Phillip Kensington, Marquis of Huntley, has lived a degenerate life. As the heir to the title, he was able to do whatever he wanted and when. His life took a twist when his father left all the money to his twin. Phillip went to France and continued his life of dissipation. When he found out that he lacked funds to pay the moneylender who had sent men after him, Phillip returned to England. His inability to escape the men, lead him to being left for dead.

He was found by two brothers and taken to an abbey where he is tended by the sisters who reside there. One is particular has been charged with his care. Angela Palmerston has been at Stanbrooke Abbey for years but has never taken her vows. She is charged with the task of tending to the invalid by the Abbess. Angela sought refuge at the Abbey after she was ruined and evicted from her home.

Phillip spends his time at the Abbey by trying to seduce Angela. As he spends more time with her, he begins to appreciate her for more than her nursing skills.

Phillip gets engaged to Angela but he is pulled away from her by the men who sought to take his life.

This will send Angela on a quest to discover what she wants from her life. Her aunt in London takes her in to introduce Angela to the ton. When Phillip returns to the Abbey to find Angela gone, he goes to his estate and starts to put his life in order.

While I enjoyed the The Heir and the Spare, this book left me feeling less than satisfied. First, the presence of an Abbey in Regency England went contrary to everything I knew of the English Reformation. The care the author took to keep religion out of the identity of the Abbey made it even more confusing. Second, I felt the story took a long time to make its way to the main point.

The terms used in reference are generally Catholic in origin but the Abbey has the daughter of a vicar as a sister. I contacted the author and asked about the Abbey. She referred me to a website which referred to one small Catholic nunnery that was established in the early nineteenth century in England. She also explained why she kept the name of the religion out of the story. I still feel that a small paragraph establishing the credibility of the Abbey would have improved my ability to suspend disbelief.

The story spends a large amount of time in the Abbey and a relatively short time with Angela in London.

Once I got past the issues I had with the Abbey, there were some amusing and enjoyable moments in the story.

Book Summary

If Lord Phillip were not in pain, he’d consider himself lucky to be in a hospital full of women, albeit nuns. His reputation has preceded him, but as he stays on, his thoughts of novitiate Angela Palmerston grow nobler—as her thoughts of him become less than holy…