A man changed by war. The woman who loves him. And a secret that could tear them apart.Edward Rutledge, the newly minted Viscount Carlisle, has come back from war a changed man. The echo of the battlefield and the death of his best friend Marcus haunt him to the point that he decides to break his betrothal to Charlotte—the only woman he’s ever loved.When he’s summoned home to Hartwell Manor, he … Hartwell Manor, he comes face-to-face with her. Slowly, her strength and love make him see that he might be able to reclaim what he thought was lost. But when word reaches him that Marcus might not have died in Spain and yet lives, Edward will do anything to bring his friend home. As the mystery deepens, however, Edward is drawn into an intrigue that forces him to confront the demons that have plagued him since he returned to England. Will he have to sacrifice everything he’s built with Charlotte in order to keep her safe?
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I loved The Marquess Meets His Match, book 1 in this series, so I was delighted to see Christian & Alice play a small role in The Viscount’s Vow too – as well as the follow-up with Lord Pembroke & the fallout his family (specifically his sister) had faced as a result of some of the events in the first book.
When we think of war-related PTSD, we tend to think of it in a more modern setting – from the Vietnam War on. One of the elements of The Viscount’s Vow that I found most interesting was Edward’s PTSD from the Napoleonic Wars. The author did a great job, in my opinion, of framing his behavior with the sights & sounds & survivor’s guilt that he was struggling to reconcile with daily life now that he had returned to England. She does this in such a way that we see his actions & reactions from the perspective of our modern understandings while still maintaining the unique elements that separate a war of that era from those in more recent history. I loved this element to the story, though I do wish his inner battle hadn’t been won quite so easily; more fleshing-out of the layers involved in healing from such a traumatic experience would have given it a bit more realism.
Charlotte is a supportive sister, friend and betrothed love, though she has suffered from being all three. Her determination to rise above a broken heart, her refusal to give up on Edward, and her strength to stand up for herself when it counts make her a heroine that will definitely capture you. She is kind in spite of being treated unkindly, and she is wise beyond her years. I really liked Charlotte, and the tender affection between her and Edward (not to mention the sizzle & sparks that fly off the page whenever they can’t resist the pull of a kiss!) is a highlight of the novel.
Bottom Line: The Viscount’s Vow is a sweet romance with layered characters & a bit of intrigue to round out the romance. While Edward’s PTSD & the Marcus subplot could have been developed further, with more dimension, overall this read will definitely hold your attention from beginning to end. Edward & Charlotte are simply meant to be, and your heart will melt as they reacquaint themselves with that assurance. A great choice for fans of Laura V. Beers & Rebecca Connolly! A beautiful story of redemption & restoration.
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)
Edward Rutledge, the newly minted Viscount Carlisle, and Lady Charlotte are childhood sweethearts and were betrothed to one another. Edward went off to war against France and comes back a shell of the man he once was. There is also great turmoil in that he no longer wants to marry Charlotte, or Charlie as he calls her. He feels he doesn’t deserve her love and he is dealing with what we now call PTSD. The kind and loving Charlotte is still in love with Edward and will do whatever it takes to be wed to Edward. They go through a lot to wed and then to stay together. You can clearly feel that this is a couple that should be together and they have great chemistry despite their struggles.
There is also a mystery of their friend Marcus that went to war along with Edward and died while there. The guilt eats at him but then there’s a rumor that Marcus may be alive. There is great suspense as Edward searches for his childhood friend. There is a very low level of angst compared to the author’s military suspense/romance books, but I just truly loved this sweet story of redemption and forgiveness. I always love it when a character starts to heal from metal or emotional pain. This novel did bring me to tears a few times because it is packed full of emotions.
The Viscount’s Vow was a sweet, easy read, full of clean romance, and heartfelt restitution. Regency Romance readers will enjoy reading this book.
Last year I got to read The Marquess Meets His Match by Julie Coulter Bellon. I loved that book! So when she had this book come out this year, of course I was going to read it!
I loved everything about this book! The author did a really great job with the setting and characters. And the plot keeps the reader interested from the very beginning.
This one features Edward. I was really glad that the reader got to see things through his eyes. Edward is a complicated character. He’s got PTSD from being in the war. And he doesn’t want to put that on to Charlotte, the young lady he’s loved and been betrothed to since before the war.
Charlotte is uncertain what’s wrong. She only knows that Edward has told her brother to break their betrothal. And that Edward has been hiding from her. I loved her courage. She knew that Edward didn’t want to marry her anymore, but she went after him to change his mind anyway.
Charlotte and Edward’s story kept me wanting to read more and more! I couldn’t stop until I knew what would happen to them. It’s a great read for anyone interested in historical romance.
I was sent an e-copy of The Viscount’s Vow as a gift from the author. All opinions are my own.
Such a great read! Julie Coulter Bellon knows how to write real characters with real issues and make you love them from the first paragraph. Great regency romance!!
The Viscount’s Vow is a regency novel with a powerful message tucked inside. Recently returned from war Edward cannot bear the demons he brought back with him, including the death of his best friend. He cuts off his engagement to his beloved Charlotte to spare her. But at what cost? I had to keep reading to figure out how everything would play out! Bellon did a beautiful job creating Edward and Charlotte’s world. Charlotte was such a strong and determined character, I felt her determination fly off of the pages! This regency novel is not just a romance, it bears a message all need to hear! I received a copy of this book for free, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I thought it was well paced and loved that it was clean and wholesome while still being romantic. Whilst not as suspenseful as the previous book, this story still had plenty of moments that had me wondering what would happen next and a twist that I didn’t expect initially.
