Kit and Elizabeth by Karen Tuft

Lady Elizabeth Spaulding’s world has fallen apart. Despite living her entire life to please her demanding parents, the Duke and Duchess of Marwood, she has little to show for it. After Elizabeth’s second failed betrothal, her father’s debts and appalling acts of retaliation force him to flee the country, consigning Elizabeth and her bitter mother to a life of poverty and exile. But Elizabeth’s fortunes change one day when an elderly acquaintance makes her an offer she can’t refuse.

Lady Walmsley, widowed and childless, is in need of a lady’s companion—and who better than the lovely Lady Elizabeth? Determined to rescue Elizabeth from her dreary life in the country, Lady Walmsley secures the help of Kit, the dashing Earl of Cantwell, in her quest. But the young woman they find is a ghost of the charming girl they once knew. Taken in by Lady Walmsley, and with Kit’s enthusiastic encouragement, Elizabeth finds herself pushed further and further from her empty solitude as she discovers the joy of truly living. Now, for the first time in her life, she must decide for herself who she is and if she deserves to be loved.

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First, before I write my review, I need to show you something that I love about this book.  It's the chapter heading pages.  I absolutely love when there are pretties to go along with my books!  This one made me want to pull out my pens and color.  That's one perk of physical books VS e-books.  E-books don't usually give you pretties!

I really found myself caught up in the story of Kit and Elizabeth.  I loved them both from the beginning for different reasons.  Kit is light and joyful for the most part.  He has a good energy about him and I was really drawn to him.  He is a good friend and a steady companion.  I loved how hard he worked to get Elizabeth to experience life and find herself after so many years of being who her parents expected her to be.  

Elizabeth is the character that you are empathizing with, rooting for and celebrating with.  She has a great emotional journey and it was very satisfying as a reader.

I found so many real life parallels for me in this book.  And one quote that sums up everything in this book and many things that my family is dealing with right now.  "For some bonds were stronger than lineage, and some loves deeper than blood."  This is a gentle story with a gentle, slow blooming romance.  I enjoyed it very much.

This book has carry over characters from the previous book by this author but can easily stand alone.