A Love to Remember

I LOVED this book, if you have been following the Disgraced Lords series then you already know Philip and Rose and you have probably been wondering why they haven’t married. If you haven’t read the series, you will still enjoy this book as Philip and Rose have primarily been secondary characters and Ms. Evans give more than enough back story to make this a stand alone title.

The book opens with Philip Flagstaff, the new Earl of Cumberland standing at the grave of his older brother Robert, the previous Earl. Philip is overwhelmed with grief and guilt, he blames himself for his brother’s death as Robert sacrificed his own life to save Philip at Waterloo. At that moment, Philip makes a vow, he will never marry or have children, so the earldom he feels he stole from his older brother will go to Thomas, his younger brother. He believes the only way he can honor his brother is by sacrificing his own happiness. As he is standing there he is approached by Rose Deverill, Duchess of Roxborough. Rose has long admired Philip and had secret hopes to one day marry him, but her father sold her into marriage at 18 to a man old enough to be her grandfather. She endured marriage to him and was rewarded with the birth of her son and widowhood on the same day. She has no desire to remarry and has spent the last few years as a “wicked widow”, taking lovers and refusing all offers of marriage.

Fast forward two years, Rose and Philip have been exclusive lovers since that day at the graveside, but now Rose wants more. She loves Philip and wants to marry him, her young son adores him and she would love more children, but she is afraid to broach the topic with Philip. For his part, Philip loves Rose and can’t imagine a life without her and if not for his vow, he would marry her. So when the topic comes up, Rose is crushed to learn that Philip does not want to marry. She believes that he will marry, but not her. When a misunderstanding at a ball occurs, these two are forced to have the conversation they have both been dreading. Philip again says he will not marry and Rose tells him that she can no longer be his lover, she will remarry for the sake of her son, but if Philip cannot be her husband, she must be free of him so she can move on. Heartbroken, they spend one last night together and part ways.

Over the next few weeks, they dance around each other and each are subjected to jealousy when they are seen with other people. The tension between them is white hot and again Philip asks Rose to reconsider and again she refuses. When her son’s guardian learns of their split, he tells Rose it is time for her to remarry and expects her to find a suitable groom by the time her son goes off to school. Rose is still holding out hope that Philip will change his mind and asks Lord Kirkwood to invite him to his house party. He agrees but tells her if Philip does not propose, she must move on and find someone else. Rose knows there will never be anyone else and has a secret that could force Philip to marry her – but that is not what she wants, she wants him to let go of his guilt and choose her.

At the house party Rose decides that she must tell Philip her secret, but when an attempt is made on her son’s life and threats are made to her, she doesn’t know who she can turn to. She decides that she must leave and returns to London without telling Philip anything. Philip knows that someone is trying to hurt Drake and enlists the Libertine Scholars to help him. He knows he loves Rose and will do anything to protect her – even if that means they must marry. When he learns she left the house party without telling him, he is furious.

He returns to London to confront Rose and tells her they will marry. Rose refuses, she tells him that she loves him, but if he can’t choose her over his guilt, they would both be unhappy. Philip does not take this news well and is determined to change her mind. But before he can the villain strikes again. And Philip must decide if being a martyr is worth losing the only woman he has ever and will ever love.

OMG! This book was amazing, it is well written, flows perfectly, has super hot love scenes, a lot of action, a bit of angst, moments when you want to smack the hero, a couple of misunderstandings, cameos by the former Disgraced Lords and their ladies and finally a hard won HEA.

I highly recommend this book, even if you haven’t been following the series, this book is not to be missed!!

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to my by NetGalley and the publisher.*

This is the 7th installment in the Disgraced Lords series. I have read a few of the other Disgraced Lords novels. I have really enjoyed them all. This is the story of Rose, Duchess of Roxborough, and Philip, Earl of Cumberland. They begin an affair, and due to tragic pasts, neither one is interested in marriage and that suits them both fine; until hearts become involved. This is a romance novel without a lot of detail regarding surroundings. It is character driven and written with style; flowing well. There is also some kidnapping and attempted murder thrown in. All-in-all a novel I would recommend to anyone that enjoys a romance set in the era of Bonny Prince Charles.

I received a free e-book version of this book from Net Galley and the publisher, Random House; in exchange for an honest review.

Pretty good. A little bit of mystery so it wasn’t all romance. Quick read.

Hot, sexy fun read!

Ok

Publisher’s Description:

A fiercely independent duchess and a brooding, reclusive earl are tested by the demands of desire in this unforgettable romance from the USA Today bestselling author of A Kiss of Lies and A Night of Forever.

For Rose Deverill, one husband was enough. As the wealthy widow of the Duke of Roxborough, she has cultivated an unsavory reputation meant to discourage wife hunters. Thanks to a string of steamy affairs, Rose is perfectly content to be known by polite society as the “Wicked Widow”—until she’s reunited with the man she fell in love with at age fifteen. Their bedroom encounters are scorching, but it breaks Rose’s heart to wonder whether her reckless behavior ruined her for Philip Flagstaff.

