The cost of his redemption is trust. Her trust… heart…
Susannah never intended to marry the man who led her brother to his death. The fact that she once loved him? Irrelevant. She just can’t allow herself to trust him again. But it’s not long before she starts to wonder if there’s more to Nate than meets the eye. What if he’s not the villain she assumed he was? And if that’s the case…can her poor, beleaguered heart survive another inevitable fall?
Nate and Susannah have much to overcome if they have any hope of finding their way to happily ever after. But what if trust is simply a luxury neither can afford?
Buy His Lady to Protect to read the first in an exciting new series centered around six friends from Eton and set in the infamous Regency period.more
This was my first Justine Covington’s book. Wow!! His Lady to Protect is the first book of The Beggars Club Series, an amazing Regency Romance / Romantic Suspense / Second Chance to love / Best friend’s sister / and Marriage of Convenience. The cover is beautiful! This story is wonderfully well written, original, suspenseful, and romantic. I was hooked from to first page to the end. Nate is handsome, loyal and very protective. Susannah is lovely, strong, and stubborn. They are perfect together, and they share an undeniable chemistry. The supporting characters are great, and they have an important part in this story. The world building is amazingly complex, but easy to follow. The storyline is captivating, and has it all: unpredictable twists and turns, suspense, drama, humor, secrets, lies and romance. Nathaniel Priestley did an outstanding job with the narration. He has a great voice, and his sexy British accent is really pleasant to listen to! This is a great team, author/narrator! I enjoyed it, and I HIGHLY recommend it. Looking forward to listen to the next book in the Series, His Lady to Honor. I was given a free review copy of the audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
This is a new-to-me author and I also believe this is her first book. I enjoyed her writing style and the idea of the story, but I thought her character development and the plot could have been a little stronger. I actually don’t think it would take much tweaking at all to make this a 5-star read for me.
Nate Kinlan, Earl of Rainsford, is one guilt-ridden, angsty dude who is also an intermittent agent for the Home Office. After reading the story, I can see why he is an intermittent agent. He is definitely not James Bond. Actually, I’d say more like Inspector Clouseau because the villain is definitely the smarter one and is the one who is in charge. When I first started reading, I took this all as a negative, but as I read, it dawned on me – Nate is more realistic than we usually see. I don’t remember him being described as the tallest man in any room; as the most handsome man in England; as the most physically fit, etc. Maybe he was and I just don’t remember it. To me, he came across as just an ordinary person – like you or me. How would we react if we were thrown into the same situation? I’m thinking it would be closer to the way Nate reacted than the way James Bond would react. That said, there were some things that should have been so very obvious – even to the most ordinary among us – and Nate totally missed them.
Susannah Cressingham has been in a very precarious situation for a number of years. When her parents died, she and her siblings came under the dubious guardianship of her dastardly uncle. He immediately rid their home of any sentimental or meaningful items and then married off her sister Isabella to a cruel Jamaican landowner. Then, her brother Ben was killed fighting Napoleon and Susannah was the only one left at the mercy of her uncle – who is a supporter of the French in the war.
Nate had promised his father he’d look after his older brother during the war – and he failed because his brother died. The news caused his father’s death, so he’s responsible for the deaths of two members of his own family. He also promised his best friend, Ben Cressingham, he would take care of his sisters. He’d save them from their uncle. He returned from the wars too late to save Isabella, but maybe he can still save Susannah. Her uncle has promised Susannah to Nate in exchange for Nate returning her dowry to him. But, will he honor his promise? Can he be trusted? Of course not!
I liked Nate and I liked Susannah, but I never became totally invested in their relationship. I think I personally would have liked it much better had Nate told Susannah everything from the beginning and then the two of them could work together to thwart her uncle’s traitorous plans. The story also made Sidmouth of the Home Office seem like an uncaring idiot who turned over an important investigation to an inept, inexperienced agent without any support or backup. I would think the Home Office would be very much invested in capturing a traitor who was funneling funds to Napoleon.
At any rate, I really liked the idea of the story and I enjoyed the author’s writing style, but I wish Nate had been a bit more skillful. Since my favorite genre is the combination of historical mystery and historical romance, I plan to read the second book in the series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
His Lady to Protect is an intriguing historical romance that follows Nate and Susanna as they get a second chance at love. The pair were close throughout childhood and their teen years until betrayal led Susanna to blame Nate for her brother’s death. Now, years later, Nate makes an arrangement to marry Susanna, much to her dismay. Can she ever forgive him for the past, and how will she feel when she learns the truth?
Nate and Susanna have a great second-chance romance! They have a long and complicated history, which takes time to unravel and resolve. There is a lot that stands in this couple’s way, particularly miscommunication, secrets, and lies. Their story progresses well, and I like how Susanna slowly learns the truth of her first love and all that he has done to protect her and her family even though it doesn’t initially seem so. It definitely changes her perception of and trust in him.
I didn’t always love the way Nate spoke to Susanna. He could be bossy and biting at times. However, his attitude probably stems from frustration about his situation and the tumultuous relationship he has with Susanna. Susanna is quite stubborn, and she is also very angry at Nate. Though they are in conflict for a lot of the story, it’s clear that Nate and Susanna care for each other, and I love that they get a second chance at what promises to be a long-lasting romance! And their chemistry is fantastic!
