LOVE MUST FIND A WAY . . .
A sheltered life in the countryside has left Diana
Lindsay restless to see the wider world, for both herself and the son she is
raising alone. She cannot marry, but perhaps as a courtesan she will find love
and protection despite her painful past. Gathering her courage, she moves to
London—and finds herself the city’s most desired woman, as admired for her
charm as for her beauty. But it is one man who captivates her—handsome,
haunted, and harboring a secret as deep as her own . . .
Bound by the sins of his youth, Gervase Brandelin, the
Viscount St. Aubyn, has spent his adulthood seeking redemption through service
to England. Now a spymaster, he can allow nothing to distract him from his
duty. But when he meets Diana, his burdens seem to lift. Though she can never
truly be his alone, their genuine love fills him with hope, until a treacherous
deceit—and a deadly enemy—threatens to tear them apart forever . . .
Good book about two emotionally wounded people. It opens
with a young Gervase who, in a moment of drunken idiocy, compromises a young
woman. He retains enough of his gentleman's code to marry the girl but also takes
revenge for what he sees as entrapment. Devastated when he realizes the truth, he
takes steps to care for the girl, yet also to avoid ever having to see her
again.
I will say that Gervase did not endear himself to me in
these opening pages. He was selfish, thoughtless, and cruel. I wasn't sure that
he was at all redeemable. He is rightfully haunted by what he did, which drives
him to find ways to ease his conscience. When the story resumes eight years
later, Gervase is back in England after inheriting the title and continuing his
service to England. He is emotionally closed off, allowing no one past the
walls around his heart. So he is surprised and dismayed by the strength of his attraction
to London's newest courtesan.
When we first meet Diana, she and her son and a friend
live in a cottage in Yorkshire. It is the middle of winter, and during a
vicious snowstorm, she rescues a woman who was a former courtesan. After
nursing Maddy back to health, they become friends. Diana discovers that the
stories Maddy tells appeal to the restlessness she feels. Something tells her
that if she takes up that life, maybe she will find the love that she craves.
But the man she is most drawn to is the least likely to give her what she
needs.
The development of the relationship between Diana and
Gervase is a rollercoaster of emotions. Both are wary of the strength of their
attraction and the depth of the connection they feel. Gervase is a man whose
trust in women was destroyed long ago in a most devastating way. He is
determined to protect himself and uses that distrust like a shield. Though part
of him wants to believe in Diana's goodness and the happiness he feels when he
is with her, his skepticism is never far away. Diana is frequently overwhelmed
by the strength of her feelings for Gervase, but also fears that giving in to
those feelings without an equal return will cause her to lose sight of her own
needs.
This is not a fast-paced romance. Instead, Gervase and
Diana spend time together over many months, both in bed and out of it. I liked
seeing Gervase slowly begin to exhibit his emotions. I especially enjoyed his
connection with Diana's son. There were some pretty sweet scenes between them.
However, Gervase's demons still made frequent appearances, most notably in his
outbursts of jealousy. Diana is not free of her own issues. There are parts of
her past that she needs to share with him, but she's afraid that it will drive
him away. The longer she puts it off, the harder it becomes. When matters come
to the points where both reveal their pasts, it is just as bad as she feared. Both
of them frustrated me because of their attitudes. Diana made some excellent
points about Gervase's actions, and I liked that he accepted the truth of them
and sought to make changes. But she wasn't free of guilt herself, and the way
she revealed her past only made things worse. Everything she said ran up
against Gervase's fears and beliefs, causing him to believe the worst of her. I
wondered how they could ever get past the things that were said and done.
Gervase did his usual shove everything he didn't want to
think of behind a locked door in his mind and tried to lose himself in work. On
the other hand, Diana still didn't give up hope that they could overcome it all
and have that future she dreamed of. I enjoyed her arrival at the house party,
and the after-dinner scene was marvelous. I loved how she handled herself and
turned things her way. I still wanted to shake Gervase for his blindness and
loved seeing his cousin tear into him. But it took nearly losing her for Gervase
to finally let down his walls and allow Diana into his heart.
Running through the book was also an element of suspense.
As a spymaster, Gervase actively works to help Britain in its efforts to bring
down Napoleon. There is one particular French spy that he is determined to stop
if he could only get the proof needed. This particular spy also has an
unhealthy interest in Diana. The depth of his depravity and his determination
to have Diana are another element of tension throughout the book. The final
confrontation with him was a nail-biter and I genuinely feared for the safety
of both Diana and Gervase. The way the spy was brought down was poetic justice
and extremely satisfying.
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