FINAL DECISION: Intellectually satisfying with damaged hero and heroine that find happiness together and a secondary romance. The only negative is that I didn’t feel a great emotional connection between the hero and heroine until the last quarter of the book, but I liked the story anyway and it ended on a high note.

THE STORY: Abigail Pinehurst just wants to work to build a life for herself and her sister, but she is under the thumb of a man who wants her to spy on his cousin, Guy Neville, Earl of Argyle. The kind man she ends up meeting hides a secret that could threaten his ability to keep control of his estate and his life. The two begin a romance, but Abigail has secrets of her own that threaten any chance at happiness the two might have.

OPINION: This book begins with two characters who had very bad childhoods and both have secrets which could destroy the lives they have built. Abigail comes to Guy’s estate willing to rat him out because she is concerned about her own future. But she is a good person and quickly she has a conflict because she likes Guy and yet she is supposed to be working to destroy him. I found her admirable. She has managed to make a life for herself after horrible abuse. I also really liked that although she knows that society views her past as shameful, she has managed to have good relationships with men and also to build something valuable for herself.

Guy is also self-made. He was abused by his father because Guy was unable to learn to read. His disability is something that he has learned to deal with having become a military hero. At his kind older brother’s death, Guy unexpectedly becomes the earl and all his feelings of lack of worth overwhelm him. Worse, his cousin is sniffing around trying to find out anything he can use to take control of the estate.

These two characters find their worth with one another and with their friends and family.

My complaint is that the heavy emotional work between these characters doesn’t take place until late in the book when their romance seems doomed. At the beginning of the book felt a bit emotionally disconnected for these characters. I didn’t really get why these two wanted to be together other than sexual attraction — which was fine for that but Guy’s immediate emotional attachment didn’t feel right to me.

But by the end of the book, everything felt emotionally right between these two. The resolution of the serious problem keeping them apart felt contrived and too convenient, but since I don’t care about the plot as much as the characters, it was fine.

WORTH MENTIONING: This book has a secondary romance that I enjoyed very much.

CONNECTED BOOKS: ATTRACTED TO THE EARL is the third book in the Imperfect Lords series. While the books have connecting characters, this book can easily be read as a standalone as the romance is self-contained.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

NOTE: I received an eARC of this book via Netgalley. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

I received this book for free from Netgalley in order to prepare an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

FINAL DECISION: I enjoyed this book because the focus, besides the obvious romance, is on these two characters who are damaged and yet find in one another a reason to move beyond their fears.

THE STORY: Stephen Hornsby, Marquess of Clevedon, is determined to see everything he can before he goes blind. When he bids for a painting, he finds his competition is a beautiful widow, Lady Penelope. Stephen is determined to experience the beauty of seeing Penelope naked and in passion. Penelope has her own motives. She needs Stephen’s help. She certainly isn’t interested in becoming another conquest for the determined rake. She already was married to a man who betrayed and used her emotions and dreams against her. She will never get involved with another man and risk herself or her emotions.

OPINION: I admit to being a sucker for a damaged hero. Stephen struggles with his increasing blindness. It makes him question just about everything about himself. I liked his journey throughout the book as he discovers what is important about himself — both in his own eyes and in those around him. Balancing his “weakness” with his strength as a hero was done skillfully demonstrating that any weakness that Stephen senses in himself doesn’t overwhelm all the strengths he has. I especially loved that Penelope flat out tells him that he is strong enough to overcome his challenges.

Penelope is a woman of strength and determination. She has a horrible past, but she has not allowed it to make her cower in fear. Instead, she has built a life for herself and intends on doing what is right no matter the consequences.

The dynamic between Penelope and Stephen was interesting because the need for reassurance that each needs ebbs and flows with the events in the story. I liked that about the couple. They both don’t want to trust, they both have fears and they both have to open themselves up to the possibility of being hurt.

The plot of the story about the death of Penelope’s husband serves its purpose in the story. I wasn’t particularly interested in the resolution, but it did push Stephen and Penelope into situations which challenged them individually and as a couple.

WORTH MENTIONING: For readers of ADDICTED TO THE DUKE, we get a nice little update on Alex and Hestia.

CONNECTED BOOKS: DRAWN TO THE MARQUESS is the second book in the Imperfect Lords series. This book has overlapping characters, but the romance is completely separate and can be read as standalone.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in order to help prepare this review. I was not required to write a review and I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

I received this book for free from Netgalley in order to prepare an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

FINAL DECISION:  A good kickoff to a new series about men who are definitely not your perfect men.  Alex is a man struggling with an addiction and the consequences of his capture and imprisonment and his belief that he is not good enough for Hestia.  I love damaged heroes and Alex is definitely an imperfect one.

THE STORY:  Alexander Sylvester Bracken, Duke of Bedford agrees to help Lady Hestia Cary find her missing father. Alex feels a debt to Hestia’s father for helping in Alex’s rescue from his captivity with a pirate.  When he is forced to take Hestia with him in order to ensure her safety.  Four years ago, Hestia was rescued by Alex from the same pirate who had captured Alex years before.  At sixteen, Hestia fell in love with Alex and doesn’t understand why he has spent years avoiding her.  Alex is determined not to taint the sweet Hestia with his tainted presence but their voyage together allows Hestia to batter down the walls that Alex is using to separate them.

OPINION:  I greatly appreciate books that stretch the genre — and this book does.  Alex is a hero who struggles with his addiction and there is no easy and simple resolution.  He also has done terrible things under the influence of his drug of choice. This book is about how he forgives himself and reaches for happiness rather than dwelling on a past he cannot change.

The story was filled with adventure which I didn’t expect.  There are multiple levels of villains that Alex and Hestia have to defeat on the way to their happy ending. Some of their challenges are external, some are internal.  Some want to threaten their lives and some want to threaten their relationship.

At first, I wasn’t sure about the matchup with Hestia because she seemed too sweet and innocent for the damaged Alex…but she has a hidden strength that I didn’t expect.  Alex doesn’t expect it either.

This book pushes the envelope on Alex’s addiction because there are no easy answers for him.  During this time period, addiction is not understood and is seen as character flaw rather than an illness. My one serious complaint about the book is that I would have liked an explicit update in the epilogue about Alex’s addiction since it was such an important part of the story (maybe in the next book in the series).

WORTH MENTIONING:  This book deals with the issue of addiction in a time period long before there was an real understanding of addiction.

CONNECTED BOOKS:  ADDICTED TO THE DUKE is the first book in the Imperfect Lords series.

STAR RATING:  I give this book 4 stars.

NOTE:  I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in order to provide a review.  I was not required to write a positive review.  All opinions contained herein are my own.