The second son of the Earl of Cumberland, Philip never wanted the title. But after Philip’s older brother, Robert, follows him into the Battle of Waterloo, his worst fears come to pass. Now Robert lies in a soldier’s grave, and Philip is determined never to pass on the inheritance to children of his own. Then Rose appears, soothing the pain with her delightful curves and passionate kisses. The notorious Duchess seems to want nothing from him—and yet Philip has never ached to give a woman more.

My Thoughts:

I love Bronwen Evans books, this one not withstanding. She never fails to entertain me.

Rose has many reasons not to want to repeat the mistake of her first marriage. The best way to avoid that in her opinion is to never marry again. She, therefore cultivates the image of a very wicked widow.

Philip has inherited a title he never wanted and frankly feels undeserving of. He holds himself responsible for the death of his older brother who jumped in to save Philip in a bloody battle.

Will the guise. that Rose has cultivated be the end of any decent relationship evolving between her and Philip? Is an affair the only thing they will ever have together?

I found the byplay between hero and heroine in this book entrancing. With an eventual abduction being the catalyst to bring these two together in more than a scandalous way.

I gave this book 4.25 of 5.0 stars for storyline and characterization and a sensual rating of 4.25 of 5.0 flames.
The relationship between these two characters is a very heated one.
I received a complimentary digital ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley to read. This in no way affected my opinion of this book which I have read and voluntarily reviewed.

5 STARS! A Love To Remember by Bronwen Evans. This author was new to me and I couldn’t have been more elated than when I dove into this tantalizing five star, romantic read! I absolutely could not put down! The story is masterly written bringing the story to life with notable detail, complex characters, and just the right amount of intrigue, suspense, romance, and a steamy four flame romantic heat! The plot was great and kept you guessing. I strongly recommend this novel to everyone who loves a great story.

Suspenseful, romantic, and filled with complex characters Bronwen Evans Disgraced Lords series always has a place at the top of my must read list. She doesn’t shy away from dealing with some of the darker issues – sometimes much to my dismay. However, this book isn’t dark. It is a journey to acceptance and redemption from a deep grief and guilt.

Widowed, Rose Deverill, Duchess of Roxborough, has decided that she will never, ever marry again and she has cultivated a reputation that will assure that will be the case. She’s had many lovers since becoming a widow and she makes sure none of them stay around long enough to get serious with her. I liked her and how much she loved her son, but she felt pretty modern to me.

Philip, the Earl of Cumberland, never expected nor wanted to be the Earl. He is eaten up with grief and guilt at the death of his older brother Robert. You see, it is basically his fault Robert died. Philip escaped into the military and the war – and Robert bought a commission and followed him – to keep him safe. As you learn why Philip did that, you will realize that yes, he does bear a good portion of the guilt for Robert’s death – but – nobody that is close to Philip points out that Robert was a grown man, an Earl, head of the family and yet he made his own decision to follow Philip into war. Philip has vowed he will never marry and produce a family because he feels that would be profiting from Roberts death.

Rose and Philip reconnect on the day of Robert’s funeral. They had been friends since childhood. Rose comforted Philip and they became lovers. With neither of them wanting to marry, that relationship worked really well for them. But then, Rose realizes she wants to marry and she knows, in her heart, that Philip loves her. She doesn’t take into consideration how very stubborn he will be in holding on to his guilt.

When the lives of Rose and her son are threatened, Philip must manage to save them and come to grips with his feelings. He has to decide if he will continue to refuse to be happy or if he will grab it with both hands.

The villain in the book is quite a surprise, but I won’t tell you anything about them.

“I requested and received this book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.”

Rose Deverill, one husband was enough& she has no need to remarry being the wealthy widow of the Duke of Roxborough. Thanks to a string of steamy affairs, Rose is perfectly content to be known by polite society as the “Wicked Widow” until she’s reunited with the man she fell in love with at age fifteen Philip Flagstaff. They meet at the graveside of his elder brother Robert who was killed saving Philip whilst fighting at Waterloo. They become lovers later that same day & two years later their bedroom encounters are still scorching, but it breaks Rose’s heart to wonder whether her reckless behaviour ruined her for Philip Flagstaff.
The second son of the Earl of Cumberland, Philip never wanted the title. Philip is determined never to pass on the inheritance to children of his own. Then Rose appears, soothing the pain with her delightful curves and passionate kisses. The notorious Duchess seems to want nothing from him and yet Philip has never ached to give a woman more.
Another compelling page turning five star novel that took me through a whole gamut of emotions from exasperation to crying. The prologue started the roller coaster of emotions & had me filling up. I found it very hard to put down & read it in a day Once again a stunning romance; the pace is kept up throughout the book & builds to the kidnapping & rescue. Definitely a keeper along with the rest of the series & one to read again & again. The attraction between Philip & Rose is electric but their relationship is so much deeper, they are best friends too. Rose suffered with her first husband & it took a strong woman to defy society & be her own person. Philip is almost floured by the guilt & grief of Robert’s death, it takes time & patience for him to realise he can move on.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read