The Lay of the Land is out in the world — and I’m so grateful to share it with you.
This is a second chance romance with a raw redemption arc, set in a dystopian‑Regency world where love is shaped by duty, silence, and the courage to try again. Arnold and Lily’s marriage has been fractured for years… and this book follows their journey through hurt, healing, and the fragile hope of becoming a family again.
If you love:
closed‑door romance
emotional realism
protective heroes
trauma recovery
faith‑thread stories
symbolic settings
…this one is for you.
One fractured marriage. One last chance to heal.
Arnold
He thought choosing Lily would finally bring love. Instead, duty, silence, and the weight of Whitecroft have broken everything between them. Now, out on the land, he’s learning a different kind of strength—and hoping it isn’t too late for Lily or their daughter.
Lily
She never wanted the Casting—or Arnold. But as the fog lifts, she sees the tenderness he’s always hidden. Healing is messy. Forgiveness is hard. And love asks more than either of them ever expected.
A haunting, hopeful story of fractured love, toxic legacy, and the fight for redemption.
Arnold and Lily’s story is messy, tender, and painfully human. It’s about forgiveness, courage, and the quiet work of healing.
Here’s what reviewers are saying:
Wow! What a heartfelt, powerful book this was! There are some emotionally hard parts of this book, but I LOVED that this book is, ultimately, about redemption, second chances, the power of undeserved grace and forgiveness, the beauty of selfless love, and the way hope and faith can bring unexpected and lasting healing.
I absolutely adore Arnold & Lily’s sweet, heartbreaking, caring, loving, redemptive, swoony happily ever after!!
Toovey is a master of creating multi-dimensional flawed characters, and Lily and Arnold are no exception. Their road to redemption and forgiveness is gritty, and this novel explores deeper issues, adding a whole new level to Toovey’s writing. The Lay of the Land tackles serious issues on the path to forgiveness and redemption. Redemption arcs shine in Toovey’s books, and this book does not disappoint. If you enjoy redemption arcs, trauma recovery, stories honoring faith, and flawed characters finding their way again, this book is for you!
I seriously cried when I read this. It is just so bittersweet.
Thank you for being here. Truly.
I hope this story finds you at exactly the right time.
Sophie Toovey 