Caroline is relieved when her brother inherits a title and a fortune. Now, she no longer has to scrimp to manage her family's finances. Instead, she can turn her attention to courting her best friend, painter Arabella.

I loved the relationship between Caro and Arabella. It's a slow burn, with both characters hesitant to to jeopardize their friendship by pushing the romance too far.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I loved this! I took this book on a flight and finished it in one day and am Very Satisfied. I loved the writing, the setting, the characters, the whole vibe, and will definitely be following this series.
I did have a lot of Stress while reading though - the Reeve siblings are “vulgar” and once they fall into fortune, my stress level just rockets because of all the risk of ruin they are constantly courting (also another easy reason why I read this in a day - I needed resolution FAST).
It’s been a while since I picked up a regency and I was really pleased with this!

Sapphic Regency friends-to-lovers that I found a little hit-and-miss.

The actual romance itself was fun to watch unfurl and our MCs were interesting, fleshed out characters. I loved exploring Arabella's desire for independence and to expand her art business, and Caroline's deep dedication to her siblings and learning to overcome the more controlling side of her nature.

However, I did have a few niggles throughout the book. The pace was a little off, seeming to drag in places, especially at the start, and then in the 3rd act, leading to what felt like the climax of the story, only for there to be another several chapters to follow.

Caroline's siblings were also just annoying for most of the book. As an example, I was surprised to learn her two sisters were supposed to be in their early 20s, as they both gave off intense Kitty and Lydia Bennet vibes at the start of the book.

Overall though, fans of Sapphic historical romances will probably still enjoy this, especially if friends-to-lovers is your thing.

A treat that I didn’t even know I was waiting for. A regency romp, replete with siblings requiring suitors, an unexpected inheritance, a possible rotter or saviour relative, and friends suddenly sharing kisses. What is the world coming to? Nothing can top the perfection of the classic Pembroke Park, but this book came pretty close and is a delightful summer read.

An interesting story, with s9me good characterisation. I liked arabella in particular. I thought more could have been made of the hostility to sapphic romance which would have been a factor in regency times. I would assume families would disown people as a first reaction. I also wanted to know the backstory of mr Singh. Again, in regency times slavery was still practised in the British empire and society would have been divided on slavery. An Asian, according to Linnaeus was shifty and not to be trusted. How a Sikh managed to end up in rural England having been accepted in society would be a story to be be told.

Two life long friends in their late twenties are neighbors in a small coastal town. Caroline has been left raising her five siblings and it is a thankless task. Arabella is an artist who lives with her brother and his wife and sells watercolor paintings to help support them. Life changes for Caroline when her brother unexpectedly finds he is heir to a Baron and there is now dowry money for the three daughters. This was a mixed bag for me. I loved the relationship from friends to more as Bel decides to woo Caroline. It is loving and gentle. The idiocy of Caroline’s family from the heir and the rest, with their new found wealth, was not shocking nor was it fun. The ending saves the story and I was happy for one and all. Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the ARC in exchange for a review. (3.5 stars)

This is the first book I have read by this author and I highly enjoyed it. Caroline and Arabella are compelling characters who you can't help but root for even when they are being stupid! Caroline's sense of duty to her brothers and sisters clouds her judgment at many turns but I wanted her to find her own happiness with Arabella throughout the book. Arabella is an oft-overlooked woman who is making her way in a world not designed to accommodate her. She is a wonderful heroine who takes it upon herself to woo Caroline nd then asks to be wooed in return. I loved them.
Highly recommend.

What an entertaining and thought provoking read. I am learning to enjoy romantic historical reads from the language, the clothing, the behavioral expectations, and the seasons. This slow burn regency era romance involves Caroline, a spinster focused on taking care of her brother and sisters after their parents died and Arabella, a talented artist longing to live an independent life. Arabella and Caroline have known each other since childhood. The self-talk as to what Caroline and Arabella were thinking provided some insight into why they were acting the way they were acting. I really loved and appreciated the support and love shown by family and friends. What really made me smile was the wooing. Sweet!

I have elected myself president of the Jane Walsh fan club that does not exist. I am painting us Lavender Menace-style t-shirts with stencils and foam brushes and I’ll order broaches on Etsy. I’ll wear a backwards baseball cap as my crown and shout my allegiance from the roofs of all of the buildings because I LOVE JANE WALSH.

I, like so many of us, have been feeling increasingly as though my world is crumbling around me, so imagine my utter elation when I received an email from Bold Strokes that contained the gift of Jane Walsh’s new historical romance novel, The Inconvenient Heiress. There is nothing in the wide world that brightens my day faster than a Jane Walsh novel and this book brightened my world.

This book—the start of a new series for her—has impeccable vibes. Let me paint you a picture (this is a clever joke because one of the heroines is a painter): Two poor women on the regency coast, friends to lovers, all the pining, an unexpected (and rather inconvenient) arrival of an unknown family fortune, the much more expected threat of losing the fortune, determined suitressing, a curvy heroine, a rockstar community of proud lesbian spinsters, two loving families, finding literally any excuse to kiss your best friend even though you’re just gals being pals, and the most stunning cover I have ever seen.

This book is so tender. It’s soft and aching and delicate while at the same time being all the things I ever want in a historical romance novel—dramatic and lush and dynamic. Each word is so steeped in culture and convention and then with some magic flick of her wrist she’s flipped it all upside down onto its head. Jane Walsh writes with such a reverence for women and womanhood while embracing a vast and wondrous queerness.

