A French Proposal
(Gilded Age Belles Romance)
In Paris of the Belle Epoque, American agricultural heiress Sadie Stenhouse arrives with her mother, eager to indulge in the city’s legendary glamour. Yet Sadie discovers that grand fashion houses and exclusive galleries scarcely deign to lower their noses unless the ladies flutter dollars in their faces. Disheartened by this lukewarm reception, Sadie feels disillusioned by the shallow focus on wealth and status.
At her hotel overlooking the famed Palais Garnier, Sadie encounters Louis-Alphonse, Duc de Montferrand, a dashingly handsome nobleman passionate about horseless carriages. Alongside a group of close-knit friends, he is on the verge of a revolutionary achievement: building a prototype for the world’s first long-distance automobile race from Paris to Rouen. But as an aristocrat whose fortune is dwindling, Louis-Alphonse needs money—fast.
Seeing Sadie as the answer to his financial troubles, Louis-Alphonse devises a plan to win her favor and secure her investment. But the more time he spends with this pretty American parvenue, the faster he falls for her quick wit, infectious laugh, and the way she lights up every room she enters. For Sadie, Louis-Alphonse is a breath of fresh air—he’s passionate, driven, and nothing like the superficial suitors she’s been avoiding.
As the race approaches, both must confront their true feelings. Will Louis-Alphonse pursue his dreams at the cost of love, or will he and Sadie find a way to cross the finish line together, hand in hand?