by Mary Balogh
Part of Westcott, book 6
First published 2019
Abigail Westcott has built a comfortable life from the ruins of her shattered expectations. Six years ago, her father's death revealed that her parents never legally married, destroying her social standing. Now she values her independence as a wealthy single woman. When she spots a half-dressed man chopping wood near her home, she marches over to scold the careless servant for his impropriety around ladies. The man turns out to be Lieutenant Colonel Gilbert Bennington, who has just escorted her wounded brother Harry home from the Napoleonic Wars. Gilbert came to help his fellow officer recover, not to endure lectures from condescending aristocrats. His own humble origins make him particularly sensitive to her high-handed treatment. The initial clash between the former society lady and the risen-through-ranks soldier seems to confirm their worst assumptions about each other. Yet as they spend time together during Harry's recovery, both discover that first encounters can mislead. Beneath their different backgrounds lies a shared understanding of genuine honor and integrity that draws them together despite their pride.
Genres: historical-fiction, adult-fiction, historical-romance, 19th-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family, second-chance
Period: Napoleonic Wars
400 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Berkley