A Practical Arrangement

An unwed, sharp-tongued daughter is the bane of any father, and Evangeline Grey is no exception.  After haring away every suitor who comes calling, her father draws a line in the sand.  Wed by the spring, he says, or he will choose a husband for her.
Thomas Masterson is in a similar predicament, although his is dictated by a dead parent.  His father's will decrees that in order to receive his full inheritance he must wed.  For a rake who has successfully avoided responsibility most of his life this is stunning news indeed.
Brought together by circumstance (and a couple of match-making old men) Evangeline and Thomas have no idea how VERY practical their arrangement will be.  
When we meet Evangeline she is prickly and unsympathetic, with no charisma to speak of.  She takes pride in warding off suitors and has an aversion to being touched in any way.  One wonders at the outset of Mr. Masterson's attempts why he would bother. Ms. Notariani's talent lies in showing us exactly why he did.  The ability to take an unlikeable character and have you cheering for her by the end is talent indeed!  
Some concentration is required when reading “A Practical Arrangement”; there is a confusing tendency at the outset to refer to characters interchangeably by their titles, given names or surnames.  The language is formal and true to the period.  No head-hopping here; the reader must "watch" the story unfold rather than "listen".
The beauty of this story is in its telling - polished, clever and subtly told.  “A Practical Arrangement” is recommended for its prose, surprising depth of story and a beautiful HEA.  Nadja Notariani is an author to watch!
Tammy Grant