This is one from Ms. Balogh's backlog originally published in 1991 but now in ebook form. I've had mixed reactions to some of those older books, but this one was very original and well-written. I've not seen this plot idea used before so I really liked the twists and turns of the story.
David and Julian were raised as brothers. David is in love with his neighbor Rebecca but she marries Julian, believing that David has done some awful things in his life. Both men go to fight in the Crimean War, but only David returns. He marries Rebecca to take care of her, but...and then there are some plot twists that I don't want to give away, but I never saw coming.
It's a story filled with angst which I love. There were times when I was aggravated with the passivity and non-communication of the characters involved, but this fits into the Victorian era. Ms. Balogh usually writes in the Regency period, and the story wouldn't have been as good set there where people were not as repressed as later in the century.
This is a long book for a romance, but the story is enthralling. It's definitely one of Ms. Balogh's better early books and well worth a read. ( )

Romance