Kirkus Review
An estranged couple is brought together by fate and tries to make a go of it again, but the tensions that drove them apart still exist, and unbeknownst to them, they have a shadowy, malevolent enemy, too. Ten years ago, James, Lord Kirkland, and Laurel Herbert tumbled into love and marriage with lightning speed, but things fell apart in one violent moment before their first anniversary. Leaving her aristocratic husband also created a rift with her parents, and with nowhere else to go, Laurel moved in with her brother, Daniel. Together, the siblings used the allowance James granted her to fund Daniel's medical education, then opened a clinic and a shelter for women and children in a poor Bristol neighborhood. Now, fate will intercede when James is in Bristol on business and, weakened by a bout of malaria, is set upon by thieves. Bloody and unconscious, he's brought to the clinic, where Laurel treats himand can't quite bring herself to stop him when, in a dreamlike hallucination, he reaches out to her sexually. The next day, Laurel lets him leave, oblivious to their lovemaking, but must revisit the situation when she learns she's pregnant. James is unwilling to abandon his child, and the two reconcile. Working on old grievances, misunderstandings and secret yearnings, they begin to believe in their love again; however, just as happiness is in sight, Laurel is attacked by a new enemy made when she stood up for a vulnerable victim, and James must turn to his closest friends to save the brave, principled wife he knows he can't live without. Putney continues her Lost Lords series with two passionate lovers who are convinced love can't save the day; she then forces them to mine their own vulnerabilities before they can truly be happy with each other. Elegant and tender; a compelling sweep of romance and adventure with a gratifying undertone of social justice elements. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
The last person in the world Laurel Herbert expects to find in her brother's infirmary is her husband, James Kirkland. Ten years ago, right after their honeymoon, Laurel left James when she saw him murder a man in cold blood. Laurel spent the next decade helping her physician brother run the Herbert Infirmary in Bristol. So, of course, when two dock workers bring a badly beaten man in late one night, Laurel begins tending his wounds, only to get the shock of her life when she discovers the identity of her new patient. Laurel is prepared to let James stay, but she is totally unprepared for what transpires between them. RITA Award-winning Putney (Sometimes a Rogue, 2013) continues her Lost Lords series with a superbly written historical Regency that borrows a classic romance story line and imbues it with all the elements her readers love: simmering sensuality, subtle wit, a surfeit of danger, and a sophisticated flair for characterization.--Charles, John Copyright 2014 Booklist
Library Journal Review
Starred Review. Ten years ago, teenager Laurel Herbert and James, Lord Kirkland, fell hopelessly in love and married after a whirlwind courtship only to separate soon after owing to opposing values. Now, because of a chance mugging and a brief, passionate interlude, they are back in each other's lives attempting a civilized rapprochement all for the sake of an unplanned baby. But their paths have taken new turns, and Laurel's work with abused women and children, while sometimes dangerous, is too important to give up, but can it be reconciled with her situation as James's countess? VERDICT A deeply caring, capable heroine who struggles with her feelings about violence and a ruthless, protective spymaster hero with a well-honed sense of justice gradually work through their differences to find common ground in this provocative, penetrating romance. Undeniable passion wars with clashing views on right and wrong in another memorable masterpiece from one of the genre's best. Gorgeously done. Putney (Sometimes a Rogue) lives in Baltimore. (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
