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An Infamous Marriage
Northumberland, 1815
At long last, Britain is at peace, and General Jack Armstrong is coming home to the wife he barely knows. Wed for mutual convenience, their union unconsummated, the couple has exchanged only cold, dutiful letters. With no more wars to fight, Jack is ready to attempt a peace treaty of his own.
Elizabeth Armstrong is on the warpath. She never expected fidelity from the husband she knew for only a week, but his scandalous exploits have made her the object of pity for years. Now that he's back, she has no intention of sharing her bed with him—or providing him with an heir—unless he can earn her forgiveness. No matter what feelings he ignites within her…
Jack is not expecting a spirited, confident woman in place of the meek girl he left behind. As his desire intensifies, he wants much more than a marriage in name only. But winning his wife's love may be the greatest battle he's faced yet.
At long last, Britain is at peace, and General Jack Armstrong is coming home to the wife he barely knows. Wed for mutual convenience, their union unconsummated, the couple has exchanged only cold, dutiful letters. With no more wars to fight, Jack is ready to attempt a peace treaty of his own.
Elizabeth Armstrong is on the warpath. She never expected fidelity from the husband she knew for only a week, but his scandalous exploits have made her the object of pity for years. Now that he's back, she has no intention of sharing her bed with him—or providing him with an heir—unless he can earn her forgiveness. No matter what feelings he ignites within her…
Jack is not expecting a spirited, confident woman in place of the meek girl he left behind. As his desire intensifies, he wants much more than a marriage in name only. But winning his wife's love may be the greatest battle he's faced yet.
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First published November 5, 2012
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October 26, 2012
This is easily one of the best historical romances I’ve read. The story of a marriage of convenience is not an unusual one in the genre, but what I really liked about this one was the fact that at least a third of the book is taken up with showing us what life is like for the protagonists after they have made a go of their marriage and admitted their love for one another. In many books, that’s more or less the end of the story, but not here.
The characterisation in the novel is excellent. Jack and Elizabeth come across as real people with real flaws, and their marriage, while eventually very happy, has its ups and downs, and they regularly tease each other about their annoying habits. Jack is a soldier through-and-through, having joined the army at sixteen and spent most of his life away from England in the US and mostly, Canada. The historical detail is well-researched in the sections which describe some of the actions in which he was involved, and I especially liked the way that the author showed us exactly what it meant – to Jack – to be a military man. There’s a moment in the last section of the book where he is recalled to active service where he says that at last, he feels like a whole man again; which is no reflection on his wife or his marriage, but it tells us so clearly how he defines himself. That is not to say that he is dissatisfied with the life he has with Elizabeth, and to her credit, she understands that; it’s just who he is.
Elizabeth is strong and capable; in her husband’s long absence, she learns to manage his home and farm and is making a place for herself in the rather limited local society until a malicious neighbour informs her rather gleefully of Jack’s activities over in Canada, and from that point, Elizabeth becomes reclusive, unwilling to subject herself to the scorn and pity of others.
I have to point out here that Jack is unfaithful to Elizabeth in the early days of their hasty marriage. I know that for some people adultery in a romance is a big no-no, and no matter how good the book is, they won’t want to read it. If that’s the case, then this might not be the book for you. But what happens happens “off-screen”, as it were, and while it’s not something one might wish to condone or excuse, I think the reader has to bear in mind that at the period at which the novel is set (and even today) even the best of husbands were not always faithful. Jack does have reasons for his behaviour – even though they can’t excuse it.
So the first part of the book details how Jack and Elizabeth eventually reconcile and fall in love, and it’s quite beautifully done, especially in the early stages, when Elizabeth is beginning to fall for the man writing her such charming letters. But when he returns, she doesn’t hold back her anger when telling him how much he has hurt her; this is another thing I liked very much in the book – this couple communicates verbally as well as sexually and their marriage is very much an equal partnership.
