A powerful and atmospheric saga set in the glitter and grit of Victorian Bath’s theatre world. Perfect for fans of Rosie Goodwin, Mary Wood and Sarah Waters.

A young girl’s dream…

Bath, 1852. As a girl, Nancy Bloom would go to Bath’s Theatre Royal, sit on the hard wooden benches and stare in awe at the actresses playing men as much as the women dressed in finery. She longed to be a part of it all and when a man promised her parents he could find a role for Nancy in the theatre, they believed him.

His lie and betrayal led to her ruin.

A foundling’s ambition…

Francis Carlyle is a theatre manager, a man with big dreams, who has finally shed the skin of his secret past as a foundling and is now rich, successful and in need of a new female star. Never in a million years did he think he'd find her standing on a table in one of Bath’s bawdiest pubs, entertaining its patrons with her exquisite voice.

Nancy vowed never to trust a man again. Francis will do anything to make her his star. As they engage in a battle of wits and wills, can either survive with their hearts intact?

The second in Rachel Brimble’s thrilling Victorian saga series, The Foundling’s Ambition will whisk you away to the riotous, thriving underbelly of Victorian Bath.

Previously published as Trouble for the Leading Lady.