The Season - Softcover

New York Times & USA Today bestseller Sarah MacLean wrote her first book on a dare and is now the award-winning author of historical romance novels that have been translated into more than twenty languages.

Her work as a writer, activist and columnist for The Washington Post earned her a place on Jezebel.com's Sheroes list, and led Entertainment Weekly to crown her "the elegantly fuming, utterly intoxicating queen of historical romance." A graduate of Smith College & Harvard University, Sarah lives in New York City with her husband and daughter and what some people would refer to as "way too many books."

In Regency London, Alexandra is about to embark on her first season of balls and dinners, and while nothing would steer her mother from the course of marrying off her only daughter, 17-year-old Alex is put off by men's seeming lack of interest in women with any amount of intelligence (Evidently, it scares eligible gentlemen off). Her opinions about romance change when she develops feelings for her brothers' friend Gavin, who is mourning the sudden death of his father (making Gavin the new earl of Blackmoor). Mac-Lean's debut is well paced, and as readers fill up on descriptions of dresses and society's rules, another plot line develops: Alex overhears a conversation proving that Gavin's father was murdered, and she puts her relationship, reputation and life in danger to help him. Readers will appreciate the clique lit/historical romance hybrid: headstrong Alex rolls her eyes and gossips with friends, but still knows the steps to the quadrille. Clever conversation in the spirit of Jane Austen makes this quite a page turner. Ages 12–up. (Mar.)
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