This is the second book in the series (not actually sure what to call this series ), the first book being Christian and Alice’s story in “The Marquess Meets His Match”, and I enjoyed it every bit as much. I definitely recommend reading them in order if you can, as there are a lot of subtle references in this relating back to Christian and Alice… plus a few other crossover characters which we were introduced to in the first book that play more of a role in this one and potentially future stories. No spoilers though! I’m already looking forward to the next books in the series. There are plenty of characters from both books that I would love to see have their own stories.
I received an ARC of this book from the author. This in no way influenced my opinion and I am under no obligation to leave a review.
A fantastic read that the Author has done a fantastic job at the world building and the Character building. The scenes are written so well that I can picture the scenes in my mind’s eye. I definitely recommend. There’s twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. A definite must read.
Shauna Joesten
Not only is Edward haunted by the events of the war, but he’s also got the added pressure of being the new viscount. These demands cause him to break Charlotte’s heart, as he feels he doesn’t deserve happiness. Bellon does a great job in not only describing Edward’s feelings, but in also bringing his demons to life in a way that isn’t too heavy, yet causes the reader to connect with him.
These characters are quite delightful! I love how Charlotte is kind and supportive, especially in the face of a dangerous situation, while Edward is strong, yet vulnerable. I do feel that his about-face happened a tad too quickly, but all in all, it was for the best and added to the story line.
As much as I love fluff, I really enjoyed having some meat to the story. The mystery and resulting matters added an entertaining element and drew me in. It was fun watching the story unfold, the mystery get discovered, and the romance blossom. Nice!
Content: mild romance; very mild violence
*I received a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.*
Edward Rutledge ran off to war and came home whole in body, but the war changed him and left him with overwhelming guilt. Charlotte (the sister of Lord Pembroke from The Marquess Meets His Match) waited patiently for him at home, always trusting that he’d come back to her. Instead, Edward wants to break their betrothal, and Charlotte refuses, even when Edward threatens to ruin her brother. Charlotte knows that they are meant for each other and wants to help Edward overcome whatever he needs to. I liked each of the characters as individuals. I especially think that Edward’s problems are well written, not over the top nor are they downplayed. Charlotte is kind and good, but has a strength to her that serves her well. I do think there was a point where Edward flips on his view of their relationship a little too easily, but I think the rest of the book was well written. I read straight through this on a rainy afternoon, and it was the perfect entertainment. It’s quick and clean and will entertain you.
I received a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Rating: 4.5 stars
What I found interesting:
• During the opening of this book, I was impressed by how the author thoroughly imparted to the reader the depth of emotional turmoil Edward was going through at this time in his life. He hated himself, his deceased father, and his new responsibility as a viscount.
• After returning from the Nepoleonic War front in Spain, Edward is adrift and is trying to cope with the after effects of combat. Even when soldiers survive war, there are the walking silent wounded.
• Edward and Charlotte were characters that you wanted to discover more about as you read their story. You wanted them to recognize that they were meant to be together.
• The descriptions of locations and emotions were well done, easy to visualize, and to feel. I felt a part of the scenes.
• This story had a sweet satisfying ending.
• This was a clean read and I appreciated that fact.
I received an advance copy of this book from the author. My review was voluntary and my opinions were my own. I highly recommend this book to Regency romance readers. I will definitely be reading more books by this author.
I read The Marquess Meets His Match last year and really liked it, so when I had the opportunity to listen to this one I took it. Edward Rutledge is back from the war, and in addition to dealing with nightmares and the trauma from the war, he has to deal with all the responsibilty that comes with being the new Viscount Carlisle. Feeling damaged and unworthy of his bethrothed’s love, he calls off his engagement to Charlotte without much explanation.
I thought the author did a wonderful job with Edward’s character as a veteran of the war. He suffered from what we now call PTSD and I think Julie Coulter Bellon handled that well. I like that Edward receives support from other former soldiers. I can’t imagine what those men went through back then as they probably didn’t have any type of counseling available to them.
I thought Charlotte was a great character. She didn’t want to call off their bethrothal–she still loves Edward, and although she doesn’t know what’s wrong, she wants to help him. I really enjoyed the trip to save his friend Marcus, as I’m always up for a little suspense. I thought that showed what a wonderful friend Edward was to Marcus.
I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator was fantastic–she does a lot of Regency audiobooks.
I listened to the audio version of this book and it was fantastic! Julie does a phenomenal job creating characters with real problems as they try to overcome them and work together. I enjoyed this sweet regency story! The narration was well done!
That’s s book was shorter than most but still so good. It had a unique plot. I loved hearing about how the men had so many problems after coming back from war and how they started having support groups. I can’t imagine having to deal with PTSD in regency times when people probably weren’t very accepting of it.
The narrator was fantastic- her accent and voice were pleasant and she did a great job changing her voice for all the characters.
3.5 stars
This was an enjoyable, clean romantic read. I really appreciated the way the author addressed Edward’s (and others Veterans’) struggles with PTSD. Charlotte showed love in action and is the type of character I wish were real so we could be friends.
This is a standalone story, although I would read book 1 in this series before this one if you have the chance (for a little more background and because it’s an enjoyable read).