The Sprinter
Series: A Series of Worthy Young Ladies #2
Author: Kate Archer
Published April 29th 2022 by Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.

Goodreads Synopsis
A Baffled Lord and a Bolting Lady!

Six highly placed matrons mourn their lack of daughters until they devise a scheme to launch eligible girls in need of assistance, and so The Society of Sponsoring Ladies is born.

Miss Grace Yardley, daughter of the deceased Viscount Barlow, has been relegated to the dilapidated dower house of Barlow Hall with her sickly mother. She is certain Lady Barlow cannot survive long in those leaking and drafty rooms, but she sees no way out. For a moment, it seemed they had been thrown a life ring, by way of a certain Lady Heathway who wished to sponsor Grace for a London season. Unfortunately, Lady Barlow is not well enough to manage on her own and the invitation is regretfully declined.

George Wade, Viscount Gresham and nephew to Lady Heathway, is well-used to his aunt calling upon him for a small favor. Often the favors turn out not so small, and this latest is no exception. He’d been under the impression that they only traveled to Kent to collect Miss Yardley, her latest project. Instead, he discovers on arrival that they will practically kidnap the girl away from her ailing mother.

As Lady Heathway never retreats from battle, Lady Barlow's objections are overcome and Grace is taken to London. However, sickly Lady Barlow is not willing to wave the white flag altogether and Grace’s mind and heart are pulled in two different directions—should she stay in London or return to Kent?

Viscount Gresham will find himself trying to save the family from scandal, or as he thinks of it: “How to stop The Sprinter from sprinting.” He may well find his hands full in the effort, as Miss Yardley proves to be a rather impossible lady.
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

When her father died, Miss Grace Yardley soon found that she and her mother were relegated to the run down dower house, with only one servant to help them. The new Viscount Barlow would rather wash his hands of his relatives, and cares nothing about their living conditions. Grace worries for her mother's health, and needs a miracle to help her. So when the letter arrives from Lady Heathway, stating she will launch Grace into society, Grace is overjoyed, but can she leave her mother, even if she is in the care of a dedicated nurse, and the Queen's own physician? 

This was an enjoyable book. I liked George, and how he helped his aunt even though he knew it was never a 'small favour'. He was clearly drawn to Grace from the moment he spotted her in the dower house, though he hadn't really given any thought to settling down and marrying just yet. I did appreciate how much he wanted to stop the word from spreading about the 'Sprinter', even though he though Grace was daft for trying to climb down the drainpipe to 'save' her mam from the 'wicked' nurse. Lady Barlow was annoying at first, but she really grew over the course of the book, and it's not her fault that her late husband had pandered to her so much during their marriage. Though not my favourite of the series, this was still a lovely addition to the series, and I look forward to the next one.

Dates Read:
May 21-24, 2023

Rating
3 Stars