Love and survival in the shadow of Waterloo . . .
Wearied by his years as a British intelligence officer,
Simon Duval resigns his commission after Napoleon's abdication. Hoping to find
new meaning in his life, he returns to England, where he discovers his cousin's
widow, Suzanne Duval, the Comtesse de Chambron. Working as a seamstress, living
in reduced circumstances, Suzanne has had a life as complicated as Simon's.
While both believe they are beyond love, their sympathetic bond leads him to
propose a marriage of companionship, and Suzanne accepts.
She didn't want or expect a true marriage, but as Suzanne
joins Simon in a search for his long-missing foster brother, warmth and caring
begin to heal both their scars - and a powerful passion sparks between them.
Then news from France threatens to disrupt their happiness. Napoleon has
escaped from Elba and Wellington personally asks Simon to help prevent another
devastating war. Only this time, Simon does not go into danger alone. He and
Suzanne will face deadly peril together, and pray that love will carry them
through . . .
This was a terrific entry in the Rogues Redeemed series.
Simon is a war-weary colonel of intelligence who resigned his commission once
Napoleon was exiled to Elba. He returns to England hoping to find peace in his
new life and discovers that his cousin's widow, Suzanne, is alive after all. He
tracks her down to check on her and finds her in reduced circumstances. Suzanne
came to England after being rescued from a harem (Once a Scoundrel) and tries
to make ends meet by sewing. Her life isn't easy, but she's free.
Simon and Suzanne met when she was fifteen and he was
seventeen, just before she married his much older cousin. The only people there
close in age; they became good friends in the weeks before the wedding. When they
met again, they discovered that their connection was just as strong. Though
Simon believes that his ability to feel has been destroyed, and Suzanne's experiences
make the thought of love impossible, Simon proposes a marriage of friendship
instead. After thinking about it, and receiving some unexpected motivation,
Suzanne accepts.
I really liked both Simon and Suzanne. The first part of
the book covers the beginning of their marriage and getting to know each other
again. Both enter the marriage expecting only friendship and companionship.
Simon is sensitive to Suzanne's fears and is gentle and understanding when he
is with her. Suzanne feels safe around Simon, his declared disinterest in
physical intimacy putting her at ease. My heart broke for Suzanne when she had
her nightmare, and I loved Simon's efforts to comfort her. Imagine both their
shock when morning revealed the unexpected revival of Simon's ability to feel! Poor
Suzanne felt terribly betrayed. I loved Simon's acceptance of her feelings and
determination to be as patient as necessary to woo Suzanne. Luckily, Suzanne's
trust in Simon helps her face her fears. The slow reawakening of her desire is
believable and moving. I loved how the love and intimacy between Simon and
Suzanne grew over a credible amount of time, enabling both to overcome the
fears and obstacles of their pasts. I loved seeing them both open their hearts fully
at the end.
But this story is about more than just the romance of two
wounded and lonely people. As a former intelligence officer, Simon still has
contacts in the community. Because he is half-French and half-English, and
Suzanne is French, they agree to test the temperature of the French émigré community
regarding the possibility of Napoleon's escape. That was an interesting evening,
as Suzanne's previous experience with these people hadn't been a pleasant one.
I loved seeing her get back a little of her pride as the evening progressed,
capped off with a marvelous example of righteous anger.
The action moves to Belgium when Simon receives word that
his favorite cousin, Lucas, who was believed dead, may have been spotted in Brussels.
The sense of impending danger is palpable as they search for Lucas. With
Napoleon's escape, Wellington himself asks Simon to lend his talents to the war
effort, and Suzanne insists on being part of it. The very real danger that they
experience is vividly described, keeping me glued to the pages. Each of them
makes significant contributions, though I feel like Suzanne's may have won the
prize for unexpectedness. The descriptions of the Battle of Waterloo were such
that I could almost smell the cannon smoke and mud as I read.
Underneath it all was the theme of family. Both Simon and
Suzanne were lonely, and initially their marriage was about having someone
special who could alleviate that loneliness. Also on Simon's side was his grief
over the loss of his cousin, and then the revival of hope that he was still
alive. I ached for Lucas when they found him and the pain that he was in
because of his past. I had to laugh a little at the lecture he received from
Suzanne regarding "wallowing" and how she gave him another way of
looking at things. Suzanne believed herself to be without any family at all
until a visit to her husband's estate revealed otherwise. There were some tense
moments, but in the end family ties won the day. In both cases, "family is
family" was the most important thing to remember.
I also liked the cameo appearances of characters from
earlier books. After Suzanne's unpleasant reception from the émigré community,
her trepidation over meeting the Rogue's wives was understandable. It was fun
to see these ladies together and their easy acceptance of Suzanne. Lord
Kirkland, of course, had additional motivations.
I look forward to the next book and seeing who it will
be. The last of the cellar Rogues, who briefly appeared in the previous book?
Or will it be Lucas, who feels a need for redemption of his own? It can't come
soon enough!
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