Mary Nichols

Sophie Cavenhurst wants a husband to love and she is determined to find one despite her feckless brother and her own inability to stay out of trouble, when the Viscount Kimberley rescues her there is a mutual attraction despite him not wanting to marry again and her not wanting to be a second wife.
It was interesting to see a businessman deal with some of the Peterloo issues, even if he came off quite badly from the experience and the two of them are just charming together. Fun read with two show more characters I liked and I felt they grew during the story. show less

Many years ago when they were young Frances and Marcus had a romance, and he married someone else, so she did too, now they're both widowed and he's seeking help in getting his daughter ready for her debut. Frances, Countess Carrington, who paints portraits and has an adult relationship with her step-children. I enjoyed it, although I did root for her friend Percy a few times to win her over the putative hero, though as my dad shares his name I may have been biased a little with that show more romance.

Not bad, could do better. show less

1918. Young Lady Helen Barstairs, the dutiful daughter of Lord Hardingham, believes everything her mother and father tell her. So when her parents say she will never find a better husband than Richard - 'brave, handsome, wealthy, such a charming man and quite a catch' - she believes them, and agrees to marry him before his return to the Front. Helen hopes the letters they exchange will allow them to get to know one another but over time, Richard's correspondence becomes increasingly cold and show more distant, and Helen begins to wonder just who this man she has married really is. And that's when Oliver Donovan enters her life.Helen knew embarking on an affair was not a wise decision but, for the first time in her life, Helen knew what it felt like to be in love. With the war continuing on foreign shores, Oliver had to return to his regiment - and was never seen again. Learning she is with child, Helen confesses all to her shocked parents, who force her to give up her baby. She vows to find her child again one day. Over twenty years pass and it seems history is about to repeat itself; a new war has begun, and another young woman is about to lose her heart to a serviceman - Can lessons of the past save the heartache of a new generation?

My Thoughts:

The story itself was quite good. Girl gets married, has an affair, gets pregnant, baby is given away, then girl in later life meets back up with her child. A few more suprises are thrown in along the way, so yes it’s quite a good tale.

However the book is so sugary, it has more sugar than a kilo bag ! There is no emotion coming from the characters given what is going on in their lives. They all seem to accept things very quickly and nobody gets angry. This I felt let the book down badly, otherwise I would have given it 5 stars.

Would I recommend this book: Well it’s not bad and there was enough to keep me going but I was frustrated too, so give it a go as it is an easy quick read. show less

I enjoyed this book, but felt it didn't live up to what it could be. Very interesting premise, good characters, rich setting in time and place...and I had high hopes. But there were a few too many strained plot twists, and, particularly, the inclusion of a villain who seemed both unnecessary and unbelievable. I liked the ending, and the realistic approach to the romance. I really liked the description of life in war-time England, which I thought was written wonderfully well.