If Lady Claire Albright had one wish, it would be to forget brooding, powerful Lord Flavian Monroe. But even after two years of bewildering silence, she yearns to touch his sinuous arms and feel his calloused hands upon her cheeks. Then, on the brink of her come out, they accidently meet. His ward is ill, and he begs her to use her knowledge of healing to help the girl. But this patient is sick … sick in a way that’s far different from what Claire expected—dangerously different. And, as she struggles to find a cure, Flavian resists rekindling their love. Is it the ward’s illness that keeps him cold and distant, or a dark and terrible secret?
The thought of Claire in the arms of another man is unbearable, but in his heart Flavian knows he mustn’t ask her to share the consequences of his mistake. Nor should he have brought her to his home and exposed her to his ward’s sickness. Yet he lacks the strength to send her away. Each time he looks into Claire’s eyes, the urge to feel her body pressed against his consumes all reason, and he is left unable to utter the word, ‘Goodbye.’
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Lady Claire is more than startled when Viscount Flavian reappears back into her life after two years of pained silence. He swears he sent word, but no letter ever came into her hands. She’s wary about welcoming him back into her life. When she visits at his home and things began to go horrifically wrong, she wonders if there’s more sinister things at play than just broken hearts and memories of the past.
Flavian doesn’t feel that he’s right for Claire, although he wants nothing more than to be the man by her side. Between his less than average mother, the secrets his estate holds, and his playful ward, he’s unsure if the bright ray of sunshine that is lady Claire is enough to brighten his halls. The fact is that his ward Arabella is too ill, even for Claire’s skills as a healer, and he can’t imagine drawing her into the figurative, and literal, mess. But sometimes it takes a strong woman to make a man admit that he needs more than a prayer to keep things going.
The imagery in this book made it so you could smell the dried lavender and feel the silk slip through your fingers. It’s clear that Ahearn did her research, as the terms used and scenes painted are true to the times. As a historian by degree, I appreciate that she took her due diligence while writing this book. But the facts don’t overpower the story where you’ll laugh at the side characters like Mrs. Gower, lust after Flavin, and root for Claire as she comes into her own as she navigates the cruel world around her. The Secret Life of Lords is a must-read for all historical romance fans. The only thing that got me was the fact that this is book two in the series. But no matter, reading out of line has never killed anyone!
Publisher’s Description:
If Lady Claire Albright had one wish, it would be to forget brooding, powerful Lord Flavian Monroe. But even after two years of bewildering silence, she yearns to touch his sinuous arms and feel his calloused hands upon her cheeks. Then, on the brink of her come out, they accidently meet. His ward is ill, and he begs her to use her knowledge of healing to help the girl. But this patient is sick in a way that’s far different from what Claire expected—dangerously different. And, as she struggles to find a cure, Flavian resists rekindling their love. Is it the ward’s illness that keeps him cold and distant, or a dark and terrible secret?
The thought of Claire in the arms of another man is unbearable, but in his heart Flavian knows he mustn’t ask her to share the consequences of his mistake. Nor should he have brought her to his home and exposed her to his ward’s sickness. Yet he lacks the strength to send her away. Each time he looks into Claire’s eyes, the urge to feel her body pressed against his consumes all reason, and he is left unable to utter the word, ‘Goodbye.’
My Thoughts:
I had never read this author’s work before and this was an interesting, well written introduction to her style.
This intriguing book was hard to read in many ways and also hard to put down. Filled with intrigue and misunderstandings, complex and well drawn characters this is a must read for historical romance fans.
This well researched book has imagery that makes you actually see and feel what is happening rather than just reading the written words.
Although this is book #2 in a series it easily stands on it’s own.
I gave this complex tale 4.5 of 5.0 stars for storyline and character development and a sensual rating of 3 of 5 flames.
This is a very complex tale with many twists and turns and intimacy is not the main focus.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this book almost one year after it’s release through NetGalley. This in no way affected my opinion of this title which I read and reviewed voluntarily.