Grace Burrowes

Book source ~ NetGalley

Baron Sebastian St. Clair was stuck between a rock and a hard place. As a boy he and his family visited family in France and then got stranded there when Napoleon went apeshit and the war started. His father slipped back to England but died during the war. Then his mother died. In order to protect his French relations, Sebastian had to join the French army as Robert Girard, in charge of a chateau where they tortured prisoners to get information out of them. English show more prisoners. Of which Sebastian could claim half his ancestry. When the war was over, England pardoned the torturer St. Clair, and, as the last remaining male heir, he was told to take up the barony and get to work. He was trying to live a quiet life and do just that, but The Traitor Baron kept being challenged to duels by the very peers he tortured during the war. Would there be no peace for him? Enter Miss Millicent Danforth, a poor relation turned paid companion. His only remaining relative, his elderly Aunt Freddie, had gone through quite a string of paid companions before she hires Milly. And the story is off and running…

After having read book 1, The Captive, I have to say I came into this story with grave doubts that the author could turn the torturer from it into a hero. I was wrong. Sebastian is a complicated tortured soul himself. What he has done haunts him. Not just because he had to torture his peers, but the circumstances that brought him to it. He’s flawed, but redeemable. Milly isn’t without her demons. She’s a great character and perfect for Sebastian. The story is complicated and layered and one of the best reads of 2019 for me. Hell, it ranks up there with my all-time favorites. Bravo! show less

My favorite type of 'unusual' Regency Christmas romance!

This is probably my fourth or so reading about Lady Sophie and Vim Charpentier and it still delights and gives me the warm fuzzies. I adore Sophie and Vim!
Both of these people are endearing, loveable and different. Lady Sophie Windham has found herself in possession of a few stolen days in the family mansion, by herself! A pleasure she's determined to take advantage of. Vim Charpentier is passing through London enroute to discovering show more conditions on his estates. He's received urgent missives from both his Uncle and Aunt.
But fate intervenes and Vim and Sophie find themselves trapped in London by the winter storm and circumstances. The inclusion of an unlooked for baby as the piece that holds these two together is enchanting.
The 'rescue' scene and resultant journey with Sophie's brothers is humorously adorable, especially as these hulking brothers try to overwhelm Vim! They are so protective of their sister. (A tad late is all I can say!)
Grace Burrowes is one of my top historical romance writers and her Duke's Daughters series, including Lady Sophie, is right up there.
Pleasurable at the first read, this wonderful Christmas romance never disappoints.

A Sourcebooks Casablanca ARC via NetGalley show less

Good book, with a hero who is dealing with the Regency version of PTSD and a heroine who has a traumatic past of her own. The book opens with Christian as a prisoner of the French, being tortured and tormented in an attempt to get him to confess what he knows. Seeing what he went through made me ache for him, but also impressed me with the fortitude he showed in enduring it. He was determined to survive in order to take his revenge on them later. There was something a little odd about his show more treatment, and the memories of it carried throughout the book. When the war ended and he was released, he had to find his own way back to the British army. That arrival was not what he expected, and his treatment by his cousin was disturbing. I really liked Christian's dignified attitude as he attempts to prove his identity. I liked seeing Devlin St. Just again, and enjoyed his matter-of-fact treatment of Christian, both now and later in the book. Once Christian is back in London, he avoids contact with everyone, still attempting to deal with the physical and mental effects of his captivity. Everything changes when Gillian bursts into his life.

Gillian is recently widowed, ending her eight year marriage to a man three times her age, who was physically and mentally abusive to her. She was cousin to Christian's late wife and has been trying to watch over Christian's young daughter Lucy. Disturbed by the child's withdrawal and refusal to speak, Gilly confronts Christian, forcing him to see that he has a responsibility to Lucy. Her own past enables her to handle Christian with tact and sensibility for the most part, with a bit of steamroller tossed in when necessary.

I enjoyed seeing them get to know each other, as the two of them settled in to life at Severn, Christian's country estate. His return to health can be partially credited to Gilly, who doesn't fuss but makes sure that he has what he needs and is able to handle. I liked seeing how Christian reestablishes his bond with Lucy, and how their care for her helps bring him and Gilly closer together. Their friendship begins to grow into more, but there are some obstacles holding them back. Because of her marriage, Gilly is reluctant to put herself under the power of another man, even one such as Christian. There are also several accidents that happen to her, that Christian feels aren't actually accidents. This brings out a protectiveness in him that rubs up against Gilly's fears. On Christian's part, he feels that he really can't move on with his life until he deals with his past, which means following through on his vow of revenge. This is made somewhat more difficult by his knowledge that Gilly is against violence of any type.

