Series:
Lords of Hazard (Book 1)
Napoleon's war has ended, and English captives detained
for years in a French fortress are finally released. Returning to a London he
no longer recognizes, and facing astonishing changes in his own family, Lord
Jonathan Leighton learns he has inherited a dukedom. But the new nobleman
carries the guilt of having wronged his late mentor. Now, he vows to fulfill
his promise to find a suitable match for the man's daughter, Victoria -- even
if it takes offering a nonexistent dowry to spark her interest in matrimony . .
.
Sharp-witted Victoria would just as soon sculpt the Greek
god who has come to take charge of her future. In fact, she has her sights set
on founding a school for women artists. As Jonathan matches wits with the
talented beauty, revelations from his past -- and their connection to her
father's demise -- threaten to unveil both of their closely held secrets and
thrust them into a danger they can only escape together.
Good start to the new series. I especially enjoyed
learning about a little-known part of the Napoleonic Wars - the imprisonment of
British men of fighting age found on French soil immediately after the
declaration of war. These civilian men remained in prison for up to eleven
years before being released at the end of the war.
Eleven years ago, Jon was the third son of a duke, with
little to do but get into trouble. Fed up with his antics, Jon's parents hired
Professor Morris to accompany him on a tour of Europe to get him away from bad
influences. Unfortunately, Jon and Professor Morris got caught up in the sweep
and spent the next eleven years in prison. Those years left a deep mark on
Jon's soul, including an intense sense of guilt over the professor's death. He
promises to find a husband for the professor's daughter. When Jon finally
returns home, he discovers his father and two brothers are dead, leaving him
the dukedom. Not only must he adjust to being free, he must also learn how to be
the duke. To fulfill his vow, he invents a dowry to assist in finding a
suitable match.
After her mother's death, Victoria became a governess for
Jon's sister, Chloe. Now that Chloe is grown, Tori has become her companion
instead of governess. This also gives Tori time to pursue her love of sculpting.
I enjoyed watching Jon and Tori's relationship develop. The
beginning is a little rough, as Jon doesn't expect Tori's independent nature. He
plans to find her a husband, while Tori isn't interested in marriage. She wants
to use her dowry to fund a school for women artists. I loved their interactions
as each fights for their own plans until they work out a compromise. I liked
how Tori held Jon to his promise. I laughed out loud at some of the art
lessons.
Neither expects the sparks of attraction that flare between
them. Tori doesn't intend to marry, as experience has convinced her that men
are unreliable. She has another compelling reason to avoid marriage that she
has kept secret from everyone. I understood her concerns and loved her protectiveness.
At the same time, Jon finds himself increasingly drawn to Tori. However, he is
wracked with guilt over her father's death and fears that she will hate him if
she learns the truth. I liked seeing both finally trust each other and
themselves enough to open up.
The ending was excellent, and I loved seeing how
everything worked out.
There is also a hint of mystery in this book that I
suspect will run through the entire trilogy. When Jon and his friends were
captives in France, they planned an escape. Unfortunately, they were betrayed
and recaptured. Now, they want to find out who was responsible. There is an
interesting twist involving one of their suspects.
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