An Icy Affair

Miss Ivy Sterling lives on a remote country estate with her uncle, who refuses to take her to Town for a Season. Ivy longs for companionship, and she gets her wish when a blizzard brings unexpected travelers to their door. First to arrive is a rather overbearing gentleman named Robert Westbrook, who is on his way to London to break off his engagement at his fiancee's request. Ivy does not think much of Mr. Westbrook. Much more interesting is a handsome, romantic young gentleman who arrives with his brother. A troupe of actors completes the guest list. Soon the snowbound household is putting on a production of Romeo and Juliet, but the real-life drama among the guests proves even more compelling.The acting troupe added quite a bit of fun to the story, and I liked the way that Shakespeare's play was integrated with the plot in a natural and meaningful way. The hero of this book is an appealing fellow. I enjoyed his philosophy of why he should care only about himself (which of course he does not follow!). The heroine was very young and behaved a bit foolishly, but she comes around in the end. This is a fine example of the "snowbound romance" and is the perfect reading choice for a cold winter's night.