School librarian Charlotte has arrived in Florida to support her identical twin sister, Ginny, in a beauty pageant. Their late mother was a beauty queen and this is Ginny’s last chance to vie for the Miss American Treasure crown. But when Ginny’s face swells up due to an allergic reaction, Charlotte has to reluctantly step into her high heel shoes as a contestant. And she of course is usually more comfortable quoting Darcy and Harry Potter than strutting around in a bikini and talking about world peace.
With a nod to Miss Congeniality, this is an amusing story about a woman being pushed out of her comfort zone and forced to reconsider beliefs about herself and her relationship with her sister.
Elizabeth Scott has a legitimate anger towards those with wealth and power. Her teaching career is in tatters thanks to one of these people and now she is disgraced and in need of a break. Luckily for her, a break is on the horizon. After showing her dog, Bliss, at a New Jersey dog show, Elizabeth is offered the chance to live in England and show a pack of dogs for a fellow contestant who doesn't have time to show her own dogs. Being a glorified dog nanny isn't exactly what Elizabeth had in mind for her life but it does provide the respite she needs from her overbearing mother and the scandal back in New York. What she doesn't need, however, is the persistence of billionaire Donovan Darcy, who has his mind set on getting Elizabeth to fall for him. How can a man with all the wealth in the world be any different from the man who ruined her life back home? If Elizabeth can bring herself to trust Donovan, she might just find that everyone with money and power isn't necessarily bad.
This is a wonderfully written story, with Austen-era references and lovable characters. Keep an eye out for thinly veiled references to a popular British comedy and sparks flying between two unlikely people. (AS)
