Deborah Hale weaves a tale of second chances with the skill of an experienced author—leading us through surprises, twists, and turns while her characters journey the rough road through misunderstandings and pre-judgments to forgiveness and true love.

The book unfolds like the peeling of an onion as we gradually learn more and more about the characters and why they act as they do.

Ford Barrett learns of his old cousin’s death while he is in Singapore, having made his fortune there in trading goods. He returns after seven long years to reclaim his estate and title—and the woman who got away from him seven years previously. The woman who jilted him to marry this very same elderly cousin.

For all this time, he has been nursing a plot of revenge to nurse the bitterness he carries after she suddenly broke off their engagement. He wants to marry her, regain his fortune and lands, and bed her so he can finally purge her from his system.

To his surprise, he returns to find his old love, Laura Penrose, living in near-poverty, caring for an ill mother and supporting two younger sisters after the death of their father. His plans of revenge are continually thwarted as he learns nothing is as he believed it to be.

Laura is no stranger to adversity. Over the past seven years, she has kept horrendous secrets regarding her father’s death and the abuse she suffered at the hands of a man she had little choice but to marry.

Ford cannot help falling back under Laura’s spell. An alpha male to the max, Ford is a commanding, angry man, loathe to show anyone his weaknesses. But he is also an honorable, vulnerable man who treats Laura’s invalid mother and her sisters with kindness. Laura, too, holds misconceptions about his behavior that must be broken down. And she herself is no wilting willow—she will not allow another man to dominate her or take advantage of her. Her growth as a character into someone who demands to be loved the way she deserves is brilliant. We learn that Ford has his faults as well—he was a rather irresponsible youth and he learns, because of Laura, to be less domineering and commanding. Both must lower their pride and take responsibility for their own choices and mistakes.

Layer by layer, surprises and secrets are revealed, and vulnerabilities exposed. In this way, Hale sets up an intriguing plot with elements of revenge, bitterness, guilt, secrets—and the healing power of forgiveness. The characters are multi-layered and very human.

Hale also paints amazing historical portraits for us as well—the Royal pavilion at Brighton, marriage and funeral rights, and bathing machines. These are not typical elements in a Regency novel and I found them well researched and very interesting.

I enjoyed this novel very much and appreciated the amount of research and the author’s skill at handling the characters’ growth and long journey toward forgiveness and understanding. Additionally, I thought the author truly flexed her writing muscles in gradually exposing the characters’ vulnerabilities and bringing them into full forgiveness and understanding. The misunderstandings both main characters harbor take center stage, and they are examined from multiple angles and interpretations. This became a bit exhausting for me. But overall this was a very enjoyable read about two people who learn what it means to truly forgive and love—and get a second chance.

Reviewed by: Miranda