An Unconventional Lady: A Clean Regency Romance

By Sarah E. Ladd

One woman works to expose a scientific fraud while also finding love in the latest sweet Regency romance by Sarah Ladd. Perfect for fans of Julie Klassen, An Unconventional Lady delivers what Publishers Weekly calls Ladd's "pitch-perfect blend of suspense and sweetness" (The Cloverton Charade).

She faces the worst ultimatum possible for a woman--marry a man she detests or lose the future she's always imagined.

Charming and headstrong, Ella Wilde always knew she was different than other women. Thanks to her unorthodox upbringing as the daughter of Keatley Hall School for Young Men's headmaster, Ella has long dreamed of opening a school for girls that would meet the needs of inquisitive, brilliant, unconventional young women just like her--girls who longed for the education exclusively reserved for boys. But there's just one catch: Unless she marries before her father dies, Keatley Hall will pass into the hands of a distant cousin. In that case, Ella will be left destitute, and at this point her only option appears to be an undesirable marriage.

Ella's family had long been proponents of phrenology, the belief that an individual's personality and dispositions were predetermined by the shape of their head. Shortly before her death, however, Ella's mother's views on phrenology changed, and she endeavored to expose phrenology as nothing more than a fraudulent parlor trick. Consequently, she earned the wrath of phrenologist community, who called her "unstable," "bizarre," even "dangerous"--and branded her daughter the same.

Now, renowned phrenologist Thomas Bauer is about to arrive at Keatley Hall to speak at the Natural Philosophers' Society gathering, and Ella embraces the opportunity to clear her mother's name--and her own--once and for all. And her partner in crime? None other than her childhood friend Gabriel Rowe, who's grown into an ambitious, handsome London solicitor.

Gabriel has his own scores to settle, and when he learns that Thomas Bauer is visiting Keatley Hall, he jumps at the chance to prove himself and right past wrongs. As he is drawn deeper into the unusual happenings, it's clear that he and Ella must work together if they want to unmask the truth. Over time, Gabriel's attraction to Ella's beauty and wit becomes impossible to ignore, and as the lines between professionalism and passion blur, they both must decide what they're willing to risk for happiness.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1400348293
• ISBN13: 9781400348299
• Release Date: February 2026
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Length: 352 Pages

Customer Reviews

Another 5 star book by Sarah Ladd that I absolutely loved, and highly recommend!!

I had been waiting a long time for this book, and I absolutely loved it, and give it 5 stars!!! Sarah Ladd has been one of my favorite authors, and I own all her books, and this one rates as one of my favorite reads this year! England,1810. Ella Wilde, a headstrong, but very smart, and incredibly beautiful, finds herself being told by her father that she must find a husband, or she will lose everything. Her father is the headmaster of Keatley School for Young Men, and Ella has worked alongside him since the passing of her mother. Ella's mother was introduced to phrenology, which is a belief that a person's character can be determined by the shape of their head. Ella's mother bought into phrenology for a while, but began to question it, and changed her views, she ended up being labeled "crazy", and even "dangerous ", by the public who bought into it as a science. Ella's mother dies, and Ella is determined to clear her mother's name, and expose phrenology as the parlour trick she has found it to be, but one person is standing in her way, Thomas Bauer. Thomas Bauer has been invited by the society who supports the Keatley School, to come and give a demonstration as the society meets for a conference at Keatley Hall. Ella sees her opportunity to expose Mr. Bauer, and also clear her mom's name, but her father still isn't convinced he is a fake because he had been asked by the society,so to give a demonstration, and if they speak against the society's speaker, they could lose their funding for the school! But Ella ends up with an ally, Mr. Gabriel Rowe, a former student of their school! Gabriel is now a lawyer, who is also a thief-taker, and has been sent to Keatley Hall to investigate Mr. Bauer as well! So Gabriel and Ella must work together to find the truth about Mr. Bauer, phrenology, and Ella's mother! This book kept me turning the pages! I had heard of phrenology, but there was a lot I didn't know, so this was so interesting to me, plus I really enjoyed how Ella knew her own mind, and didn't let society dictate her life choices, but she and Gabriel just wanted to truth to come out! I was completely surprised, in a good way, as the storyline was completely unpredictable, and as I closed the book, I thought, "Wow, this goes on my favorite books of 2025 list!" I can't recommend it enough!!!