Miss Newbury’s List is a charming, sweet-natured romance about two social outcasts finding true love together. It’s got a couple of flaws but still provides a fun afternoon’s entertainment.

Rosalind – Ros – Newbury is to be married to Benjamin, the Duke of Marlow, a loveless arranged marriage which will at least improve her family’s social position. She has only met him twice. Ros is determined to be honorable and make her family proud, yet she feels as if she’s being rushed into adulthood and hasn’t had the chance to grasp the full breadth of her life. She’s reminded of a list she made when she was younger, of all of the things she wanted to do before she got married. Quickly, Ros decides the best way to shed her uncertainty is to complete the items on the list, which will at least prove she has lived.

Ros enlists her best friend, Liza Ollerton, in this mission. Liza’s cousin, Charlie, also finds himself entangled in the scheme as he’s on the scene when Ros sneaks into the Ollerton family manse after being snubbed at the front door. They team up to help Ros complete her list.

Charlie is dealing with his own problems. He rebelled against order and rules and left the family seat to become a boxer in London under an assumed name, but has returned to the country to try to get back into his family’s good graces and prove he’s matured. He and Ros immediately have much in common, and soon find themselves with a developing friendship that is poised to turn into something more. But will Ros pick duty or love?

In the end, Miss Newbury’s List is a nice, sweet and romantic ride. The research is quite solid, and Walker does a great job in building gentle tension here. Charlie and Ros are likable people, though Ros’ behavior sometimes comes off as (understandably, as she’s spent her entire life being sheltered in the hope of appealing to the Duke) childish. The fact that the list she’s trying to complete has not changed since she was a child says many unfortunate things about her. Nonetheless, the general process of fulfilling all of those bucket list items is interesting and well-handled, and reveals pieces of Ros.

Liza is actually a much more interesting character, with her rebellions and mischief. I hope there’s another book to come about her. But Miss Newbury’s List still makes the reader smile, even if they end up rolling their eyes now and again.

Buy it at: Amazon, Audible or your local bookshop

Visit our Amazon Storefront