In the thought-provoking romance That Inevitable Victorian Thing, Canadian author E.K. Johnston (Exit, Pursued by a Bear) explores what happens when Victorian Era coming-of-age traditions collide with the modern complexities of online dating in a richly imagined future where the British Empire still exists.
Eighteen-year-old Margaret, the Empire's Crown Princess, poses as a commoner during Toronto's debut season before starting a life of duty to the crown. She befriends Helena and August, who've always planned to marry each other despite what the genetic match-making Computer says about their suitability. But as Margaret and Helena's friendship blossoms into something more, both in person and on the net, Helena and August's relationship suffers from secrets and uncertainty, proving love is no less complicated when it's predetermined. --Lana Barnes, freelance reviewer and proofreader