The Ashbourne Elixir

About this book

In the abnormally frigid summer of 1816, the Derbyshire village of Ashbourne is gripped by unyielding cold and failed harvests. Twenty-seven-year-old Eliza Thorne secretly operates her late father's apothecary by masquerading as his male apprentice, relying on her sharp intellect and weathered resilience to survive while dodging a guild eager to shutter her illegal practice. When Lord Nathaniel Vale returns to his ancestral estate after eight years away, he brings with him a grieving heart, a severe war injury, and a desperately ill five-year-old daughter. Having once forsaken Eliza for duty and an arranged marriage, Nathaniel is now forced to seek out the only person whose remedies can save his child. Discovering Eliza's true identity, Nathaniel must bargain for her help, leading them on a treacherous trek across the fog-laced moors for a rare medicinal fern. As an ambitious London physician arrives to discredit Eliza's folk medicine and claim Nathaniel's patronage, the former lovers must confront the bitter ghosts of their past. Bound by immediate, life-or-death stakes, Eliza and Nathaniel must navigate the treacherous landscape of public scrutiny and their own reignited passions to secure a second chance at love and survival.

Book details

Genres:

Classic Romance, Historical Romance, Historical Fiction

Language:

en

Published:

2026-05-17

Content rating:

R