One particularly memorable scene in the book occurs when Nate and his mother speak about Nate’s older brother, who died in the war. Nate’s mother addresses the guilt that burdens Nate and tries to assuage his guilt. It is a touching and tender scene between mother and son, and it shows how intuitive and loving Nate’s mother is. They have a lovely relationship, as do Nate and his sisters. All of these characters add so much to the story, and I enjoyed them as much as I did Susanna and Nate.
Though the story focuses on the romance between Nate and Susanna, there is also a bit of intrigue. Nate is out of his element and seems to be floundering in his quest to take down Susanna’s nefarious uncle. This aspect of the plot is really interesting, and I was curious to see if Nate would ever find a way to defeat such a despicable and conniving man. I was also intrigued by some of the men who helped Nate in his quest and am hopeful that we’ll see more of them in future books in the series.
Overall, I thought this was an entertaining historical romance and a great start to The Beggars Club series. I look forward to reading more of The Beggar’s Club series and am thankful to Leslie at Chasing Leslie and the author for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
His Lady To Protect is a fantastic historical romance by Justine Covington. Ms. Covington has provided readers with a well-written book. The book does drag a bit in places and is a little repetitive in Susannah’s angsty thoughts. Susannah’s parents and brother are dead, her sister has been married off to a scoundrel and she is left living with an uncle she despises. Nate works for the Home Office and is trying to trap Susannah’s uncle to prove he’s a traitor. Nate and Susannah’s story is packed with drama, humor, spice, action and suspense. I enjoyed reading His Lady To Protect and look forward to reading more from Justine Covington in the future. His Lady To Protect is book 1 of The Beggars Club Series but can be read as a standalone. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.
This was my first book by this author and I truly enjoyed it. I found the storyline very engaging and it kept my attention easily with a blend of drama, emotion, action, humor, twists and romance. I did find myself having complicated feelings about Nate and Susannah. I grew to like them but I did have pet peeves with both of them. There is a solid cast of secondary characters and a villain that is easy to hate. This book features a single male narrator and I found his voice quite pleasing. Overall, a great read that left me eager to explore future books in this series and just more of this author’s work in general.
This is an addictive and thrilling historical romance!
I had a very hard time putting this book down. I cannot wait to read more of The Beggar’s Club series! First, the attraction between the main characters is authentic and understandable, and I love how much she fights her attraction for him. Second, the secrets that are revealed thru the story are delicious and unpredictable, but once we’re let in, they make total sense. Third, the happily ever after is hard-earned and totally deserved. Will definitely read more from this author!
His Lady to Protect
The Beggars Club Series #1
Justine Covington
https://www.facebook.com/authorjustinecovington/
Release date 02/14/2020
Publisher Justine Covington Books
Blurb :
The cost of his redemption is trust. Her trust…
When Nate promises to protect his best friend’s little sister from her traitorous uncle, he knows it’s the least he can do to atone for his past sins. And if a marriage of convenience is the most efficient way to guarantee her safety? So be it. He’s ready for anything…except how quickly his lovely new bride would steal his heart…
Susannah never intended to marry the man who led her brother to his death. The fact that she once loved him? Irrelevant. She just can’t allow herself to trust him again. But it’s not long before she starts to wonder if there’s more to Nate than meets the eye. What if he’s not the villain she assumed he was? And if that’s the case…can her poor, beleaguered heart survive another inevitable fall?
Nate and Susannah have much to overcome if they have any hope of finding their way to happily ever after. But what if trust is simply a luxury neither can afford?
Buy His Lady to Protect to read the first in an exciting new series centered around six friends from Eton and set in the infamous Regency period.
My review :
Will he win her trust before it is too late or will he many secrets between be the end of their relationship…
This book left me quite confused, I liked the side characters but the main couple has personality traits I am not fond but I also love flawed protagonists because they make the best redeemed.
At the beginning, I felt sorry for Nate he looked like he was drowning, part of a scheme too high for him as the villain was always a step ahead of him and driving him by his nose but quickly I was like Susannah, livid at his dealing with her and the price she and her sister paid.
I was so upset, I saw no way for him to atone whatever his reasons were.
Of course, everything is explained and quite overwhelming but it answers the main questions, still I would have liked it a bit more developed.
As his past and present deeds made Susannah a targeted pawn, and she became one in her uncle’s clutches.
As I often say I do not like my heroines to be creatures with wobbling knees just at the sight of a yummy man, so I had problems with Susannah and her inabilities to stand for herself when close to Nate. With each passing moment, she learns something awful about him, they meet again because he just kind of bought her off, then she understands he had a hand at her being left alone under the thumb of her evil uncle and worse he seems to be conspiring against the crown. How can a woman in her right mind, with her past, still find him attractive, worst she is often unable to speak her mind because he makes her legs weak just by looking at her. She storms, stomps her feet but at the end, it is much ado about nothing.
After I remembered she is young so it might explain her lack of strength and easy change of mind.
While I thought their epiphany a bit too sudden after so many silences, secrets and angst between them, a bit more time to clear everything between them before settling to the happy life of the newly wedded would have been better for me instead of the instant cleaning of the slate.
This is a debut novel so it has many details to confirm and while I would have loved a hero a bit forthright with the heroine and a heroine less lusting on him, there are good moments, and one thing is sure, the villain is one I very hated, always plotting and a step ahead, leading the hero in a merry chase and making him dance at his will.
3.75 rounded up to 4 stars.
https://www.facebook.com/429830134272830/posts/569288283660347/?d=n