Facets of the Bench by Celia Lake

The War changed everything.

Annice grew up wanting to carve jet. Born and raised in Whitby, on the Yorkshire coast, she learned from her father and grandfather, drawing beauty out of ancient stones. But now she’s on her own, there are customs against women carving jet, and the stone’s fallen out of fashion. It’s 1927. People want to forget their grief, not wear it for all to see. For all those reasons and more, Annice is at a crossroads in her life.
Griffin has lived in Trellech, Albion’s magical city, all his life except for his service during the Great War. He’s loved the city nearly as long, years before he made a place for himself tending the magic of the courts as a solicitor and specialist. After the War, he came home willing to use whatever tools he needed – wheelchair, crutches, canes – to keep doing what he loved. But other people don’t think he’s still capable. Griffin’s been stuck in a professional limbo that hasn’t budged for years.
When the magic and the jet of one of the courtrooms starts failing, Griffin is the one who has to figure out how to fix it. On a trip to Whitby, it becomes obvious that he needs Annice’s help to keep the inheritance court working as it should. If he can convince her to be confident in her skills – and give Trellech a try – there’s a chance for the two of them to do much more together than they could on their own.

Facets of the Bench is about loving a place and sharing it with others, competence, and making the most of an opportunity. It features an ambulatory wheelchair user, a woman whose skills just need a little encouragement to blossom, and a city full of magic. Set in 1927, it’s a romance with a happily ever after ending.