There's Something About Lady Mary by Sophie Barnes

Mary Croyden grew up with her father, a surgeon, learning all she could from him and is devastated by his death but she is even more stunned by all the secrets he was hiding.  Her father was an earl and never told her, instead choosing to live his life quietly providing medical care.  He made provisions for Mary though in the form of passing his title on to her, along with a fortune, so now Mary finds herself a lady and in the unfamiliar waters of the ton.  Always feeling plain her whole life, she is pleased when a handsome man takes an interest in her and she knows she needs to tell Ryan Summersby about her illegal profession.  However, just as things are heating up, the truth about his interest in her is revealed and Mary is left feeling hurt.  Ryan tries to redeem his blunder and then he learns the full truth about Mary and he has a hard time grasping what she does.  With someone out to steal Mary's fathers journals, with no regards to her life, can Mary and Ryan uncover the secrets that they hold?  Will Ryan be able to come to terms with Mary's daring lifestyle and find a way that they can be happy together?

This was a very enjoyable, fun tale!  I really enjoyed Mary and her determination to do the right thing, not matter what the cost.  Being a female surgeon is highly illegal but she still considers the life of the patient first over her own safety.  I liked seeing a bit about the medical profession without being overwhelmed in the process...it also made me very glad we live in modern times with regards to a simple procedure that just wasn't really done at the time!  Mary is bold, sharp and has quick comebacks for Ryan.  Ryan is just the sort of man you love--kind, smart and generous.  Yet when it comes to Mary, he is a bit of a numskull.  He has no problems with his daring, unique sister but when some of the same characteristics are shown in Mary, he is unable to accept them and it takes a series of missteps to realize the depth of his feelings for her.  I also enjoyed the mystery aspect of the story, I really did not know who the final villain was (in part due to the fact there were quite a few people in the story and it was a bit hard for me to keep track of them all).  Everything blended together very nicely for me...the mystery didn't overwhelm, the medical aspect didn't overwhelm either.  I could have used a bit more romance as Mary and Ryan seemed to fall for each other pretty quickly, but I did like seeing the Summersby family again and the lovely interactions between them.  Overall, a delightful tale that is a bit unique filled with fun, romance, mystery and love.  4 stars

eARC provided by Avon Impulse via edelweiss

Summersby series
Can be read as stand alones but previous characters are featured
(Nov 20th)