Paddy-The-Next-Best-Thing

Paddy Adair refuses to be dull. In 1908 colonial Rhodesia, she's the kind of heroine who storms through life with unstoppable energy, driving her dreamy sister Eileen to distraction and capturing the attention of every eligible man in the district. When Jack O'Hara arrives at their door charming and irrepressibly carefree, the sparks fly immediately. But the title hints at what Paddy discovers: sometimes the path to happiness isn't the one you expected. Gertrude Page, dubbed the "Zulu Maupassant," writes with sharp wit and genuine tenderness about a woman who refuses to fit the expected mold. The novel crackles with playful sibling banter, quiet romantic tension, and the lush backdrop of African adventure. It's a story about choosing yourself, finding your own adventure, and learning that the "next best thing" might actually be the best thing of all. Readers who crave period romance with genuine spirit and a heroine who fights for her own happiness will find Paddy irresistible.