Six years ago, Elizabeth Harewood and Lord Roland Penhallow were London's golden couple, young and beautiful and wildly in love. Forced apart by her scheming relatives and his clandestine career, Lilibet and Roland buried their passion beneath years of duty and self-denial, until a chance holiday encounter changes everything they ever knew about themselves...and each other.

But Miss Elizabeth Harewood is now the Countess of Somerton, estranged wife of one of England's most brutal and depraved aristocrats, and she can't afford the slightest hint of scandal to her name. When Roland turns up mysteriously at the castle where she's hidden herself away, she struggles to act as a lady should, but the gallant lover of her youth has grown into an irresistibly dashing and dangerous man, and temptation is only a single kiss away...

Review

A romantic tale of second chances at true love…

It only took one meeting for Elizabeth Harewood and Lord Roland Penhallow to fall in love, but circumstances beyond their control kept them apart for over six years. She married someone else and became the virtuous Countess of Somerton. He spent his days gambling or drinking and his nights sleeping with dozens of different women. Even though their lives became very different they never forgot about each other. When they meet again in an Italian inn during a rainstorm Elizabeth isn’t sure if it’s the end of the world or her dreams coming true. The world sees her as a paragon, but she’s not what she seems. Roland knows that seeing her again is his dreams coming true and that he will have to work hard to make her believe that he isn’t what he seems.

I loved these two characters in the first book – A LADY NEVER LIES – but we didn’t see much of them during that book. Their story takes place at the same time as the first book, so each book focuses solely on the main couple and not much on what’s going on around them. Lady Somerton has escaped to Italy with her young son, Philip and her two cousins. She is running from her husband who isn’t physically, but is verbally and mentally abusive. Elizabeth has had enough and knows that for the sake of her child and herself she must get away from him. When she runs into Roland she is shocked and worried, but also pleased. Their attraction is instantaneous and strong. She tries to resist, but isn’t able to.

Roland came across as a lazy rogue in the first book. I was surprised to find that he was so much more. I loved the depth to his character and the way he changes through the book. He matures when faced with the woman he has loved for so long and her child. He is willing to do whatever necessary to protect her. It’s very sexy!

I usually don’t like books with infidelity, but in the context of this story it didn’t bother me. There is a passage where Morini, the housekeeper, explains to Elizabeth that her other marriage is dead and that she wasn’t the one to kill it. Her husband did with his unfaithfulness and cruelty.

Morini shook her head firmly and smoothed her hands on her apron. “Not before God, signora. No longer before God. Is a truth higher than the words writing on the page. Is higher even than the church. Signore Somerton, he is breaking his vows, mocking at his vows. This marriage between you, is like this.” She snapped her fingers. “Is no longer.”

Elizabeth and Roland have to trust each other more than the average couple. Their relationship has more to overcome, but they are both willing to work toward their happily ever after together.

I love this author’s writing style. The dialogue is witty, the descriptions incredibly vivid, and the emotion evident in every scene. I can’t wait for the final book in this trilogy. I have to know what Abigail has been doing with the Duke of Wallingford while Elizabeth and Roland (and Burke and Alexandra from A LADY NEVER LIES) were falling in love.

Reviewed by Carrie

READERS COMMENTS