Parts of this were 4 star worthy, but overall I can't round up that far. This has second chance and class differences tropes, it weaves the past and the present together better than most in my experience. It felt fairly organic and not just an info dump or continually yanking you out of the story just when something was getting good, or staying so long that you'd start to forget where you'd left off. There were a few things near the end that didn't sit as well with me, but overall it was an enjoyable read. Major spoilers about those things: I was disappointed that the heroine clung so adamantly and for so long to taking the child. It was very late in the story to be willing to toss away the love of your life over someone else (especially someone who, though definitely tied to, you'd never met and thought was dead). And she really was coming at the situation from a childish selfishness, not truly considering what was best for the child, even when the hero tried to explain it from the perspective of one in a similar situation. And secondly, his birth mother recognizing him but deciding not to bother telling him!? It wasn't like her choice was between him never knowing or else taking him from his adoptive family like the heroine's notion of things. She would probably enjoy spending some time with him here and there, and he would get some closure and could ask about his heritage or something. Know that he had been wanted by at least one of his parents. It just seems like a very selfish call to make. And then to a much lesser degree, giving up the club felt a little unsatisfying. I didn't need them to have it really, but walking away just made it feel like the major part it had played had all just been a contrivance. I don't know, it wasn't a major thing, but the endings to these are supposed to be quite satisfying, and these got in the way of some of that. ( )

First half was great, second half dragged on. I wish the tension of them not knowing why the other hadn't showed up was dragged out longer. ( )

I received an eARC at no cost from the author, and I am leaving a voluntary and honest review. Thank you.


Review posted at my blog, Romancing Romances

Review link

I’m having a hard time rating this book.

I love Lorraine Heath, and the fact that she likes to talk about difficult issues in her books. But in this one, I think something was…maybe holding her back? I don’t know, I feel like it had something missing.

This is a lovers-reunited/second-chance lovers story. I have to admit, I didn’t feel very connected to the characters. I liked the young version, I did not, however, enjoy their transition. And, again, I think this has to do with the way the author dealt with their problems.

It’s hard to do a review without talking about something that does not show up in the synopsis, and therefore it is a spoiler, but that is the base of your concerns with the book.

Finn had a difficult life, and Lavinia was sheltered, as any nobility-born lady. But as they spend their together, she gets to know a different world. And then something happens that separates them. When they meet again, they are different people, but still harbour some of the same feelings they had years before.

I did not like Lavinia – I’m sorry, she went through a lot, I know, but I just couldn’t connect with her. Finn, on the other hand, was much easier to like and understand. I only liked Lavinia when she was young, and when she makes a right decision at the end of the book. I would, however, like to point out, she is doing her best to help those who need it, and I value that trait, no doubt.

I really liked Finn’s family, and I look forward to reading more their stories, even if this wasn’t my favourite book written by Lorraine Heath. ( )

Lorriane Heath does an amazing job with this story. There is nothing sadder than young lovers being split apart and thinking their partner had abandoned them. Only one thing is worse, to give birth to a child of the man you loved and having it ripped from you arms within minutes of its birth.
When Finn and Vivi meet again years later they are both hurt and damaged individuals. They must learn to trust again and to be opened to the love they once had and lost.
Parts of this book will bring tears to your eyes but it will only make the Happily Ever After all the more rewarding. ( )

I totally surrendered to this book from the first word on the first page and still remain its prisoner days after the last page. The Prologue alone will rip your heart from your chest and run it through a shredder. It was a touching, passionate and compassionate story and a great addition to the Sins For All Seasons series. It deals with some dark subject matter but handles it in such a way that you are left feeling good in the end. After all of that, you must be wondering why I didn’t give it five stars. The answer to that is that I would have given it five stars, but I really don’t like flashbacks as a way of telling the story and the first 45% of the book had a current time chapter, then a flashback chapter or two, then a current time, etc. I was very tempted to flip through and read all of the flashback chapters and then go back and read all of the ‘current time’ chapters, but I didn’t.

Each book in this outstanding series has a different hero and heroine, but, to me, the real hero for all of the books is Ettie Trewlove. No matter how many books you read over your lifetime, you’ll never find a more loving, compassionate and giving person than Ettie. She was widowed young and lost her own children to disease. In order to support herself, she took in the unwanted by-blows of rich aristocrats. They would drop them on her doorstep with a one-time payment of maybe £15. Most of the people who dropped off these children expected them to be allowed to die and they certainly never wanted to hear from them again. Ettie, however, was an exception. She took those children in and loved them, taught them, and made a family of them – all SIX of them! So! Hats off to Ettie, the true hero.

Finn Trewlove is basically the same age as his ‘siblings’, but to me, he seemed much younger, more impulsive, and more naïve. To me, that explains why Finn, at twenty-one, would be so instantly attracted to a fifteen-year-old girl. Finn is also the soft-hearted, loving one of the siblings. I absolutely LOVED Finn and my heart hurt for him as I gradually learned all of the things that had happened to him.

Lady Lavinia Kent’s parents are the parents from hell – literally. No matter how pacifist you might be, you’ll want to take her parents – especially her mother – and devise a horrible torture for them. You absolutely will not believe some of the things they do to their own daughter! That said, Lavinia is still spoiled, and totally convinced that she is always right. That continues to come through even toward the end of the book. I don’t think I really liked Lavinia as much as I felt compassionate and sorry for all that happened to her.

Lavinia has been promised to the Duke of Thornly (the hero in the last book) her entire life and while he is a nice man, she has no real interest in him. They spend very little time together and when they do, they don’t really get to know each other. He is eleven years her senior but is still not ready to marry. But, well, if she’s to marry him, she’d at least like a little attention from him – darn it! So, in a fit of pique, when she, her brother and Thornly were out riding she thought to get his attention by spurring her horse, Sophie, and ‘seemingly’ be on a runaway horse. Just right for rescue and attention. However, the mare didn’t bolt, she reared up and Lavinia hit the ground and broke her arm. Lavinia’s father was livid and ordered that the slaughterer be sent for immediately to put Sophie down.

Slaughterers were a real profession in Regency London and they really were a necessity. There were tens of thousands of horses in London and there had to be a way to deal with the aging, diseased, etc. animals. That was the job of the slaughterer – they picked up the animal, put it to death and then dealt with what needed to be one with the remains. Not a pretty job, but a necessary one.

Finn Trewlove was a slaughterer. He didn’t enjoy putting down the magnificent animals, but he did take pride in seeing that they were comfortable, calm and not panicked when it happened. He loved horses and dreamed of one day having a horse farm.

Finn was dispatched to Lavinia’s home to pick up Sophie. Lavinia was wailing and begged and begged and begged him not to destroy her beloved Sophie. She even struck Finn when he told her that he had no choice because if he didn’t his boss would lose his license. It really troubled Finn – Lavinia was a lovely girl and the horse was beautiful and not sick or aging. However, he had to take her.

Finn and Lavinia’s tale really begins when Finn (a former thief), sneaks into Lavinia’s room and then takes her to see Sophie. Yes, he couldn’t do it – he couldn’t destroy Sophie. Lavinia (Vivi) was delighted and they made plans for her to sneak out and he’d take her to see Sophie once per week.

Their tale is one filled with sweet romance, a love for the ages, tragedy, betrayal, separation, and reconnection. Once you start reading, you won’t want to put the book down.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. ( )