Masterminded by the ton's most clever countess, the
secret society The Widow's Grace helps ill-treated widows regain their
reputations, their families, and even find true love again--or perhaps for the
very first time...
Surviving a shipwreck en route to London from Jamaica was
just the start of Jemina St. Maur's nightmare. Suffering from amnesia, she was
separated from anyone who might know her and imprisoned in Bedlam. She was
freed only because barrister Daniel Thackery, Lord Ashbrook, was convinced to
betray the one thing he holds dear: the law. Desperate to unearth her true
identity, Jemina's only option is to work outside the law--which means staying
steps ahead of the formidable Daniel, no matter how strongly she is drawn to
him...
Married only by proxy, now widowed by shipwreck, Daniel
is determined to protect his little stepdaughter, Hope, from his family's
scandalous reputation. That's why he has dedicated himself not just to the law,
but to remaining as proper and upstanding--and boring--as can be. But the
closer he becomes to the mysterious, alluring Jemina, the more Daniel is
tempted to break the very rules to which he's dedicated his life. As ruthless
adversaries close in, will the truth require him and Jemina to sacrifice their
one chance at happiness?
Good book. It is unusual for a romance of the Regency
period to have such a diversity of characters. It tackles complex subjects such
as racism, mental health, and women's rights while retaining the hopefulness of
a romance.
The book opened in 1812 with Jemina, one of two survivors
of a shipwreck, suffering from amnesia brought on by the trauma and threatened
with commitment to Bedlam if she can't confirm her identity. At the same time,
Daniel arrives at the port expecting to greet the woman he married by proxy,
only to discover she died in the wreck. The only other survivor is a small
Black child, whom the attending officers give to Daniel, the only Black man
there. Daniel assumes the girl was his wife's and takes her home to raise as
his own. Though Daniel is a barrister devoted to the law, he bends some rules
to ensure that little Hope remains with him.
Two years later, Jemina escaped Bedlam with the help of
The Widow's Grace and their lawyer, Daniel. Now she works with the group to
help other widows escape the clutches of unscrupulous family members and
restore their freedom. Her lack of memory still haunts Jemina, and she will do
anything to unearth her identity.
As a barrister, Daniel works with his aunt, Lady
Shrewesbury, to help the widows she rescues. Careful not to inquire too deeply
into how she obtains her "evidence," Daniel unsuccessfully tries to get
her to give up her crusade. He frequently finds himself butting heads with Jemina,
one of his aunt's best agents.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Jemina
and Daniel. The sparks that fly between them aren't all based on antagonism,
but each has reasons to ignore them. Jemina won't get involved with anyone
while not knowing her past. Daniel protects Hope by being as proper and
upstanding as possible. But things between them become more complicated when Jemina
stumbles across some information that indicates Daniel knows more about her
past than he lets on. Jemina's search for the truth runs up against Daniel's
need to protect his secrets.
I liked their back-and-forth banter as each tries to get
the upper hand in their battle for information. The more time they spend
together, the hotter the sparks between them grow. But Daniel has made some enemies
determined to bring him down. When those enemies attempt to set him up, Jemina comes
to his rescue. I ached for Daniel because if they succeed, he could lose
everything he's worked for. The rescue scene had me laughing out loud as Jemina
dealt with an intoxicated and uncooperative Daniel. Extreme measures became
necessary, followed by a hilarious extraction.
All of these events led up to Daniel proposing marriage
to Jemina. Neither one has yet admitted their feelings for the other, but they
simmer under the surface. Little Hope takes to Jemina as soon as they meet,
stirring up memories of another child in Jemina's mind. Just when their
relationship shows promise, Daniel's secret comes out, destroying Jemina's
trust in him. While she sets out on her own to look for the truth of her past,
Daniel finally realizes what he must do. I liked seeing him finally come clean,
and by doing that, discover an unexpected link between Jemina and Hope. All
that is left is to unravel the rest of Jemina's story. I loved seeing the two
of them confront the one responsible for so much trouble.
Overall, I enjoyed the story. I learned some things I
didn't know, helped along by the author's notes in the back of the book. My
only complaint was that the book seemed to drag at times, though I can't
pinpoint why. It won't stop me from going back and reading the first in the
series.
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