The Naturalist: A Traditional Regency Romance (The Hapgoods of Bramleigh Book 1)

One of four daughters of a nearly penniless country squire, Alice Hapgood has for years secretly donned boy’s clothing to pursue her unladylike passion for the natural world. Despite the Hapgood girls’ dim marriage prospects, Alice’s fascination with Somerset flora and fauna has kept her perfectly content—until she meets Joseph Tierney, a visiting naturalist commissioned by the Royal Society. The handsome Joseph has his own history of thwarting parental expectations and matchmaking mamas to pursue science, and when he seeks an assistant in his research, Alice cannot resist the siren call. She adopts her boy persona even while she wishes she could win him as herself, be herself. Her deception comes at a steep price, when she is exposed and the resulting scandal breaks. Will the threat of forced marriage destroy both Joseph’s chosen career and their chance at love?

The Naturalist is a clean, traditional Regency romance and first in the Hapgoods of Bramleigh series. It was honored as a 2021 Bookstore Romance Day finalist and a PNWA Best Romance finalist for 2013.