Naturally, things cannot remain as settled as they are, and as soon as Jack hears news of Napoleon’s escape from Elba, he is anxious for a new army posting. Elizabeth doesn’t understand his thirst for action, but she accompanies him to Brussels, where they wait and join the social whirl that is the calm before the storm of Waterloo.
But there is one more crisis to be faced when on the eve of the battle Elizabeth receives some information that could separate her and Jack forever.
I can’t recommend this book highly enough. The writing and characterisation are both excellent, and the relationship between Jack and Elizabeth is beautifully drawn. They are warm, fallible and somehow ordinary in a way that characters in novels often are not, so I mean that as a huge compliment!
I loved it, and am definitely looking forward to reading more work by this author.
With thanks to Carina Press and NetGalley for the review copy.
The characterisation in the novel is excellent. Jack and Elizabeth come across as real people with real flaws, and their marriage, while eventually very happy, has its ups and downs, and they regularly tease each other about their annoying habits. Jack is a soldier through-and-through, having joined the army at sixteen and spent most of his life away from England in the US and mostly, Canada. The historical detail is well-researched in the sections which describe some of the actions in which he was involved, and I especially liked the way that the author showed us exactly what it meant – to Jack – to be a military man. There’s a moment in the last section of the book where he is recalled to active service where he says that at last, he feels like a whole man again; which is no reflection on his wife or his marriage, but it tells us so clearly how he defines himself. That is not to say that he is dissatisfied with the life he has with Elizabeth, and to her credit, she understands that; it’s just who he is.
Elizabeth is strong and capable; in her husband’s long absence, she learns to manage his home and farm and is making a place for herself in the rather limited local society until a malicious neighbour informs her rather gleefully of Jack’s activities over in Canada, and from that point, Elizabeth becomes reclusive, unwilling to subject herself to the scorn and pity of others.
I have to point out here that Jack is unfaithful to Elizabeth in the early days of their hasty marriage. I know that for some people adultery in a romance is a big no-no, and no matter how good the book is, they won’t want to read it. If that’s the case, then this might not be the book for you. But what happens happens “off-screen”, as it were, and while it’s not something one might wish to condone or excuse, I think the reader has to bear in mind that at the period at which the novel is set (and even today) even the best of husbands were not always faithful. Jack does have reasons for his behaviour – even though they can’t excuse it.
So the first part of the book details how Jack and Elizabeth eventually reconcile and fall in love, and it’s quite beautifully done, especially in the early stages, when Elizabeth is beginning to fall for the man writing her such charming letters. But when he returns, she doesn’t hold back her anger when telling him how much he has hurt her; this is another thing I liked very much in the book – this couple communicates verbally as well as sexually and their marriage is very much an equal partnership.
Naturally, things cannot remain as settled as they are, and as soon as Jack hears news of Napoleon’s escape from Elba, he is anxious for a new army posting. Elizabeth doesn’t understand his thirst for action, but she accompanies him to Brussels, where they wait and join the social whirl that is the calm before the storm of Waterloo.
But there is one more crisis to be faced when on the eve of the battle Elizabeth receives some information that could separate her and Jack forever.
I can’t recommend this book highly enough. The writing and characterisation are both excellent, and the relationship between Jack and Elizabeth is beautifully drawn. They are warm, fallible and somehow ordinary in a way that characters in novels often are not, so I mean that as a huge compliment!
I loved it, and am definitely looking forward to reading more work by this author.
With thanks to Carina Press and NetGalley for the review copy.
July 23, 2016
Fraser's third novel confirms my opinion of her as a go-to writer for Regency romance that is actually set in the Regency rather than in that Never-Neverland mash-up that's been dubbed "The Recency" or "Almackistan." It's a gracefully written, authentic feeling story.
Soldier Jack Armstrong is too honorable to ignore a deathbed promise, and so he dutifully marries his best friend's widow just before heading back to the war. But his resentment about being forced to marry a "dull, cold mouse" leads him to live as if he was still a bachelor -- not realizing that word of his exploits in Canada could ever get back to his faithfully waiting wife. When he returns home after five years, he's astonished to realize that the dull, cold mouse is a strong, confident, attractive woman -- who wants no part of him.
