Rescuing the Lady of Sedgeworth - C.H. Admirand (Dragonblade - Nov 2024)

Series: Ladies of the Keep (Book 3)
 
Norman beauty Lady Genvieve is on her way to her cousin’s new holding Merewood Keep to take charge of his young daughter…
 
Her escort is attacked. Struggling to break free from her captors she is brutally beaten, suffers a blow to the throat, and knocked unconscious.
 
Returning to Merewood Keep, MacInness, vassal to Garrick of Merewood, sees a midnight-haired angel being brutally attacked. He rushes to rescue her, but an enemy arrow shoots his warhorse out from beneath him. Nothing will stop him from saving her; he continues on foot. She is unconscious, but he encourages her to hang on until they reach safety.
 
MacInness has no desire to marry…
 
They arrive at Merewood Keep, unaware of the changes that have taken place while he was away. When she wakens, she cannot speak. Waiting for her to recover he discovers a woman he can love, instead of the one he can never have—his overlord’s wife.
 
Genvieve de Chauret is drawn to the handsome Highlander who risked his life to save hers, and falls in love with him. Someone wants her dead, and when MacInness marries Genvieve, his life is now in danger. When MacInness is attacked, rumors abound that it is his wife who wants him dead. When Genvieve’s life is threatened, they will have to look into their hearts, and that of their keep’s people to find the traitor threatening their newfound happiness.
 
Good second chance love story. Winslow McInniss is Garrick's vassal, and thanks to his service to the king, he was awarded the estate of Sedgeworth. He has been too busy to do anything with it, but now that he's returned from Scotland, he must do so. On his way back to Merewood, he stumbles across a young woman under attack. He rescues her, but she is badly injured. He takes her to Merewood to be cared for. There is something about her that arouses his protective instincts.
 
Genvieve is Augustin's cousin and is on the way to Merewood to help care for his daughter when she is attacked. She fights as best she can but is badly injured before a stranger appears and saves her. She wakes up surrounded by strangers and unable to speak because of an injury to her throat. She is wary of those around her but trusts McInniss.  I ached for Genvieve. Her fear of her unknown circumstance and frustration at being unable to communicate was palpable. (Though she can read and write, why didn't she just write notes to people?)
 
McInniss and Genvieve initially resist the attraction between them. McInniss loves a woman who is married to someone else and has given up on love because of it. Genvieve had loved and lost and had no desire to risk further pain. Nonetheless, McInniss is determined to discover who is behind the attack on Genvieve and doesn't recognize that the need stems from his growing feelings for her. Being forced into marriage isn't what either wants.
 
Suspense builds as McInniss delves deeper into the attack on Genvieve. Matters become complicated when he, too, is attacked. The truth he uncovers shocks and appalls him. The resolution was heartbreaking in what it exposed. I liked seeing Genvieve and McInniss finally let go of their pasts and embrace the future. The epilogue was well done.
 
Another thing I enjoyed about this series was the presence of McInniss's "Irish Contingent." These men are O'Malleys and the ancestors of those in the Duke's Guard series. I'd like to know more about them. 

 
 

The Party Line - Carolyn Brown (Montlake - Nov 2024)

Returning home to Ditto, Texas, is bittersweet for Lila Matthews. Her dear and feisty aunt Gracie has passed away, leaving Lila her estate. That includes a centuries-old house, a field of the freshest strawberries in Atascosa County, more money than Lila can count, and a secret Aunt Gracie took to her grave. All the angels in heaven won't be able to pry it out of her.
 
For more than eighty years, generations of folks in Ditto have whispered and gossiped about what the secret could be. When Lila inherits Aunt Gracie's legacy, ears perk up and tongues start wagging. As Lila reacquaints herself with locals, finds warmth in family—extended and otherwise—and cozies up to a handsome new neighbor, she begins collecting clues to the past. They're revealing an Aunt Gracie nobody knew—and a life of rebellion, broken hearts, and selfless love that affected more people than anyone realized.
 
Whatever reason Aunt Gracie had for leaving Lila the secret, will it now be Lila's secret to keep?
 
This was a sweet story of family and love, with lots of warmth and humor. I love the author's small-town stories, which are full of quirky and relatable characters.
 
Lila returned home to tiny Ditto, Texas when her Aunt Gracie died and left Lila her estate. It is up to Lila to make the more than one-hundred-year-old house her own. Bittersweet memories of growing up there make sorting through Aunt Gracie's effects an emotional experience, most notably going through the sympathy cards. There are rumors that Gracie had some big secret, but no one has discovered what it is.
 
