Donna Lea Simpson

From the author of The Earl of Hearts comes a Regency romance celebrating the witty and romantic world that fans of Georgette Heyer have fallen in love with.

Lady Emily Sedgely, separated from her husband and bored to distraction after years of solitude in the wilds of Yorkshire, is stirred by a sudden thirst for life and eagerly returns to London for the Season. Back in the swirl of society, she quickly warms to the attentions of an ardent young Frenchman—until a chance encounter with Baxter, her estranged husband, leaves her as confused as ever about her heart’s true longings.

Baxter, the Marquess of Sedgely, was given to dark moods and an uncertain temper that doomed his marriage. Finding relief in travel, he spent five years gallivanting the Continent and has now returned to London with a comely young mistress—and a dangerous secret. Cavalier about his safety, he discovers a far greater concern—for just one look at Emily stirs a realization that while his life may be in danger, it is his heart that faces a more immediate peril.

When Emily’s young French suitor arouses suspicions that he may not be all that he appears and a unknown assailant makes several attempts on Baxter’s life, the two are driven to protect each other and surrender to a passionate reawakening—and neither will rest until they are safely in the arms of the only person they’ve ever loved.

Received in ebook from Netgalley in exchange for a review.

The story starts 5 years after Baxter and Emily have seperated and they see each other across a crowded theatre. Emily has spent much of the last few years marrooned in Yorkshire, where the solitude away from the London scene has not prevented her putting on some weight (which is referenced by everyone at every opportunity). Believing that Baxter is still on the continent, and that she is therefore safe from running into him, she returns to town for some company.
Baxter, who has been working for the government as a courier and part time spy, has returned to London with a mistress half his age, and his enemies trying to kill him. He is bored of his mistress and is already trying to work out how to ditch her when he sees his wife on the other side of the theatre and begins to realise what he's lost.

Their mutual friend Lessington seeks Emily's help in protecting Baxter, hoping that her appearance will give Baxter something to live for and therefore take the attempts on his life more seriously. Baxter realises that he has been cow-towing to his domineering mother too much and as a result is much at fault for the failure of his marriage because he has defended his wife in order to keep the peace with his mother, who takes every opportunity to denounce Emily as worthless.

Emily is courted by a young French Vicount, who tries to seduce her, though his motives are soon up for question. Emily, and therefore Baxter, get involved with Lady Grishelda May van Hoffen and her fears that she is to be "sold off" to a much older man by her slattenly mother, who is in thrall to "Captain" Dempster. There is much talk about sex within marriage, and the occasional safe (fade to black) scene between Emily and Baxter.

It is a multiple POV story, rather than from just Emily’s view, so allows for some of the secondary characters to be filled out more successfully than other accounts. It allows you some understanding of why Belle does what she does (because she doesn’t know any different, and she believes what she does is the only possibility). Lessington – Less – is a theatre producer and there is every hint that he is gay, if you only read between the lines.

The “May” story line is analogous to the Pride and Prejudice Lydia/Wickham story, where a young girl’s virtue is at stake because of a silly mother, and a young attractive man comes to the rescue.

Everything is soon pulled together and ends up as it should be. This is a much more challenging book than standard "fluff" romances and deserves the time and attention to complete, even if it takes longer than standard romances. Baxter is a little disappointing, in that he can court disaster as a courier for the government but ruined his marriage by not standing up to his mother to protect his wife.

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From Netgalley in exchange for a review.

Beatrice Copeland is companion to Lady Bournaud, an ageing widow who has realised she is in the last years of her life, so has decided to throw a last "Hurrah" in terms of a Christmas House party. Lady Bournard has identified 4 twenty-somethings that she hopes will form a certain attachment. She also invites Sir David as a counterpoint to Beatrice, without realising that Beatrice and David have "history".

Things dont go according to plan, when the younger quartet refuse to settle into their prescribed pairs.

Lord Vaughan is being pressurised by his father to get married and is threatened with being sent to the colonies (Canada to be precise) if he doesn't get hitched soon. He cares little for whether he marries the right woman or not, simply that he marries someone of suitable breeding.

On paper at least, Lady Silvia is the right candidate, titled, from the same social circle etc. Unfortunately, she has eyes only for the Reverend Mark Rowland, an impoverished vicar who has yet to start out properly in his own parish.

Verity Allen is a wild Canadian, having been brought up in the rugged frontier being the only girl in the family. She's loud, climbs trees, rides horses like a man, takes risks, is unladylike, unfashionable, and utterly suitable for Lord Vaughan if he would only take the hint that Lady Silvia cant stand him.

It's not long before David realises there is a certain history with Beatrice that he needs and wants to find out why she is so cold towards him, even though they both know there's a certain chemistry. Through some flashbacks we find out a little more of what went on 20 years previously and why both Beatrice and David have some personal hurts. David has come to terms with the past, and this allows Beatrice to move away from her guilt.

Whilst Beatrice and David are the centre couple, there's enough time spent with the other two couples to keep the story balanced. Lady Bournaud is kept safely in the background, prone to napping by the fire and taking meals in her room for her to only make the occasional appearance.

The ending was different enough in that it wasn't immediately tied up cleanly, meaning that not everyone got what they wanted. However, there was a last gift that brought it all together, which was a lit more realistic that the usual straight to “happily ever after”.

What I'm liking about the author is that as per her previous two books Married to a Rogue and The Vicount's Valentine, this book covers older lovers (over 40s), who are meeting their proper loves later in life (sometimes having loved and lost them years before)
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