Jack sets out to woo his wife and earn her forgiveness, and does so so successfully that the next time he goes to war against the French, she goes with him. But one ugly secret from Jack's past still remains hidden, like a poisonous snake waiting in the grass.
Fraser finds an excellent source of conflict here, in a generally brave and honorable man who unthinkingly behaves in a dishonorable and cowardly fashion. Jack's behavior is especially appalling because he doesn't make any allowances for the fact that Elizabeth had just lost her husband after nursing him for a week, and is naturally not at her best. I was touched by this description of her:
"Giles had always made her feel beautiful even though she knew otherwise. Now, staring at her reflection, she didn't even see passable prettiness. Even her eyes looked pale and weary. She closed them and rested her head in her hands…
No wonder Jack didn't want her. She didn't especially want herself."
The story seems very plausible in its setting. Elizabeth doesn't really expect strict faithfulness from her husband (especially since their marriage was unconsummated) but she does expect discretion and respect. Instead, her reward for tending to Jack's lands and his ailing mother is humiliation, and secret disgust with herself for having felt that she was falling in love with him through his witty, charming letters home. She has a genuine grievance, and Jack recognizes that, and is truly sorry and ashamed of his immaturity. His dangerous cowardice he doesn't recognize until almost too late.
Jack and Elizabeth are good together -- Jack definitely appreciates an assertive woman -- and I enjoyed watching them move towards attraction, trust and love. Though the tone of the book is generally serious, it's not without light moments:
"He held out his hand and she took it, cautiously. 'Even if you and I are a bad bargain, Elizabeth, I'd rather make the best of it than wish myself out of it.'
Both of them wore thick gloves against the chill day, but the pressure of his hand, the warm strength of his grip, still sent a jolt of awareness straight to her core. It was a solemn moment, and she almost told him that she would forgive him, eventually, and give him his heir -- and then the absurdity of the situation struck home and she began to laugh.
'What,' he ground out, dropping her hand, 'is so amusing?'
With difficulty she calmed herself enough to speak. 'We've established we don't wish each other dead. I suppose it's a beginning.' "
I was happy to read a historical romance in which the time period and setting actually matter, and influence the characters' behavior. I'm not an expert on historical detail, but the book generally felt right to me. (The author does mention some liberties she took with battle details in an afterward.) Fans of understated yet atmospheric Regencies like those by Carla Kelly and Edith Layton won't want to miss this.
(reviewed from e-arc via netGalley)
Soldier Jack Armstrong is too honorable to ignore a deathbed promise, and so he dutifully marries his best friend's widow just before heading back to the war. But his resentment about being forced to marry a "dull, cold mouse" leads him to live as if he was still a bachelor -- not realizing that word of his exploits in Canada could ever get back to his faithfully waiting wife. When he returns home after five years, he's astonished to realize that the dull, cold mouse is a strong, confident, attractive woman -- who wants no part of him.
Jack sets out to woo his wife and earn her forgiveness, and does so so successfully that the next time he goes to war against the French, she goes with him. But one ugly secret from Jack's past still remains hidden, like a poisonous snake waiting in the grass.
Fraser finds an excellent source of conflict here, in a generally brave and honorable man who unthinkingly behaves in a dishonorable and cowardly fashion. Jack's behavior is especially appalling because he doesn't make any allowances for the fact that Elizabeth had just lost her husband after nursing him for a week, and is naturally not at her best. I was touched by this description of her:
"Giles had always made her feel beautiful even though she knew otherwise. Now, staring at her reflection, she didn't even see passable prettiness. Even her eyes looked pale and weary. She closed them and rested her head in her hands…
No wonder Jack didn't want her. She didn't especially want herself."
The story seems very plausible in its setting. Elizabeth doesn't really expect strict faithfulness from her husband (especially since their marriage was unconsummated) but she does expect discretion and respect. Instead, her reward for tending to Jack's lands and his ailing mother is humiliation, and secret disgust with herself for having felt that she was falling in love with him through his witty, charming letters home. She has a genuine grievance, and Jack recognizes that, and is truly sorry and ashamed of his immaturity. His dangerous cowardice he doesn't recognize until almost too late.
