About the Book

Book: An Arrangement with the Heiress

Author: Lisa M. Prysock

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: September 24, 2024

She’s a wealthy debutante with the finest ancestry in Kentucky horseracing circles…

He’s a member of New York’s Gilded Age elite, yet on the brink of financial ruin…

Neither of them want an arranged marriage…or do they?

Veronica Lyndon has a plan for her life, and it doesn’t include being married off to a perfect stranger. After all, she is descended from generations of Kentucky horseracing royalty. She has no need for a marriage arranged solely to secure her place among the elite of Manhattan’s Gilded Age society. But that’s exactly what her parents expect of her. Determined to defy the arrangement, Veronica formulates a plan to drive her intended away. But when Edward arrives in anticipation of the match, she doesn’t expect to find him so attractive, nor can she deny the feelings he stirs in her heart, complicating her plans. Has true love galloped into her life by conventional means, or are her estimations mistaken?

Edward Beckett realizes the futility of avoiding the arranged marriage to Miss Lyndon. His family is already on the brink of financial ruin and Veronica’s dowry may be their best opportunity to recover. But he didn’t expect to fall for the Kentucky debutante so easily. He finds himself attracted to her natural beauty and vivacious spirit, free from the conventions of other ladies in his customary circles. In fact, he’s downright smitten after meeting Veronica. Unfortunately, Edward’s sisters don’t feel the same, and if their attempts to sabotage the relationship are successful, his whirlwind courtship to Veronica may be over before it’s really begun.

Saddle up for a clean romp filled with sweet romance, inspiration, and plenty of adventure along this course of obstacles and a glide through the splendor and opulence of the Gilded Age.

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My Thoughts:

In 1901 Kentucky, heiress Veronica Lyndon is about to have her world tossed upside down. Her parents have arranged a marriage for her to an almost complete stranger. Veronica has vowed never to marry after her heartbreak from her beau. However, her parents are not taking no for an answer, as they want her to be well cared for and settled. Whan can Veronica do to discourage and eliminate this union?

Edward Beckett has just been informed by his father, that to save their family, he must marry an heiress and use her dowry to save the family. Edward is shocked at what his father has done to their business, and he is intent on investigating what happened.

Neither are interested in the marriage. Then they meet, and after some humorous sabotage attempts, they become friends despite all of that. Edward falls first, and Veronica can finally see a future where she will be happy. I found this story amusing and fulfilling, especially in their friendship. But their troubles are not over as others are trying to keep them apart. The biggest challenge they may have to face though, is still to break away from their parents plans anyway, only this time together. This was a nice romantic jaunt at the turn of the century.

I was provided a copy of this novel through the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review, and all views and opinions are my own.

About the Author

Lisa M. Prysock is a USA Today Bestselling Author who writes both Christian Historical Romance and Contemporary Christian Romance books—”Romance with a Dash of Food, Fashion, Faith, & Fun.” She writes both traditionally and indie published novels.

Kentucky inspires her writing and is home. Happily married to her husband of more than 24 years, she homeschooled two of their five children, now grown. When she isn’t writing, she likes to cross stitch, crochet, sew, scrapbook, read, swim, dance, take walks, travel, explore historical homes, garden, cook for her family, learn to play the piano and violin, and read great books.

More from Lisa

Q & A with Lisa M. Prysock…Writing Gilded Age Kentucky Romance!

What inspired you to write An Arrangement with the Heiress?
Residing here in beautiful Kentucky near many of the world’s finest horse farms, rolling hills, and rich culture, for years, I have longed to grasp hold of the inspiration around me to pen a historical story that had been mulling around in my mind.

Hence, I reached out to a dear author friend, Chautona Havig, to brainstorm and build upon what was in my head and heart thus far. She ran a hypothetical scenario by me with some conflict arising because of hypocrisy about the horseracing world…something that could stem from some possible characters. This fit perfectly with some of my research about the Gilded Age era in the horseracing world. My immediate reaction: Ooo, yes girl, yes! Imagine squealing and much chatter at this point. We writers can get a bit on the gabby side if left to ourselves. And because, well, my hero had two sisters; ideal candidates to become antagonists. Chautona and I were chuckling and laughing…and I was off and running like a horse out of the gate.

Were there any challenges you faced about including some history from horseracing in your writing process?
Yes! For starters, how to do it all justice? How to get the feel of it onto paper without writing it wrong? There was so much that had been written about the Kentucky Derby, Keeneland, and horseracing history in general. My deep dive into the Kentucky Derby alone could have held me captive for many months in research.

Knee deep in taking notes, I landed on a thesis paper from the 1940s that was steeped with everything that had put the Kentucky Derby and horseracing in Kentucky on the map. By the time I finished wading through the thesis and all of my other research, I had gobs of notes and a goldmine of historical tidbits to bring my story to life with some degree of accuracy. My story also takes readers to Manhattan and South Carolina. Imagine me turning my laptop sideways to study ancient theater seating charts (okay, well maybe not ancient, but some theaters from the 1900s no longer exist…) and maps for street names from Gilded Age Lexington and Manhattan, and beaches on the Carolinian coastline. All my story needed now was my imagination and a tour of a local horse farm.

Tell us about your tour of a local horse farm.
Feeling a little shaky about my knowledge of horses, on an ultra-super-hot day in July of 2023, my husband—who behaved like a trooper in agreeing to escort me toward the end of getting my horse facts straight—and I, set out to drive to Lexington from our rural suburban home on the edge of Louisville.

We’d decided to make a day of it. We had a wonderful time and really enjoyed touring Gainsborough Farm. It was sweltering hot, but by the time the tour ended, despite melting from the heat before, during, and after, I felt as though I understood more about horse farming better than before the tour.

I had some knowledge of horses from growing up on a farm in Minnesota where my dad boarded horses for locals from time to time, but that had been a long time ago. I needed to brush up on the facts and try to imagine it as if I were living in the early 1900s. Unfortunately, there aren’t too many time machines around to satisfy my desire for temporary transportation to and from a working horseracing farm in 1908. My research, memories, books I’ve read, movies I’ve watched, and my own imagination would have to fill in the rest. It’s all part of being a fictional historical writer, right?