Author: Alison Stuart
Publisher: 1st September 2021 by MIRA - Harlequin Australia
Pages: 446 pages
How I Read It: ARC book
Genre: historical fiction, romance, regency
My Rating: 4.5 cups
Synopsis:
First love left them desolate ... can a new love heal their wounds? A tale of second chance love in aristocratic Regency England, for lovers of all things Bridgerton.
Sebastian Alder's sudden elevation from penniless army captain to Viscount Somerton is the stuff of fairy tales, but the cold reality of an inherited estate in wretched condition leaves him little time for fantasy, and the memory of his wife's brutal death haunts his every moment. When he learns of the mysterious circumstances of his cousin's demise, he must also look for a potential murderer ... surely not Isabel, his cousin's ladylike widow?
Isabel, Lady Somerton, is desperate to bury the memory of her unhappy marriage by founding the charity school she has always dreamed of. Her hopes are shattered from beyond the grave when she is left not only penniless but once more bound to the whims of a Somerton ... although perhaps the new Lord Somerton is a man she can trust ... or even care for?
Suspicion could tear them apart ... honesty and courage may pull them together.
My Thoughts
Having read and enjoyed Alison’s Australian colonial tales, I was eager to step back to Regency England for a change of scene. Suffering from Bridgestone Blues, it was time to find a fix somewhere else and I am happy to say Lord Somerton’s Heir more than fits the bill.
This is classic stuff and highly entertaining. Alison gives this Regency romance some real drama with a fabulous murder mystery. There is the mandatory handsome hero and a wise widow, along with a solid cast of other characters that bring real depth to this great getaway. Add to the standard plot of redemption some evil blackmailers, a couple of murders ending with an edge of your seat final coach chase across the English countryside which is all neatly tied together with a romantic bow for good measure.
Regency England comes to life from a lavish ball, to the other end of the spectrum with the lengths some poor souls needed to go to in order to survive. What I truly appreciated was how Alison subtlety brought to light the very real struggle of how the aristocracy lived beyond their means, often with the cost of running such estates moving beyond them.
I very much enjoyed my trip to Regency England - a sweet romance and murder mystery - with Alison’s words flowing at an easy and enjoyable pace that kept me engaged to the very end.
‘She was free, but at what price came that freedom? … To attain freedom, first she had to find Lord Sommerton’s heir.’
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.
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