Have you ever read a book so captivating and so sensuous that it leaves you wanting more? This is one of the best books I've read in a while. It's so very well written and from the moment I started reading this, I was ensnared. Grace Burrowes talents sparkle. Her characters are riveting and positively delightful. The dialogue is crisp and enticing and the plot setup is intriguing.
Christian was captured, held captive, and tortured for almost a year. He is freed at war's end. This book had heavier issues due to this. He had to deal with the trauma done him- both physical and emotional. Gillian was married to an abusive man for 8 years before died of a stroke. To get an idea of how sadistic this guy was is he tried to frame Gillian for his (natural) death.
Both Christian and Gillian connect and find comfort in each other while carrying for Christian's daughter Lucy. Something happened and now Lucy does not speak at all. While he was a prisoner, his wife (Helene- Gillian's cousin) and son (Evan) died.
The book did drag for a little while in the middle. Then the suspected attempts on Gillian's life happened and it picked up again. I think the villain responsible for that (and Christian's capture in the first place) is easily guessed at. And also Lucy's inability to speak.
Girard's (AKA Sebastian St Clair) story is the next book and I admit to being leary about that. Girard was a villain in this one (he was one of Christian's torturers), but was humanized at the end of the book.
Both Christian and Gillian connect and find comfort in each other while carrying for Christian's daughter Lucy. Something happened and now Lucy does not speak at all. While he was a prisoner, his wife (Helene- Gillian's cousin) and son (Evan) died.
The book did drag for a little while in the middle. Then the suspected attempts on Gillian's life happened and it picked up again. I think the villain responsible for that (and Christian's capture in the first place) is easily guessed at. And also Lucy's inability to speak.
Girard's (AKA Sebastian St Clair) story is the next book and I admit to being leary about that. Girard was a villain in this one (he was one of Christian's torturers), but was humanized at the end of the book.
Good book, with a hero who is dealing with the Regency version of PTSD and a heroine who has a traumatic past of her own. The book opens with Christian as a prisoner of the French, being tortured and tormented in an attempt to get him to confess what he knows. Seeing what he went through made me ache for him, but also impressed me with the fortitude he showed in enduring it. He was determined to survive in order to take his revenge on them later. There was something a little odd about his treatment, and the memories of it carried throughout the book. When the war ended and he was released, he had to find his own way back to the British army. That arrival was not what he expected, and his treatment by his cousin was disturbing. I really liked Christian's dignified attitude as he attempts to prove his identity. I liked seeing Devlin St. Just again, and enjoyed his matter-of-fact treatment of Christian, both now and later in the book. Once Christian is back in London, he avoids contact with everyone, still attempting to deal with the physical and mental effects of his captivity. Everything changes when Gillian bursts into his life.
Gillian is recently widowed, ending her eight year marriage to a man three times her age, who was physically and mentally abusive to her. She was cousin to Christian's late wife and has been trying to watch over Christian's young daughter Lucy. Disturbed by the child's withdrawal and refusal to speak, Gilly confronts Christian, forcing him to see that he has a responsibility to Lucy. Her own past enables her to handle Christian with tact and sensibility for the most part, with a bit of steamroller tossed in when necessary.
I enjoyed seeing them get to know each other, as the two of them settled in to life at Severn, Christian's country estate. His return to health can be partially credited to Gilly, who doesn't fuss but makes sure that he has what he needs and is able to handle. I liked seeing how Christian reestablishes his bond with Lucy, and how their care for her helps bring him and Gilly closer together. Their friendship begins to grow into more, but there are some obstacles holding them back. Because of her marriage, Gilly is reluctant to put herself under the power of another man, even one such as Christian. There are also several accidents that happen to her, that Christian feels aren't actually accidents. This brings out a protectiveness in him that rubs up against Gilly's fears. On Christian's part, he feels that he really can't move on with his life until he deals with his past, which means following through on his vow of revenge. This is made somewhat more difficult by his knowledge that Gilly is against violence of any type.
There were some beautiful scenes between Gilly and Christian. I loved his patience and sensitivity as he learned more about what her marriage had been like. The part with the exposure of what she considers her biggest shame was especially moving. Gilly's way of helping Christian through his toughest moments was also beautifully realistic. I especially loved her tailoring efforts, and later her reaction to what Christian considered his worst scar.
The ending was great, as Lucy breaks her silence in time to reveal the truth about what had gone on during Christian's absence. Christian's confrontation with his tormentor yields satisfaction of a completely unexpected variety, and the truth of his captivity is exposed. I did suspect early on that this person was not what he seemed, and was happy to be proved right.
I loved the parts that Devlin St. Just played in the book. His early support of Christian, getting him safely to England from France, made the transition a bit easier. I also liked his visits to Christian, how he would listen to him without judging, dispensing practical advice. Some of the things he said made a huge difference to Christian's outlook. His presence at the end was also a big part of ensuring that all ended well.
Gillian is recently widowed, ending her eight year marriage to a man three times her age, who was physically and mentally abusive to her. She was cousin to Christian's late wife and has been trying to watch over Christian's young daughter Lucy. Disturbed by the child's withdrawal and refusal to speak, Gilly confronts Christian, forcing him to see that he has a responsibility to Lucy. Her own past enables her to handle Christian with tact and sensibility for the most part, with a bit of steamroller tossed in when necessary.
I enjoyed seeing them get to know each other, as the two of them settled in to life at Severn, Christian's country estate. His return to health can be partially credited to Gilly, who doesn't fuss but makes sure that he has what he needs and is able to handle. I liked seeing how Christian reestablishes his bond with Lucy, and how their care for her helps bring him and Gilly closer together. Their friendship begins to grow into more, but there are some obstacles holding them back. Because of her marriage, Gilly is reluctant to put herself under the power of another man, even one such as Christian. There are also several accidents that happen to her, that Christian feels aren't actually accidents. This brings out a protectiveness in him that rubs up against Gilly's fears. On Christian's part, he feels that he really can't move on with his life until he deals with his past, which means following through on his vow of revenge. This is made somewhat more difficult by his knowledge that Gilly is against violence of any type.
There were some beautiful scenes between Gilly and Christian. I loved his patience and sensitivity as he learned more about what her marriage had been like. The part with the exposure of what she considers her biggest shame was especially moving. Gilly's way of helping Christian through his toughest moments was also beautifully realistic. I especially loved her tailoring efforts, and later her reaction to what Christian considered his worst scar.
The ending was great, as Lucy breaks her silence in time to reveal the truth about what had gone on during Christian's absence. Christian's confrontation with his tormentor yields satisfaction of a completely unexpected variety, and the truth of his captivity is exposed. I did suspect early on that this person was not what he seemed, and was happy to be proved right.
I loved the parts that Devlin St. Just played in the book. His early support of Christian, getting him safely to England from France, made the transition a bit easier. I also liked his visits to Christian, how he would listen to him without judging, dispensing practical advice. Some of the things he said made a huge difference to Christian's outlook. His presence at the end was also a big part of ensuring that all ended well.
