Just As You Are

Just As You Are

by Mindy Burbidge Strunk

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A woman hiding more than her heart and a naval officer racing against time strike a bargain that neither expected—one that could lead to them losing everything if they misstep.

Honora Pemberton’s life has unraveled in six short months. Her once-lovely hair has all but vanished, forcing her to hide beneath wigs and wide-brimmed bonnets. The very last place she wants to be is paraded through a London Season—but that’s exactly what her well-meaning father arranges. Now Nora must survive the sharp eyes and sharper tongues of Society while guarding a secret that could destroy her confidence—and her future.

Rear-Admiral Jeremy Fagan has spent more years at sea than on English soil. His recent promotion comes with a catch: he must take command in a distant post and take a wife with him. With only weeks to find a woman brave enough to abandon England for an isolated naval outpost, Jeremy has no time for pretenses, games, or the usual nonsense of the ton.

When Nora and Jeremy cross paths, what begins as a reluctant acquaintance turns unexpectedly tender. She fears her condition will cost her any chance at affection. He begins to suspect she’s exactly the kind of courageous woman he needs.

But the stakes rise with every stolen moment. If Nora confesses the truth, she risks losing him. If she keeps silent, she risks losing herself. And Jeremy’s orders will not wait forever.

Can he convince her she’s worth crossing oceans for?

Or will she let the man she loves sail out of her life for good?

This is a secret insecurity, beauty-and-the-beast-in-reverse, forced proximity, and marriage-of-convenience stand alone clean romance.

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Genre
Historical Romance
Subgenre
Fairytale, General Historical, Georgian (1714–1837), Holiday (Christmas, Valentine’s, etc.), Military, Regency (1811–1820)
Audience
Adult
Bell Peppers
🫑
Profanity
1 None
Violence
1 None
Drugs, Alcohol, Tobacco
2 Mild
Publication Date
February 23, 2023
Language Versions
English
Narration Type
Human
Fiction Form
Novella
Sensitive Themes
Body image struggles, Chronic or terminal illness

Customer Reviews

Based on 16 reviews
56%
(9)
31%
(5)
13%
(2)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
T
Tess
A Unique plot with a strong message

Love is more than appearance. Reluctance and fear become devotion and acceptance. This is an enchanting tale of qualities for love.

T
Tara R
This could have been a 5 ⭐️

First off, the author should have fed us another chapter before cutting the story off at the end. That was quite the abrupt ending.Secondly, there are at least two parts in the book where I was doing page-flip-backs to see if I had missed something as the story suddenly talked of a character having knowledge that he didn’t possess at the close of the previous chapter. Never resolved or addressed, I think it is an editing error.I liked the chemistry and real feelings of the characters. I’d rather a story move a bit too fast than too slow, but it’s always nice when the pace is just right. This story is on a bit too fast side of things. Overall I might recommend it to a friend if he or she had nothing better to read.

C
CeeCee
A touching story

I love this novels length. This story was a quick read which I thoroughly enjoyed; i have such a difficult time putting a book down when it is time to to to bed.This story so tortured my heart. I always love the story of The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Anderson, and Mindy, one of my favorite authors, didn't great justice in the retelling. I greatly appreciated the insight and ability to capture the emotion and the challenge of what Nora, the heroine, could have experienced.I thoroughly enjoyed the book and highly recommend it.

T
T. Gunter
Quick read

Good, quick novella of a retelling of The Ugly Duckling. It's a good story to remind you to look at what is inside instead of just going by the outward appearance.

B
Billy B. Bateman
This is a good story

I liked this story. I think itdisplayed useful development of the characters.I knew a little about the hair loss condition-a girl at my college wore a wig.I have known several women who had hair loss caused by chemotherapy.I think it is a fine story and I recommend it.

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