In 19th century Bowdon, Cheshire, Charlotte was a humble servant whose main care in life was her daughter Tooty. She only ever loved one man - her first husband, Rodney, who died tragically young. After his death she had no choice but to work long hours for the owners of the big houses of the day. It was a hard life for both mother and daughter, but it gave her a perspective on history as she saw the world changing before her eyes and class barriers and prejudices beginning to dissolve. When a series of terrible crimes come to light, Charlotte begins to wonder if her new friend David is somehow mixed up in them. Fate places her in unique position to understand what has really been happening and who is responsible. A Bowdon Romance weaves the thread of local history into a fascinating portrait of life as it must have been in 19th century England.