Because I read so many books each year, I have a rather high bar for historical romance novels. I'm looking for a book with a novel plot device that is different from the ones rehashed by many authors. This book satisfies that need completely. Besides a romance, there is a mystery (or two), intrigue, and story twists galore. I finished the book in a single day because I couldn't stop turning pages.
Adam Drummond is a war hero who is now in the Silent Service, looking for a traitor who caused many deaths in India. It is a strange assignment because the person suspected of being the traitor died two years previously, in a carriage accident. Adam is acting as a majordomo in the home of the Duke of Marsley. The Duke was known to have written a journal for most of his life; the truth is thought to be in one of the journals in his extensive library.
Suzanne, the duchess, is desperately sad. Adam and the reader think her grief is related to the death of the duke. Only slowly do we all learn what is really the source of Suzanne's grief. This is a unique story that carefully unravels beautifully. I loved it. and can hardly wait to read the other two books in this series.
All for Love
**1. To Love a Duchess (2018)
2. To Wed an Heiress (2019)
3. To Bed the Bride (2019)
Adam Drummond is a war hero who is now in the Silent Service, looking for a traitor who caused many deaths in India. It is a strange assignment because the person suspected of being the traitor died two years previously, in a carriage accident. Adam is acting as a majordomo in the home of the Duke of Marsley. The Duke was known to have written a journal for most of his life; the truth is thought to be in one of the journals in his extensive library.
Suzanne, the duchess, is desperately sad. Adam and the reader think her grief is related to the death of the duke. Only slowly do we all learn what is really the source of Suzanne's grief. This is a unique story that carefully unravels beautifully. I loved it. and can hardly wait to read the other two books in this series.
All for Love
**1. To Love a Duchess (2018)
2. To Wed an Heiress (2019)
3. To Bed the Bride (2019)
Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
Good book with a different kind of romantic pairing. In this case, we have a commoner hero and titled heroine. Suzanne is the Duchess of Marsley. Her husband had died two years earlier, and since then she has just been going through the motions of daily life. When her father orders her to act as hostess for him, she does it, no questions asked. When her maid gives her a "tonic," she takes it. She goes through her days feeling detached from everything around her. Then an encounter with her majordomo shakes her out of her apathy.
Adam is a former soldier who now works for the War Department's Silent Service. His current assignment is to go undercover to Marsley House as the majordomo. This gives him the opportunity to search the house for evidence that the late duke was a traitor to his country. Everything was going smoothly, if slowly, until the duchess returned to London from her country home. He doesn't expect to be intrigued by and protective of the lovely widow.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Adam and Suzanne. It began with a bang, as Adam stopped her from what he thought was a suicide attempt. There were sparks of attraction from the start. Those sparks lit the fire in Suzanne that helped her break out of the daze she had been in. Both Adam and Suzanne are intrigued by the other and find it impossible to stay away. I loved Adam's protectiveness and how he took care of her when she was hurting. His sympathy and understanding when he found out the reason for the depth of her grief was one more thing that helped Suzanne break out of her fog. I loved seeing him support her as she began to take back control of her life. Suzanne was just as intrigued by Adam and found herself taking every chance she could to spend time with him. The feelings between them grew stronger the more time they spent together. I loved the fact that Adam told Suzanne the truth about why he was there and then listened to what she had to say afterward. I ached for him as he walked away at the end, believing that there was no chance for a future with Suzanne. I loved seeing her go after what she wanted, in spite of the obstacles before her. I hope we see more of them in later books.
The mystery of the missing journal and the guilt or innocence of the late duke was very interesting. With Adam's experiences in India and his knowledge of the duke's activities, Adam was convinced of the duke's guilt. This case was personal for him and gave him extra motivation to complete it. There were times when I felt that it blinded Adam to other possibilities. That changed as he got to know Suzanne, and questions were raised in his mind. There were some interesting twists and turns that came out once Adam and Suzanne began to work together to find the truth. The revelations at the end had some unexpected elements as well as confirming a couple of my suspicions.
Adam is a former soldier who now works for the War Department's Silent Service. His current assignment is to go undercover to Marsley House as the majordomo. This gives him the opportunity to search the house for evidence that the late duke was a traitor to his country. Everything was going smoothly, if slowly, until the duchess returned to London from her country home. He doesn't expect to be intrigued by and protective of the lovely widow.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Adam and Suzanne. It began with a bang, as Adam stopped her from what he thought was a suicide attempt. There were sparks of attraction from the start. Those sparks lit the fire in Suzanne that helped her break out of the daze she had been in. Both Adam and Suzanne are intrigued by the other and find it impossible to stay away. I loved Adam's protectiveness and how he took care of her when she was hurting. His sympathy and understanding when he found out the reason for the depth of her grief was one more thing that helped Suzanne break out of her fog. I loved seeing him support her as she began to take back control of her life. Suzanne was just as intrigued by Adam and found herself taking every chance she could to spend time with him. The feelings between them grew stronger the more time they spent together. I loved the fact that Adam told Suzanne the truth about why he was there and then listened to what she had to say afterward. I ached for him as he walked away at the end, believing that there was no chance for a future with Suzanne. I loved seeing her go after what she wanted, in spite of the obstacles before her. I hope we see more of them in later books.
The mystery of the missing journal and the guilt or innocence of the late duke was very interesting. With Adam's experiences in India and his knowledge of the duke's activities, Adam was convinced of the duke's guilt. This case was personal for him and gave him extra motivation to complete it. There were times when I felt that it blinded Adam to other possibilities. That changed as he got to know Suzanne, and questions were raised in his mind. There were some interesting twists and turns that came out once Adam and Suzanne began to work together to find the truth. The revelations at the end had some unexpected elements as well as confirming a couple of my suspicions.
This is one of those tender romances with just a touch of intrigue that complements Adam and Suzanne's complex relationship. Both of them wrestled with grief, but while Adam was able to live beyond it, Suzanne's grief smothered her. I enjoyed her transition into the land of the living. Nothing overly dramatic here but a delightful read to satisfy romantic hearts nonetheless. 4 stars.
