by Helen Argers (1995)
Raised by an clutch-fisted, vulgar, uncaring father who is deeply in debt and cares for nothing but horses Caroline Richmond faces a bleak future. The only possible escape is through marriage. So she plots (with the help of her invalid mother) to get her father’s permission to spend a small inheritance from her uncle to finance a London Season, on the understanding that she will attract a marriage proposal and generous settlement from her prospective spouse. The plan seems to be working when she attracts, amongst many others, the notice of Branville, Marquis of Kimston. Branville appears to fall in love with the impoverished young woman. Despite giving her reason to think he will declare himself, his own weaknessses make him a willing victim of manipulation by his devious friend, Lefbridge. He is convinced that what he feels is infatuation and Caroline is forced to return home - humiliated and without an offer, but with the promise that Branville will visit her father’s estate. She waits and waits but he never arrives. In the next three years her disappointed mother weakens further and finally dies. Her furious father then promises Caroline to an elderly gentleman, the Duke of Walverston, who also happens to be Branville’s father. Despite Caroline’s initial horror and Branville's objections, the couple is married - but the Duke doesn't survive the wedding night. Caroline is now a widow whose purse strings are controlled by Branville, who behaves appallingly to Caroline, before coming to realise that he has been duped.
Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
"Anne Symons is content living with her widowed father in a sleepy Dorset town. She has a good job in a solicitor's office and a kind, reliable and good-looking boyfriend, Joe. But when enigmatic, sophisticated Michael Conrad appears on the scene, she suddenly feels something is missing from her life. Should she risk a safe future with loyal, adoring Joe for the dangerous allure and excitement of this fascinating stranger?"--Jacket.
Joan Aiken
Some of them belonged to the elegance and intrigue of Mansfield Park... others could not stay away Mary -- the charming, duplicitous lady, determined to defy her fatal illness and to find a match for her bachelor brother... Henry -- the ever-fickle suitor, soon to be outfoxed at his own game... Tom -- the handsome, profligate gentleman whom love may soon civilize... Susan -- the poor cousin who must brave the obstacles of class and convention to win the man she has always loved, and the prize of Mansfield Park... Inspired by Jane Austen's beloved masterpiece Mansfield Park, Joan Aiken has written a brilliant novel of love and manners, status and social sham, and the gentle scheming of unforgettable characters.
Madeleine St. John
A British comedy of manners on a journalist who asks a friend to care for her children while on assignment. The friend, Barbara, agrees and promptly falls in love with the journalist's husband. They start an affair, but he refuses to leave his wife.
Rajaa Alsanea
This debut novel, banned in the author's own country, reveals the social, romantic, and sexual tribulations of four young women from the elite classes of Saudi Arabia. Every week after Friday prayers, the anonymous narrator sends an email to the female subscribers of her online chat group. In fifty such emails over the course of a year, we witness the tragicomic reality of four university students negotiating their love lives, their professional success, and their rebellions, large and small, against their cultural traditions. The world these women inhabit is a modern one that contains "Sex and the City," dating, and sneaking out of their parents' houses, and all this causes the girls to collide endlessly with ancient customs. The never-ending cultural conflicts underscore the tumult of being an educated modern woman growing up in the 21st century amid a culture firmly rooted in an ancient way of life.--From publisher description.