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Book Review By Jóhanna
The Beaux of Bayley Dell by Dorothea Donley

Laurel Eland lives in the tiny village of Bayley Dell, with her two spinster aunts, Mirabelle and Frances, and her father, Sir John. Due to reduced circumstances, they have had to lease the family manor to a rich businessman and move into a small house. There is little hope that Laurel will have a London season, as the family finances will not allow it, but there are hopes she will meet a suitable husband in nearby Wells.

When a handsome young man, clearly a gentleman, who has been waylaid and robbed, staggers into the village and collapses outside the local pub, Laurel is called in to nurse him back to health. He claims to be amnesiac, but Laurel and her father have their doubts. Then another gentleman arrives and starts showing interest in Laurel, and is revealed to know the identity of the mystery man. While preparing for Laurel's coming out, the aunts manage to attract beaux of their own, and Sir John starts acting mysteriously, finally bringing home the news that he is getting married. Just when it seems that Laurel and her gentleman, revealed to be Gordon, younger son of Viscount Rand, will reach an understanding, a young lady who has been after him to marry her arrives, and shortly afterwards his mother appears. Will they prevent Gordon from attracting Laurel, or will there be a happy ending?


Plot & Themes
Time/era of story
Inner struggle subplot Yes
Struggle with...
If one lover chases another... - he chases after her
In love with caretaker or teacher Yes
Falling in love with - Nurse
Matchbreaker Yes
Matchbreaker is - jealous suitor/lover

Main Male Character
Profession/status:
Age/status: - 20's-30's

Main Female Character - 20's-30's

Setting
Europe Yes
European country: - England/UK
Small town? Yes
Small town people: - nice, like Andy/Opie/Aunt Bee
Misc setting - Fancy Mansion

Writing Style
Accounts of torture and death? - no torture/death
What % of story is romance related? - 90%
Focus of story - many multiple characters
How much dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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