From Waterloo…
…to the spotlight of the ton!
Days after returning from the battlefields, Seth Sinclair
finds himself in a glittering ballroom with one tedious task: finding a wife.
He must put aside the military and prove his worth as the new Earl of Dalton.
The only problem? Lady Violet Lavell, the one woman he can’t keep his eyes off,
who knew him before he went to war. How can he be worthy of her now that he’s
become so changed by the horrors of battle?
Good story about two people who believe they are not
worthy of being loved. It was a hard-fought battle for each of them to learn to
see the good in themselves.
Violet is a young woman who has a couple of huge secrets
that would do her reputation no good if revealed. Her plans for the future do
not include a husband because she would have to tell him those secrets. However,
after six unsuccessful Seasons, her father gives her an ultimatum: find a
husband before the end of this Season, or be sent to her older sister and
become a governess to Sophie's unruly children.
Seth became the earl after the death of his older
brother. It meant giving up his commission in the army, which he put off as
long as possible. He finally returned home after Waterloo to face the same
disapproving attitude from his mother that he had suffered through as a child. Seth
is determined to do his best to take care of his responsibilities, including
looking for a wife.
Seth and Violet lived next door to each other in London. They
were friends as children, with both developing crushes on each other when they
were older. Seth promised the first dance of her debut ball to her, but then
never showed up, breaking her heart. He left for the war the next day without
even saying goodbye.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between
Seth and Violet. Seth came back from the war a changed man. The thoughtless rebelliousness
of his youth was burned away by his experiences during the war. He admits to
the mistakes of his past and is determined to make up for them. His first
meeting with Violet reveals one of those mistakes. His sincere regret for those
actions goes a long way toward mending fences with her. He did not expect his
old feelings for her to come rushing back. But Seth is haunted by the events of
the war and his feelings of having let his men down. He feels he is broken
beyond repair because of the nightmares and flashbacks he experiences.
Violet is wary of her feelings for Seth. She does not fit
the current trend of thin women, a fact pointed out to her often by her mother.
Violet doesn't believe him when he calls her beautiful. It takes advice from an
unexpected source for her to overcome her mother's influence and see herself as
others see her. She also gets a shock when, in a moment of self-examination, Violet
realizes that some of the things she did with the best of intentions were not
as helpful as she thought they were.
I liked seeing Seth and Violet spend time together.
Neither one expected the sparks that flared between them. At first, he was
simply trying to make amends, but he couldn't ignore the way she made him feel.
I loved how he saw her as a beautiful woman and tried to make her see it too.
It didn't take long for Violet to see that Seth had outgrown his rebellious
youth and become an honorable man. I loved how their growing feelings helped
them trust each other enough to share their painful pasts. I ached for Seth
when he experienced flashbacks and loved how Violet was able to break through
them. I also hurt for Violet, who made a mistake in her first Season that still
haunts her. Seth didn't react so well to that secret, though he did quickly see
his error and fix it. I laughed a little at the accelerating of their
relationship, as the sparks between them flared at an awkward time. However, it
took an unexpected and dangerous occurrence for them to admit their love to
each other. I liked the epilogue, too.
There was a bit of mystery running through the book.
Before Seth's return, the family solicitor absconded with his mother's jewels.
One of Seth's priorities is to find the thief and reclaim the jewels. There is
more to the story than he knows. Unexpected revelations regarding Seth's
brother put a new spin on the theft and precipitate some changes in perceptions.
The resolution of the theft provided a few moments of unexpected danger.
The secondary characters added some terrific moments of
humor. First and foremost were Violet's niece Felicity and her cat Hedgehog. The
cat was hilarious in its bonnets. Felicity tore at the heartstrings once the reasons
behind her misbehavior were revealed. She was sweet and funny and frequently
very observant. I liked Seth's sister Caroline. She obviously loves her brother
and wants to help him with whatever is bothering him. She also has a mind of
her own and surprises him with a somewhat shocking request. Seth's friend Lord
Rawley was not what I expected, and I both ached and laughed over his problems
with a certain lady.
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