A widow scarred by love and loss… innocent girl she was before Waterloo. Nightmares of the battlefield plague her, and she doesn’t see a place for herself in society anymore.
A lord determined to save the woman he loves…
Daniel Greaves, the Duke of Linwood, is a man who knows rejection and loss. He’s lived the last six years alone, after the woman he was betrothed to cast him aside for another man. Instead of taking control of his title and lands, Daniel fell into a life a debauchery—gaming, women, and spirits. But now the woman who stole his future and left him hollow is back in London.
When Lettie and Daniel are reunited, their connect burns as bright as it once did. But neither of them are the same people they were in their youth—they must trust one another to heal the wounds of their past to find a love that lasts forever.
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Publisher’s Description:
A WIDOW SCARRED BY LOVE AND LOSS…
After years spent following her husband as he fought against Napoleon’s troops, Lady Lettie Hughes returns to London a widow to take her rightful place among the ton as the daughter of an earl. Her parents and friends expect her to enter the marriage market and secure the match she should have pursued in her debut Season. But Lettie is not the same innocent girl she was before Waterloo. Nightmares of the battlefield plague her, and she doesn’t see a place for herself in society anymore.
A LORD DETERMINED TO SAVE THE WOMAN HE LOVES.
Daniel Greaves, the Duke of Linwood, is a man who knows rejection and loss. He’s lived the last six years alone after the woman he was betrothed to cast him aside for another man. Instead of taking control of his title and lands, Daniel fell into a life a debauchery–gaming, women, and spirits. But now the woman who stole his future and left him hollow is back in London.
When Lettie and Daniel are reunited, their connection burns as bright as it once did. But neither of them are the same people they were in their youth–they must trust one another to heal the wounds of their past to find a love that lasts forever.
My Thoughts:
This is a well thought out story of young love lost due to tragic circumstances and a chance at a second go-round.
Daniel Greaves, the Duke of Linwood was a young man who had inherited a title through the loss of his father. Instead of taking hold of the holdings he instead acts out his grief by turning to debauchery.
His betrothed could take no more of this and turned to another man and severed their betrothal. After six years of following her soldier husband around and his consequent death, Lettie has returned home broken and living with the nightmares of battle.
Will these two be able to reconcile their past and come together for a second chance at love?
This novella is well developed with characters that are believable if a bit tragic. I enjoyed the read although it at times brought me to tears.
I gave this book 4.25 of 5 stars for storyline and character development and a sensual rating of 2.5 of 5 flames.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this title from the publisher to read. This in no way affected my opinion of this title and I have reviewed it voluntarily.
I loved this story of a widow returning home after following her husband through the war and then losing him. She is left alone except for her family and they want her to marry right away. She was betrothed to Danial before she broke it to follow her husband off to war. When she returns it seams that Danial is the only one who understands what she is feeling and experiencing. She finally learns what has changed Daniel too. They are both broken. Can two broken people make one whole person? The answer is yes.
I loved this book and highly recommend it.
I love happy endings, especially when someone has hard time getting there.
Premise is the heroine ditched the H because, one she was in love with another, and, two, the H was drinking and womanizing too much despite his feelings for the h. Long story very short, it’s several years later and she is back, a widow, having lost her husband in the Napoleonic Wars.
Great potential, but it fell flat for me.
One, we never get a hint of the dead husband, the love of her life, that the heroine completely upended every part of her life for: her parents, safety, her dowry, her future Duchess position.
Two, the heroine is a PTSD victim, but comes off petulant and bitchy.
Three, anachronistic details. Her parents are a Duke and Duchess, top tier peers, but want her to ditch mourning and jump back into the Marriage Market and marry someone worthy of her status. Nope. Not happening. Rituals of mourning were as strict if not more so than courting and marriage rituals. Please, if you are going to write about a certain era, especially Regency that has such prescribed rules and social mores, get it right.
Four, no chemistry between the two main characters primarily because IT’S ONLY BEEN THREE MONTHS AND SHE’S STILL MOURNING HER HUSBAND!
Five, she meets her friends who have not had the same horrific experiences she has had due to her proximity to the war. They are stupid, shallow and vapid. Okay, maybe. Given the impact of the Napoleonic War on England, surely someone in her set would have sympathy and empathy for what she went through????
Six, in some ways this had huge overtones of a rebellious daughter from the sixties that has come home to upper crust parents. I’ve been watching Ken Burns’ “Viet Nam” series so maybe that’s it.
Oh there is more, but eh. Too bad as it had a lot of promise.
Caveat to rule breaking in a historical….
Caveat. Okay, yes our heroes and heroines break rules ALL THE TIME in historical fiction, romances or otherwise. Sex before marriage, flouting society’s rules, women being doctors, men being supportive, wearing the wrong thing, skinny dipping, swimming upstream while other swim down, not wearing gloves, gasp! If they didn’t, it would be b-o-r-i-n-g! However, the main characters are supposed to do the bending, the flouting, etc. The establishment needs to stay the establishment so the H and h can do what they need to do.
A good pace to the story. Very believable characters which many authors don’t successfully accomplish in the novella format.
Pleasant easy read. A bit of a different twist on the romance. Did not glamorize the war in it or the people in the battles. More realistic.
A sweet good read!!
Typical regency….good enough read
Pretty depressing read; felt that the angst dragged on too long
A easy beach read
It was entertaining , happy ever after type of story.
Daniel and Lettie were to be wed. They did love each other forever. But Lettie had become disgusted with Daniel for his drunken and slovenly ways. Lettie had met someone else and she asked to be released from her engagement and Daniel had agreed.
I ENJOYED READING IT
TOO MUCH THOUGHT IN THEIR HEAD. SLOW, LIKE WALKING THROUGH A QUAGMIRE. COULDN’T EVEN FINISH.
H/h are to be married but h doesn’t want to cause he is a drunk and is inattentive. She marries a soldier and follows him to war. Her husband dies and she returns home. H and h both have secrets that may keep them apart. There is no cheating and has a HEA.
Entertaining
Novel in that the heroine experiences PTSD.
I liked that it had a good ending. I walked away with the impression that man had the power to heal another’s brokenness. Although I believe standing with and by others through difficult times with unconditional love aides dramatically to ones progress it is not the sole reason people heal from emotional trauma. It’s multi-facited: the wounded’s desire to heal; perseverance; loving, supportive people; and most importantly God’s healing touch.
Good beginning, good ending. Over, over again about the same stuff,war is hell, but to hash it over is boring. I know how she feels, & after a few chapters, oh him
Very good read. Finished it in 17 hours.