Reading a Jane Walsh novel is a dream with every page. It’s a reminder that we have always been here, that we have always been finding community and finding love, that we have always risked it all and been rewarded for our bravery, that queer love is about the quiet moments as well as the loud ones, that we deserve to wear flowy gowns and make our art and find our future, that we deserve to have our love and care returned to us in spades, that we deserve and deserve and deserve.

Pick up a Jane Walsh romance novel. You won’t regret it. And there’s always room in our fan club.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for this ARC. Out August 16th, 2022.

As a female painter in Inverley, Arabella Seton makes her living selling watercolour paintings and while she has a roof over her head in her brother’s house, she dreams of independence and is secretly in love with her best friend, Caroline. When Caroline’s family comes into a sizeable inheritance, Arabella suddenly loses her neighbours and maybe a chance to ever be together with Caroline.

Caroline Reeve is struggling to stay afloat with her family’s finances and siblings of marriageable age. As the eldest, she has learned to put everyone else above her but has secret desires of a life with Arabella. With the family’s windfall, the absence of Arabella starts to put things into perspective but she has to decide if she could or should fight for her own happiness.

Of the 2 main characters, Arabella was the driving force behind the relationship’s progress. She started off meek and unassuming but her desire for independence and the courage to fight for the life she envisions made her character shine. Arabella who not only possessed wits but was also brave and resolute in her passions was a favourite of mine in this book.

I just reviewed The Inconvenient Heiress by Jane Walsh. Thank you NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the ARC.

my God Caroline was super boring. the story was ok I enjoyed it. I wanted more depth on their struggles in society I think that would give the story the juice and make it special. moreover, I did not feel the chemistry of the main characters.

3.5/5 stars

I’ve absolutely loved all the previous books I’ve read by Jane Walsh, and this was really no different. A historical romance with two lifelong friends becoming lovers in a small coastal town, what more could we ask for?

After Caroline and her family surprisingly come to inherit a large fortune and title, her problems seem to multiply in unexpected ways. Arabella, her lifelong friend and confidant is there for her along the way, but wishes she could push past her shyness to tell Caroline how she really feels. I’m not normally a huge fan of a friends to lovers storyline, but I felt that it was quite well executed in this book. The progression felt natural. There was so much love and support in the relationship, it really could only go up from there. Not only was it sweet and supportive, but there was also some flirty banter and cheeky moments which I loved from our two very responsible leads.

While I really enjoyed the romance, it wasn’t my favourite out of Jane Walsh’s books. What really made this book feel all the more special were all the side characters, especially the Reeves family. They felt like they were taken right out of a Jane Austen novel with their loveable chaos and intricate web of relationships. I really did feel like I was reading an old favourite Austin novel, and there really is no better praise I could give for a historical romance. They gave so much life and heart to the novel, and made the overall plot super entertaining.

3.5 stars. A sapphic historical romance set in a sleepy English seaside town. Arabella and Caroline have been best friends since childhood. Little do they know, each has been pining secretly for the other for years. When a change of fortune for Caroline's family separates the two, Arabella decides to take matters into her own hands and woo her. But can these two really take a chance on love?

I don't mind a slow burn, but this book definitely dragged in the middle. Caroline and Arabella were very sweet together, but I wanted to smack all of their collective family members. Caroline's siblings are spoiled and entitled even before they inherit a fortune. And Arabella's brother and sister-in-law definitely take her for granted.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.


Arabella is artist who longs to be independence and to be with her best friend Caroline who is task to watch out for her siblings. Caroline is shock when she learns of inheritance that belong to her father now she thrust into the world society. Arabella is there for Caroline to help make sure she won’t be taking advantage of all the while tries to get Caroline to see they are made for each other.

I enjoy this read and how author describe the gorgeous seaside setting of their small English town and the longing between Arabella and Caroline was well played.

The Inconvenient Heiress is a regency era sapphic romance between Arabella, a painter who dreams of love and independence, and Caroline, a spinster desperately trying to take care of and corral her siblings after her parents death. One seemingly normal summer sees Caroline's family suddenly becoming aware of a fortune that should have belonged to their father along with a baronetcy title that now belongs to Caroline's younger brother. As the long-felt romantic feelings between the girls grow into something more their lives they both also have to deal with the fortune changing their lives.

I absolutely adored this book. It was the first I have ever read of Walsh's writing and I will absolutely be coming back for more. Her writing was vibrant and made me laugh and cry along with both girls and the entire Reeves family. The love and chaos amongst the family jumped off the page, along with the gorgeous seaside setting of their small English town. The longing and love between Caroline and Arabella was palpable and so strong, I also truly loved getting to see the girls grow and change for the better together.

I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a regency romance that isn't heavy on the misogyny and gives women their own power as well as highlighting a beautiful sapphic love story. I look forward to reading more of Walsh's work, especially more about the other spinsters featured in The Inconvenient Heiress.

While I enjoyed the romance of this book and found the plot compelling, it was not particularly well-written and there were some elements that were anachronistic. It was a sweet read.

Enjoyable historical romance. Caroline seems to be a cross between being a martyr and being overly bossy in trying to do the best for her family. Fortunately, she eventually sees the error of her ways but not before some unfortunate circumstances. Arabella is a bit timid to start but grits her teeth and lets her feelings be known (in both love and dislike) after some hesitance.