From vicar's son to captain of her heart!
Lady Helene Barnes travels to Brussels to bring her
battle-seeking younger brother home, only to collide with Rhys Landon, her
ex-fiancé! Gone is the penniless vicar's son, now transformed into a
combat-hardened captain. The spark still burns between them, but Rhys has a new
love now -- the army. Until, on the eve of battle, with Napoleon's troops
advancing, the emotional turmoil of their past explodes into a night of
passion!
Good second chance romance. Helene's younger brother,
David, snuck away from home and went to Brussels, determined to witness the war
against Napoleon for himself. Intent on saving him from himself, Helene and her
trusted servant chase after him. They check every tavern they encounter until
they find him, about to come out on the wrong end of an argument. He's saved
from disaster by the intervention of an army captain. The realization that it
is her former friend and fiancé stuns Helene.
The last person Rhys expected to see in Brussels, Helene
brings back both good and bad memories. Good memories of growing up together,
the vicar's son and the earl's daughter, playing knights and damsels and other
childhood games. Then the changing feelings to something more potent and more
adult, and their plans to elope. Rhys is still bitter about how their
relationship ended, believing that Helene threw away their love for the chance
of a better alliance. As much as he'd like to ignore her, he can't abandon her
in this situation.
This was an emotional book in an intense setting. Seeing
Rhys brings back Helene's memories of their time together, but also the pain of
their parting. She never forgot her love for him and remained unmarried. It
hurts that he is so cold to her, but she can't blame him. Rhys is torn. He
wants to maintain his distance but can't stop his need to protect her. When Helene's
servant, Wilson, whom he remembers fondly, takes ill, Rhys steps in to help
find a doctor. Thrown together by several situations, Rhys and Helene slowly
reconnect, their previous feelings resurfacing and growing stronger. The night
before the battle brought out the desperation both felt, and they gave in to the
attraction that burned between them. With Waterloo looming, Rhys insists that
Helene leave Brussels while she still can.
Helene's reason for being in Brussels, finding her
brother, and taking him home, proves to be a losing proposition. At eighteen
years old, David is headstrong and unwilling to listen to reason. I ached for
Helene because David was clearly acting like a spoiled brat. I was not
surprised by what happened to him and wanted to shake him for the pain he
caused his sister. Though I felt bad for what he suffered, he brought it on
himself by his unthinking behavior. By the end, I saw a glimmer of hope for
him, but only time will tell.
Because of David's actions, Helene ends up in the middle
of the battle. There is a terrific scene of her finding Rhys in the chaos and
the emotional time together. The descriptions of the battle from Rhys's
perspective made me feel as though I was there, and Helene's time helping the
field surgeon was heart-wrenching. Even the aftermath was vividly portrayed, as
Rhys and Helene tried to figure out their future. There was a while where it
looked like circumstances would part them again, but both Rhys and Helene
refused to let it happen. I loved the epilogue and seeing how they made it
work. I loved the twist at the end and what it could mean for them.
The secondary characters were great. I especially like
Mrs. Jacobs, the nurse, and her unshakeable belief that Rhys and Helene belonged
together. I enjoyed how she and Wilson's lady, Louise, collaborated to ensure
that Helene could go to the ball. I also liked Rhys's friend, Grant. Their
friendship is a solid one, built on shared experiences during the war. I liked
when Grant stepped in to help Helene when Rhys was stubborn. I would love to
see him get his own story.
No comments:
Post a Comment