Jack and Elizabeth are good together -- Jack definitely appreciates an assertive woman -- and I enjoyed watching them move towards attraction, trust and love. Though the tone of the book is generally serious, it's not without light moments:
"He held out his hand and she took it, cautiously. 'Even if you and I are a bad bargain, Elizabeth, I'd rather make the best of it than wish myself out of it.'
Both of them wore thick gloves against the chill day, but the pressure of his hand, the warm strength of his grip, still sent a jolt of awareness straight to her core. It was a solemn moment, and she almost told him that she would forgive him, eventually, and give him his heir -- and then the absurdity of the situation struck home and she began to laugh.
'What,' he ground out, dropping her hand, 'is so amusing?'
With difficulty she calmed herself enough to speak. 'We've established we don't wish each other dead. I suppose it's a beginning.' "
I was happy to read a historical romance in which the time period and setting actually matter, and influence the characters' behavior. I'm not an expert on historical detail, but the book generally felt right to me. (The author does mention some liberties she took with battle details in an afterward.) Fans of understated yet atmospheric Regencies like those by Carla Kelly and Edith Layton won't want to miss this.
(reviewed from e-arc via netGalley)
October 29, 2018
Okay wow, so he sows his wild oats wild and free and then when (some somewhere) war is over, it's England and home and farm and begetting of an heir and wifey for him (in that order) - even if said sheep and wife do not excite him one whit!
*Spoilerish*
Romance is boring and love is confused with sex.
Sex is non-vanilla but icky and affected.
His morals are cunning and clearcut - lying is okay till you get caught. I expect better from a soldier.
His grovel seems more like snivelling.
What else? The same old - the h's cleanup, her holding out turning out to be as determined as butter in hot sun.
Mentions of ow(plural) and their charms abound. That would be okay if I felt convinced of their/his falling-in-love.
My favorite part remains - "But nor did I go about confiding to all and sundry that I’d never wished to be a soldier’s wife, or complaining that you were shorter than Giles and not nearly so handsome.” Her eyes flashed and her lip curled with contempt. She made him feel sixteen again, five foot four and covered in spots, and he was fairly certain that was her precise intent.
This burn comes after she discovers his 'perfidy' and says that she too could have gone about humiliating him publicly but did not. Hee!
Anyways, skim skim I went.
*sigh* Lots of great reviews made me waste some better usable money!
*Spoilerish*
Romance is boring and love is confused with sex.
Sex is non-vanilla but icky and affected.
His morals are cunning and clearcut - lying is okay till you get caught. I expect better from a soldier.
His grovel seems more like snivelling.
What else? The same old - the h's cleanup, her holding out turning out to be as determined as butter in hot sun.
Mentions of ow(plural) and their charms abound. That would be okay if I felt convinced of their/his falling-in-love.
My favorite part remains - "But nor did I go about confiding to all and sundry that I’d never wished to be a soldier’s wife, or complaining that you were shorter than Giles and not nearly so handsome.” Her eyes flashed and her lip curled with contempt. She made him feel sixteen again, five foot four and covered in spots, and he was fairly certain that was her precise intent.
This burn comes after she discovers his 'perfidy' and says that she too could have gone about humiliating him publicly but did not. Hee!
Anyways, skim skim I went.
*sigh* Lots of great reviews made me waste some better usable money!
nevermind
December 18, 2017DNF
Jack and Elizabeth marry because of a promise to Elizabeth's dying husband, though neither is particularly excited about it. Jack doesn't think too highly of Elizabeth's looks or sex appeal (he compares her to the women he's had in the past), and he goes off to war without consummating the marriage, staying gone for several years. Eventually Elizabeth hears of his infidelity. Some of what she heard is wrong, but the fact remains that he slept with other women while they were apart and she's angry that he wasn't discreet. Then, THEN, after years of cold letters—years in which Jack has seen other women—he returns home and immediately wants to bone Elizabeth out of nowhere??!?