There were some beautiful scenes between Gilly and Christian. I loved his patience and sensitivity as he learned more about what her marriage had been like. The part with the exposure of what she considers her biggest shame was especially moving. Gilly's way of helping Christian through his toughest moments was also beautifully realistic. I especially loved her tailoring efforts, and later her reaction to what Christian considered his worst scar.

The ending was great, as Lucy breaks her silence in time to reveal the truth about what had gone on during Christian's absence. Christian's confrontation with his tormentor yields satisfaction of a completely unexpected variety, and the truth of his captivity is exposed. I did suspect early on that this person was not what he seemed, and was happy to be proved right.

I loved the parts that Devlin St. Just played in the book. His early support of Christian, getting him safely to England from France, made the transition a bit easier. I also liked his visits to Christian, how he would listen to him without judging, dispensing practical advice. Some of the things he said made a huge difference to Christian's outlook. His presence at the end was also a big part of ensuring that all ended well. show less

Excellent book with a very different premise. Darius is the second son of an earl, one whose father has cut him off financially. He has a small manor house and some land, and people he cares for and feels responsible for. The only way he can make any money is to make himself available to bored society women.

Vivian is the young second wife to elderly Lord William Longstreet. He married her after the death of his first wife, in order to protect her from her nasty stepfather. William is still show more in love with his first wife, and realizes that he's nearing the end of his life. If he dies without an heir, his lands and wealth will revert to the Crown, something he cannot accept. So he goes to Darius and offers him a large sum of money to get Vivian pregnant.

Though not entirely comfortable with the idea, Darius is desperate to escape the clutches of the two women he is currently employed by. Vivian is also uncomfortable, but she cares for William and understands what he is trying to do. The initial meeting between Darius and Vivian is awkward, but they agree to terms and make their arrangements.

I really liked Darius. He hates what he does, but he is willing to do whatever it takes to provide for his family. When Vivian arrives at his home in Kent, he is quite sensitive to her fears and discomfort. I loved seeing the way he worked to show her that it could be a pleasurable interlude for both of them. Normally he is able to keep his emotions out of his encounters, but with Vivian he isn't able to do that. I loved the way that he was determined that she feel all the pleasure that is possible, and also to show her that she is an intelligent and capable woman who can do anything. He can see that she will need the skills to stand up for herself and protect her child once her husband is gone. He doesn't expect to fall for her, and the thought of having to give her up at the end of the month is tearing him up.

I also liked Vivian. She starts out as very shy and self-effacing. She is wary of the things that Darius makes her feel. They spend the first few days just getting to know each other, and she discovers that there is much more to Darius than she expected. Seeing the way he cares for the people who inhabit his home makes her realize that he is a man she can trust. That trust makes it a little easier for her to accept what they must do, and she soon learns much about her own feelings and responses. The "baby-making" scenes are both incredibly sexy and really sweet. I loved the way that she saw the good in Darius and tried to show him that he is better than what he has been forced to do. Leaving him at the end of the month is hard, and the reality of not seeing him anymore is hard for her to take.

Once they are back in London, they are not supposed to see each other again. Vivian doesn't want to accept that and manages to find ways to encounter Darius. But seeing him return to the two society women hurts terribly, and she is torn about how to handle it. Darius wants to escape them, but their threats against his family have his hands tied for awhile. I loved seeing him finally muster up the determination to escape, and how he did it was extremely satisfying. Though they do have several meetings, both Darius and Vivian are honorable people, and they are very careful to stick to friendship.

I loved Lord William. He has never loved anyone but his first wife and misses her desperately. What he has with Vivian is actually a beautiful friendship, but he knows without an heir she will be in dire straits when he dies. Even though what he was doing was basically dishonest, his reasons were good. I really liked his treatment of Darius, and as the book went on it became obvious that he also had a secondary motive for his actions. I loved the way that he mentored Darius through some financial waters, and how he made sure to keep Darius involved in Vivian's life. It became obvious that he had a secondary motive to his actions, and one that he had great confidence in.

Darius's protective nature comes fully to the surface once Vivian has the baby. I loved seeing him with the child and the obvious adoration he has for it. It only serves to make Vivian love him more. And when William dies, it is up to Darius to keep Vivian and the baby safe. I loved seeing how he did it, and the confrontation with Vivian's nasty stepfather was so very satisfying. show less