A Hint of Starlight (The Daring Dersinghams Book 2)

Lynne
Connolly
Genre: 
Historical

Lady Damaris Dersingham is studying the transit of Venus, and has written several scholarly papers on the subject.  She is also being shunned in society by Lady Elizabeth and her cronies, which leads to some awkward moments after Lady Damaris’s brother rejects Lady Elizabeth while falling in love with someone else.  Lady Damaris is new to society and doesn’t understand all of the nuances involved in navigating these events.  She is also a strong woman with a decent sense of her own worth.  Needing fresh air and a clear perspective, Lady Damaris steps outside during a ball.  She runs into Logan, and they find common ground in astronomy.  The next day, her application to join the Royal Society is rejected because she is a female, and because she gets flustered while presenting, when she sees Logan in the room, and learns he is the Duke of Glenbreck.  

The characters in this story are skillfully portrayed.  The author is able to give the reader a glimpse of the challenges faced by women who dare to question the status quo and seek answers.  This author depicts a world where women are rejected simply because they are female.  The pace is steady throughout and the various conflicts within and between specific characters are clearly delineated.   All major issues get resolved within the course of the book, and there aren’t obvious grammatical errors.  This book is the second in the series, and the complete series includes stories about all four Dersingham siblings. This book is filled with thought-provoking dialogue and is a delight to read!  

Carey Sullivan