felicity agrees despite knowing his investigation might reveal her own buried secrets. As Nick grows closer to her family, he discovers the mystery surrounding this false countess captivates him more than contacting his dead. Both must confront their pasts to find redemption.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, mystery, adult-fiction, 19th-century, gothic
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family, redemption
Setting: Ireland
Period: 19th-century, 20th-century
468 pages · Paperback · Golden Orb Press
Content warnings: mental-illness