I was prepared to forgive Jack for his infidelity as long as he groveled well enough, but I guess I'll never find out if he does. He's such a creepy idiot. His behavior indicates that he's attempting to respect Elizabeth's wishes and boundaries, but his thoughts reveal he's not behaving that way because he actually *wants* to. It's kind of weird, actually. It's like he's just biding his time, being a good guy, until Elizabeth will let him sleep with her.
Jack and Elizabeth marry because of a promise to Elizabeth's dying husband, though neither is particularly excited about it. Jack doesn't think too highly of Elizabeth's looks or sex appeal (he compares her to the women he's had in the past), and he goes off to war without consummating the marriage, staying gone for several years. Eventually Elizabeth hears of his infidelity. Some of what she heard is wrong, but the fact remains that he slept with other women while they were apart and she's angry that he wasn't discreet. Then, THEN, after years of cold letters—years in which Jack has seen other women—he returns home and immediately wants to bone Elizabeth out of nowhere??!?
I was prepared to forgive Jack for his infidelity as long as he groveled well enough, but I guess I'll never find out if he does. He's such a creepy idiot. His behavior indicates that he's attempting to respect Elizabeth's wishes and boundaries, but his thoughts reveal he's not behaving that way because he actually *wants* to. It's kind of weird, actually. It's like he's just biding his time, being a good guy, until Elizabeth will let him sleep with her.
March 18, 2016
Buddy-read with Bubulinea.
Jack Armstrong and Elizabeth are two strangers who reluctantly married because of a promise they made to a dying husband and best friend. Jack, a military man stationed in Canada, returned to his post shortly after the wedding leaving Elizabeth at their home in Northumberland to take care of their farm and his ill mother. This was truly marriage of convenience, not consummated, and separated by continents. Their correspondence was giving them a chance to learn and even start liking each other. That is until two years later when the word of Jack’s infidelities in Canada reaches their small village. It changed everything, leaving Elizabeth stunned and humiliated. It appears Jack took his vows to his dying friend to marry his wife more seriously than his marriage ones. His life in Canada was not altered by marriage at all. People who knew him there were not even aware he had a wife. As for Elizabeth, I don’t think she expected fidelity from Jack, just discretion. It was the lack of discretion which also left her feeling as a fool in the eyes of her small community that seemed to be her real problem.
Fast forward three more years… Jack, General Jack Armstrong now, is coming home. He’s not looking forward to meeting this dull, cold mouse of creature also known as his wife. With any luck she’d bear a son on the first attempt and they could go back to avoiding each other. What he didn’t account for in all his careful reunion planning is the effect the separation would have on Elizabeth. When he last saw her five years ago, she was tired from nursing her dying husband, grieving, not taken care of herself, not eating properly, etc. Since then she learn how to successfully manage the farm. She also grew confidence and spine. So, basically, he's meeting a new woman. And this woman is ready for a confrontation, for a reunion planned by her rules! I cheered and applauded Elizabeth! She really put Jack through a needed wringer! Most of the story is about the couple learning to know and trust each other. Kudos to the author for making the reconciliation slow, nuanced, believable, and satisfying. As imperfect of a hero as Jack was, his remorse and willingness to make amends felt true. It also helped (not excused, but helped) to know Jack’s story (his insecurities while growing up, his resentment of his weakness in agreeing to the marriage, etc.). The author accomplished almost impossible task – I really wanted the imperfect marriage to succeed.
We've established we don't wish each other dead. I suppose it's a beginning.
Two things I knew for sure at the beginning of my reading journey:
1) Susanna Fraser is a writer who can pen a fabulous character-driven story, and
2) The main conflict of this particular story is the hero’s infidelity- always a risky subject in romance.
