Lady Ainsley Delacorte has lived through her tears of discontent and grievances over-exaggerated by her mother and sister. Now her mother plots their financial future and getting one of her daughters married is high on the agenda. Since Rowena is the oldest, she must become the dutiful wife to a respectable Lord. It bothers Ainsley that her mother doesn’t even show any hint of compassion on the matter. But Rowena loves someone else. She is not in love with Desmond Rawlington, Marquess of Dunsmore. Ainsley is a naive young girl who likes to keep her distance from others. She often finds it hard to trust. She doesn’t like to surrender her heart unless she knows the person is trustworthy. When Rowena takes flight, Ainsley must fill the shoes of the bride. Desmond only needs to marry someone with the Delacorte name and since Ainsley is of age, he will accept her for his wife. He speaks freely to Ainsley, and she finds him and his conversation, intriguing. His rakish behavior begins to savor her with kisses of delight. Ainsley knows that as Lady Dunsmore, her name will hold power. Her comment doesn’t sit too well with Desmond who despises the name. When his actions turn vicious and cruel in his words, she hates him for everything. Desmond wishes to run and hide for making such an unkind remark. He is under so much stress from his grandfather’s madness that he cannot confess to her the truth of matters that worry him. If Ainsley learns he has married her under false pretences, it may cost him the woman he has fallen in love with.

One Bashful Lady pens two refreshing characters at a rough point in their life, where it appears all they are doing is trying to survive. Their emotions really charge through the pages, allowing the reader to grasp hold of their heartaches and confusions. The way Ainsley’s mother treats her and her sister is awful. If I had been in their shoes, I would have run off and never looked back. Ms. Williamson captures the essence of Desmond, showing his struggles and worries. He definitely has a lot on his shoulders with his family as well. If any two people needed to find a happy medium, it was Ainsley and Desmond. I liked the way Ms. Williamson depicts the rage, the love, and how far people will go even to sell their daughter, to keep them in a favorable light. She strikes a passion with Ainsley and Desmond that slowly builds until it explodes. From the complicated lies that continue to befall Desmond to the in-depth secondary characters, this is an intriguing read.

Reviewed by: Linda L.