A couple of things drew me to this book immediately. One, the cover, yep, I'm shallow like that. And two, the description of the hero/heroine. He's a retired naval captain and she's the put-upon companion to a difficult woman. My favorite Jane Austen novel is Persuasion so this description hit me in my Austen sweet spot. Did it live up to my hopes based on those two enticements? Mostly, though, in ways unexpected.
Captain William Hawksmoor, formerly of His Majesty's Royal Navy, has inherited a title (Marquis of Athelney) and an estate called Kingscastle. Though he is not happy to have to leave the navy, he knows his duty and takes over the management of the estate with the same competence and drive he brought to his previous career. Though the work is manageable, the situation with the monetary part of his inheritance is not. In order to gain full control of the monies he needs to run things, he needs to marry within a year. And while he isn't opposed to the idea, he's not thrilled that his aunt, the Lady Willoughby Hawksmoor, is determined that her daughter will take that role. The Marquis is far more interested in his aunt's paid companion Eleanor Burgess. Eleanor returns his regard but knows that her employer will never allow for such a thing and in fact will do everything in her power to keep them apart.
The pacing here is pretty leisurely and the author gives almost as much space to the secondary characters as she does the main couple. All of which I loved. That said, the blurb on this one mentions this would appeal to fans of Bridgerton (which I also have read and enjoyed), I'm giving a bit of side-eye to that marketing. I did really enjoy this novel, but it's much closer to classic historical novels/romances than it is to historicals that have been written in recent years. If you're a fan of Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South, or as I mentioned, Austen's Persuasion, then this would be up your alley. If you're looking for spicy, faster-paced historical romance, maybe not.