Aunt Gracie's best friend and neighbor, Jasper, is a fun addition to the story. He is a feisty old gentleman with plenty of stories about the good old days. I loved how they comforted Lila and gave her insight into her beloved Aunt Gracie. Jasper was family to Lila, and watching the two together was often amusing, as was her insistence on a trip to the hospital when he was sick. Jasper was equally protective of Lila, and I laughed out loud when he dealt with the unwelcome visitors.
 
A newcomer to town, Connor recently left the military and works for his grandfather, Emmett. Emmett leases Lila's strawberry fields and is set to turn his businesses over to Connor. He's laid back and charming and shows a decided interest in Lila. I enjoyed seeing his kindness and support when she needed it and the twinkle of humor ever-present in his eyes. There are some sweet scenes of them together. My favorite is the picnic by the river. You can see them falling for each other; there's no drama, just a steadily growing attachment.
 
The book is mainly about Lila's journey through her grief over Aunt Gracie's death. Listening to Jasper's stories and those told by others helps Lila see her aunt as the strong woman she was. Little things lead to unexpected revelations and a desire to change her life. The scene where Lila cleans out Gracie's closet was fantastic, with the memories it stirred up.
 
The epilogue was terrific. I loved seeing them ten years down the road and seeing what their lives were like. 

 
 

Thrown to the Lyon - Jude Knight (Dragonblade - Oct 2024)

Series: Lyon's Den (Book 66)
 
When Dorcas Anderson saves Mrs. Dove-Lyon from being crushed by a passing dray it sets up a chain a series of events she could not have imagined. The grateful lady insists on presenting to her rescuer a tinder box containing three tokens. Each can be exchanged for a favor from The Black Widow of Whitehall herself.
 
She needs the first sooner than she expected, when her dead husband's twin, brother to a powerful duke, has her and her four-year-old son arrested for theft.
 
When Mrs. Dove-Lyon asks him to help rescue a wrongfully arrested widow, Ben, the Earl of Somerford, is glad to aid Mrs. Anderson, whom he knew and respected when he was with the army in the Peninsula.
 
Dorcas uses the second token to enlist Mrs. Dove-Lyon in catching Ben's attention, little knowing that Ben is already wondering if Dorcas is just the wife he needs.
 
Ben is too slow to declare his interest. Dorcas's brothers-in-law threaten, and Mrs. Dove-Lyon may have the answer: Another marriage, this time to a man powerful enough to stand against a possibly malevolent duke.
 
The plan is set. A game of cards will decide the groom. Can Dorcas use the third token to change the odds? Anything can happen when a lady is thrown to a Lyon.
 
Terrific story about Dorcas Anderson, a twice-widowed mother of a young son. She eloped with her first husband and followed him to the war, where her husband was killed just before her son was born. His commanding officer, who was also her husband's twin brother, refused to give her the money to return to England, leaving her no choice but to marry another soldier for protection. After he was also killed, she made her way back to London, where she takes in embroidery to make ends meet.
 
One day, Dorcas saves Mrs. Dove-Lyon from an accident and is rewarded with three tokens, each worth a favor from Mrs. Dove-Lyon. The timing was propitious, as she was shortly thereafter accused of theft by her former brother-in-law. Dorcas uses her first token to request help, and Mrs. Dove-Lyon sends Ben, the Earl of Somerfield, to get her out of jail and bring her to the Lyon's Den for protection. There are some lovely scenes of Dorcas and her son at the Lyon's Den. I especially enjoyed seeing Mrs. Dove-Lyon's "wolves" and the third-floor ladies become part of Dorcas's cheering section.
 
Ben knew Dorcas from when he was with the army. He remembers her as kind and honorable. He is happy to help and, in spending time with her, is reminded how much he admires her. I enjoyed seeing them together as Ben steps in to help her get the justice she deserves. They begin to develop feelings for each other, but Dorcas believes that she is not of sufficient class to hope for marriage. An invitation to the Lyon's Den masque opens her eyes to possibilities for the future. I loved this part. The description of the gown Dorcas designed and its effect on the men who attended the ball was very emotional.
 
Dorcas and Mrs. Dove-Lyon agree that her best plan to protect herself and her son is to marry again to a man of sufficient rank to stand up to her former in-laws. This is where Mrs. Dove-Lyon excels. Ben recognizes the depth of his feelings for Dorcas, but it is almost too late. I enjoyed seeing Mrs. Dove-Lyon make Ben work to earn the hand of the lady he loves. The ending was intense, but we know love will triumph.
 
There is trouble for Dorcas throughout the book as her husband's twin brother continues to make trouble for her. Dorcas doesn't know why he shows such enmity toward her. Ben's determination to ensure her safety soon uncovers the truth. Ben's protectiveness goes a little too far at one point, angering Dorcas and possibly opening her up to more trouble. Fortunately, he learns from his mistakes. I liked the twist during the ceremony and the resolution of Dorcas's troubles.