Iona doesn’t want to get married; she wants to be a sculptress. Unfortunately, a woman in her societal position is not able to make such a decision. After failing to make a match two seasons in a row Iona’s father arranges a marriage between her and her cousin Byron. This is unacceptable to Iona and she fights back by asking an old friend to teach her how to become adventurous.
Lord Nathan Wynter is a social pariah. He is rumored to have had an affair with a young girl and gotten her pregnant. After refusing to do the right thing the girl killed herself making Nathan unwelcome in society. Deciding to live up to his image as a rake, he takes up with a widow and publicly practices promiscuity. This changes after he receives a letter about his father being ill.
Determined to earn his father’s love, Nathan tries to regain his place in society. When Iona approaches him with her request to become more daring, he agrees and it isn’t long before he begins to want to marry Iona.
Lady Iona’s Rebellion is a pleasant story about the growth from friendship to love and the need for redemption. The characters are enjoyable and I rooted for them to find what they both were looking for.
Iona is a smart girl, stuck in a rigid world. Try as she might to be heard, she is patted on the head and ignored. In the regent world where she lives, she is to be looked at and taken care of. It’s great watching her stumble through her own mind. She thinks that she knows exactly what she wants but it takes an adventure to teach her that she doesn’t know anything. I loved her growth and ability to stay true to herself despite peer pressure.
Nathan is also a complex character. When he is introduced he appears to be a selfish man obsessed with sex. As the story progresses, we see that it is just a façade, one that his family helped place upon him. I enjoyed the way his character unraveled to reveal the true Nathan.
