Will their vows last a lifetime…
Not just for Christmas?
Abandoned by her husband, and society because her father was a slave, Honora Blake will never rely on anyone again. Until dashing Lord Lovell breaks the news that she is a widow – and penniless – and insists she spend Christmas with him and his pregnant ward. Beneath the mistletoe, passion flares between Honora and Isaac. Then childbirth places his ward’s life in jeopardy, and these strangers suddenly face marriage to protect the baby!
Amazon UK
I received a copy of this book from Mills and Boon via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
My Thoughts…
A romance set in Regency times focused on women’s lack of rights in society. Honora naively marries a rake and travels to England only to be abandoned and left in a crumbling house. Issac Lord Lovell brings her news of her estranged husband’s demise. She wonders if she can begin again, but her husband fails her even in death, and she forced to accept Issac’s offer of a place to stay.
This is an enemy to lover trope, but it has more depth than this. Honora faces prejudice both because of her parentage and her gender. The attraction between her and Issac is unwelcome to both. Her past mistakes make trusting Issac difficult. Issac has a secret that may destroy any future they may have. Nevertheless, passion breaks through, but conflicts, both internal and external, make a festive happy-ending hard-won.
This gently paced story is about a romance, which succeeds despite the failings of Regency society. The festive setting gives the story a sense of time and place and provides lighter moments in a story that explores social history inequality and prejudice.