I have decided that Allison Lane’s books are an acquired taste – one I’m quickly acquiring. I have read three of her books so far, and I have liked each one better than the last. Her books are not characterized by quick passion or instant sexual tension. Rather, the action and the love relationship tend to work themselves out slowly, and it’s not always easy to discern the direction in which the book is going. A Bird in Hand follows this careful pattern, and patient readers are amply rewarded at the end.

The plot is intricate and hard to explain. It begins when Lord Randolph Symington, heir to the dukedom of Whitfield, is called in to see his supposedly ill grandfather, who is the current Duke. The Whitfield family is not a very large one, and Whitfield is desperate for his grandson to marry so he can secure the succession. Whitfield’s close friend recently passed away, leaving his blue-stocking granddaughter, Lady Elizabeth, in a vulnerable position. Whitfield suggests that Randolph visit the girl’s family to see if she would make a suitable bride. Randolph is not very fond of the London scene, so he is willing to go along with his grandfather’s suggestion.

Meanwhile, Lady Elizabeth’s family is scheming to entrap their lofty visitor. Elizabeth’s father, Fosdale, is a cruel, miserly man who cares nothing for his family but would love to have Elizabeth off his hands. He intends to trap Elizabeth and Randolph in a compromising situation to force a marriage. Elizabeth runs off to visit a friend so her father’s conniving plan will be foiled. Oddly, she travels home during a freak storm and falls into a dangerously swollen river. Randolph, who is arriving late because of the storm, saves her from drowning but is knocked unconscious. The two end up spending a night alone in a cabin, and although nothing happens, Elizabeth’s reputation is compromised.

Randolph immediately proposes, but Elizabeth will have none of it. She has observed her parents’ horrible marital relationship over the years, and she is terrified of placing herself in any man’s control. But her father hears about the night in the cabin, and insists on a wedding. Randolph privately asks Fosdale to be patient so that he might win Elizabeth’s acceptance without coercion.

All this is complicated by a bizarre plot twist. Randolph was traveling with his close friend, Lord Sedgewick Wylie. Through a strange set of circumstances, everyone at Elizabeth’s home thinks that Sedgewick is Randolph – that is, the heir to the Dukedom. Randolph decides to continue this charade, thinking this might be the way to find out if Elizabeth is really a fortune hunter. He poses as Sedgewick’s employee, a simple expert in rare books. Randolph quickly becomes convinced of Elizabeth’s fine character, but he continues the charade, hoping to convince her to marry him.

This is a complicated book, with deep, complex characters. Rest assured that my lengthy plot summary barely scratches the surface. The finely-drawn characters are what make this book shine. Elizabeth is the best of the bunch. She’s no ordinary heroine. Her prejudices against marriage are deeply ingrained in her mind. She longs to escape her father’s tyranny, but she is terrified that marriage will merely exchange the tyranny to a different party. She also has some secrets of her own that no one in her family has even guessed at. And Randolph is no slouch himself. His deception does seem a little contrived, and it’s the reason for the B rating. But he’s still a fine hero – generous, patient, and deeply concerned about his heroine’s thoughts and feelings. Though his life has been mostly happy, he still bears emotional scars that he refuses to share with anyone – until he meets Elizabeth. By the end of the book, both Elizabeth and Randolph are better people who have been strengthened by each other.

When reading Lane’s books in the past, I have sometimes felt impatient as I wondered exactly where the story was going. This time I let myself enjoy the meandering ride, trusting Lane to tie everything together in the end. I found that she came through beautifully. I particularly recommend this book to Carla Kelly fans, as her books often unfold in a similar way. And I encourage others to give Allison Lane a try – perhaps she’ll grow on you.