A Lady for All Seasons

A Lady for All Seasons (publication day March 10, 2026) by T.J. Alexander is so unique and cute!

It’s 1820, and Verbena Montrose is in dire need of a husband of some means, as her father has done poorly in his business pursuits and an influx of cash is needed to keep the family afloat. The only child, with a keen eye for gossip and how it can be used, sees the opportunity for a lavender marriage with a French tailor–Etienne–who has recently come into possession of a house with an enviable address in Mayfair. He agrees to her proposal of a courtship through the summer followed by marriage in name only.

But then Verbena is made aware of a pamphlet written by one Flora Witcombe, who writes sellout “society verses” that guesses the truth of her and Etienne’s non-relationship. She is incensed–gossip is her purview–and everyone can guess this verse is about her! So she pretends to be a poet herself so she can confront Flora at a club, where she also meets Lord Byron himself, returned from the continent on as much of a down-low as Lord Byron could be.

Flora is instantly smitten with Verbena, but she has secrets of her own. She has her own rooms in Covent Garden, for one, a feat not available for independent women unless a relative arranges for them. Flora also happens to be William Forsyth, the 6th son of a minor noble family who writes gothic novels. Flora’s pen pays for her own accoutrements. While attempting to work on his latest novel, William/Flora realizes that he could court Verbena as William! Though not wealthy, his family lineage would be more advantageous than Etienne’s.

Unfortunately, Verbena is not at all interested since she has a plan, and she is as smitten with Flora as Flora is with her. Marrying a man such as she thinks William is will curtail any of the freedom she might have with Etienne. With the help of a friendly Scotsman Verbena met at the beginning of the book, Miles MacDonald, and his aunt, who has a seaside artists’ retreat in Wales, Miles invites William, along with Verbena and Etienne, to go to the retreat for a fortnight. Verbena cannot go without a chaperone–so she invites Flora to accompany her!

With some cinematic costume changes, Flora and Verbena do become very close, so close that Verbena has the idea to coax Flora into a lavender marriage as well–but with herself! And William/Flora wants Verbena to love all of her, not just Flora, and she can’t bear for Verbena to marry anyone else at all. Meanwhile, Etienne and Miles seem to have formed an attachment as well.

Eventually they all figure things out–I couldn’t put it down! I considered it weight-neutral, as there wasn’t much discussion of body size or weight at all.