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by Georgie Lee
London, 1817
Devon, the Earl of Malton, is a hero for his deeds at the Battle of Waterloo. But he suffers terrible nightmares, and drinks himself to sleep most nights. A habit he vows to break when he awakes one morning to find a woman sharing his bed, no memory of how she got there, and her angry brother at his door.
Cathleen is mortified when her wastrel brother and his greedy wife propose a blackmail scheme involving the earl, but as a penniless war widow she's at their mercy. She goes along with the plan and sneaks into Devon's bed one night, and ends up comforting him through a night terror.
Charmed by her beauty and kindness, Devon determines that rather than pay the blackmail, he will offer his hand in marriage to Cathleen. Although she is deeply attracted to the stoic earl, Cathleen cannot understand why Devon would want to marry her. What she doesn't know is that Devon owes her a debt that can never fully be repaid…
Review:
Regencies aren't my typical cup 'o tea but I had more free time than usual last week thanks to a family camping trip so I decided to go ahead and give Hero's Redemption by Georgie Lee a shot. The story immediately sucked me in and at thirty-four thousand words, it made for some great summer reading beside the fire. I finished the story over the course of a day and never had any difficulty staying involved in Cathleen and Devon's story.
Cathleen is wonderfully strong-willed and assertive. As a destitute widow, she has the unfortunate circumstance of living with her dastardly brother, Lucien, and his wife, Martha. The story starts off with Devon waking up in Cathleen's bed as part of a contrived blackmail scheme cooked up by Lucien.
A hero of Waterloo, Devon suffers from terrible PTSD, including traumatic nightmares. He is smart and courageous, but also deeply wounded. Cathleen happens to comfort him during such an episode and he finds solace within her presence. The pair share an immediate attraction to one another. An unfortunate past event involving Cathleen's deceased husband also binds them together.
I loved how Devon rushed to rescue Cathleen from her greedy relatives and wanted to protect and shelter her despite his initial trust issues. As a couple, their scenes together are sweet and tender, and the reader really wants for them to overcome their differences and fall in love. I'll admit to harboring some preconceived notions about what to expect from sex scenes in Regency romance (I thought it was all closed-doors). But I was pleasantly surprised to discover sensual-to-spicy lovemaking scenes.
There wasn't a whole lot of action but the author managed to keep events moving right along to the very end. The characters are well developed and secondary characters contribute to the story, although I found the occasional scenes involving Lucien and Martha to be less enjoyable. The story is well written and editing is professional.
It's easy to recommend Hero's Redemption to anyone looking for an easy-to-read summer romance set in the British Regency period.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A dedicated history and film buff, Georgie Lee loves combining her passion for Hollywood, history and storytelling through romantic fiction. She began writing professionally at a small TV station in San Diego before moving to Las Angeles to work in the interesting but strange world of the entertainment industry.
Her first novel, Lady’s Wager, and her contemporary novella, Rock ‘n’ Roll Reunion are both available from Ellora’s Cave Blush. Labor Relations, a contemporary romance of Hollywood, and Studio Relations, a love story set in 1935 Hollywood, are currently available from Montlake Romance. Look for her Regency novella, Hero’s Redemption from Carina Press on July 29, 2013, and her Regency novel, Engagement of Convenience, from Harlequin Historical on October 1, 2013.
When not writing, Georgie enjoys reading non-fiction history and watching any movie with a costume and an accent. Please visit www.georgie-lee.com for more information about Georgie and her novels.
Where can readers find you on the internet?
Twitter: @GeorgieLeeBooks
Blog:
Well, dang it. I had a comment all ready to go and then accidentally clicked a link and...wooosssshhh, my comment was gone. I've added this to my TBR list. What an excellent review! I'm a historical romance fan (and their blush-worthy love scenes) hee-hee!!!
ReplyDeleteNiecey,
DeleteAh, slippery finger syndrome. I've experienced it myself. ;-) Well, thank you for taking the time to retype your comment. It's a great story. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. :)
On my list. And you must be so proud of that terrific review!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mary. :) I'm sure you'll enjoy Hero's Redemption.
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