Review
In the past Duran has sated our appetites with Regency romps. This round we move into the early Georgian period, where political allegiance and religious affiliation play a major role in everyday life.
For Lady Leonora, political allegiance and implied beliefs have cost her family everything. With her father exiled to France and her brother plotting some other sort of madness the only thing this young widow can count on is her family’s estate. She’s enjoyed taking back the reins of managing a household she knows well, even if that reign will be short lived with her brother’s promise that she will be wed again in the near future. Her feigned happiness is suddenly tossed aside when the King’s agent, Adrian Ferrers, arrives searching for her brother.
Instead of moving onward, Adrian is determined to wait out the missing brother at the family home. These two, Leonora and Adrian have a shaky past with more skeletons and pain then a single evening together will solve. Week’s together will only bring about more pain or release a desire that they’ve been fighting off for years. Both hero and heroine have more at stake than just losing their hearts—lives are on the line. The only question is will love win out over family loyalties?
Leonora is the self-sacrificing martyr. She’s strong and has suffered horrible things at the hands of her family, but still stands by them no matter the ignorance of their decisions. This loyal trait of Nora’s drove me crazy. I honestly wanted to beat her a couple of times, and was surprised Adrian didn’t. Personally I wasn’t a big Nora fan. Adrian is similarly devoted to his own family, so I believed he was able to give Nora a break because he understood what family meant to her. I loved Adrian’s character and he’s very alpha male, not full on but just about there. These two butt heads repeatedly, but regardless of what the insane sacrifices that Nora is willing to make Adrian refuses to leave her.
The conflict in this story is incredibly strong and there were multiple moments where I believed Nora and Adrian were doomed; without hope of an HEA. Amazingly, as she always does, Duran provided a resolution realistic to her characters and her story. Overall if you looking for a book with deep emotional ties and an opportunity to see love and loyalty in action At Your Pleasure is a definite must buy.
Reviewed by Landra