Jack Armstrong and Elizabeth are two strangers who reluctantly married because of a promise they made to a dying husband and best friend. Jack, a military man stationed in Canada, returned to his post shortly after the wedding leaving Elizabeth at their home in Northumberland to take care of their farm and his ill mother. This was truly marriage of convenience, not consummated, and separated by continents. Their correspondence was giving them a chance to learn and even start liking each other. That is until two years later when the word of Jack’s infidelities in Canada reaches their small village. It changed everything, leaving Elizabeth stunned and humiliated. It appears Jack took his vows to his dying friend to marry his wife more seriously than his marriage ones. His life in Canada was not altered by marriage at all. People who knew him there were not even aware he had a wife. As for Elizabeth, I don’t think she expected fidelity from Jack, just discretion. It was the lack of discretion which also left her feeling as a fool in the eyes of her small community that seemed to be her real problem.
Fast forward three more years… Jack, General Jack Armstrong now, is coming home. He’s not looking forward to meeting this dull, cold mouse of creature also known as his wife. With any luck she’d bear a son on the first attempt and they could go back to avoiding each other. What he didn’t account for in all his careful reunion planning is the effect the separation would have on Elizabeth. When he last saw her five years ago, she was tired from nursing her dying husband, grieving, not taken care of herself, not eating properly, etc. Since then she learn how to successfully manage the farm. She also grew confidence and spine. So, basically, he's meeting a new woman. And this woman is ready for a confrontation, for a reunion planned by her rules! I cheered and applauded Elizabeth! She really put Jack through a needed wringer! Most of the story is about the couple learning to know and trust each other. Kudos to the author for making the reconciliation slow, nuanced, believable, and satisfying. As imperfect of a hero as Jack was, his remorse and willingness to make amends felt true. It also helped (not excused, but helped) to know Jack’s story (his insecurities while growing up, his resentment of his weakness in agreeing to the marriage, etc.). The author accomplished almost impossible task – I really wanted the imperfect marriage to succeed.
Big thanks to my fellow reading traveler Bubulinea! You made the journey so much more memorable and enjoyable :)
October 9, 2019
I knew this would be a super angsty read and it is.
Does he redeem himself? I think so... But he will never be on my top list of romantic heroes.
################
but only 3 stars upon revisiting this one.
There is one part near the end that tarnishes what would have been a lovely grovel.
#########original review##################
When Jack's bff dies, he makes a deathbed promise to take care of his wife. So he marries Elizabeth and then promptly takes off for Canada for 5 long years. He resents marrying her and his last memory of her is of a dowdy sickly woman... well duh! She was grieving. She doesn't expect him to be faithful but he is so flagrant with his lovers that the news of it gets back to Jolly old England even from as far away as Canada.
So when he gets back, expecting her to if not jump for joy, at least welcome him home, he's needs to think again!
The sickly woman he left behind years ago, is now a woman of confidence and inner strength and has been single-handedly running his estate in his absence. He is intrigued but has to tread lightly. But he's kind of too much of a charmer to tread lightly. Still they hash it out and she demands to know the extent of his infidelity.
If only he had been entirely honest...
So it's a good read. Good characters, and nice prose. I thought Jack was a bit of an idiot, and too much the (boyish) charmer, but I did think he came to love Elizabeth deeply in his own fallible way. I can't honestly say I totally forgave him, but almost. I do think he will stay faithful.
My biggest pet peeve was the usual way author's try to balance the scale in these stories where the H is unfaithful. There's always some contrived reason for the h to have to apologize as well. It was unnecessary to the story and put a crimp in an otherwise lovely grovel.
But it wasn't that big a deal when all was said and done.
There's one place where she smacks him down well by pointing out that she wasn't that thrilled with the marriage at first either. Jack wasn't as tall or good looking as her first husband!
I liked how she would give as good as she got... and Jack's chickens had surely come home to roost!
Does he redeem himself? I think so... But he will never be on my top list of romantic heroes.
################
but only 3 stars upon revisiting this one.
There is one part near the end that tarnishes what would have been a lovely grovel.
#########original review##################
When Jack's bff dies, he makes a deathbed promise to take care of his wife. So he marries Elizabeth and then promptly takes off for Canada for 5 long years. He resents marrying her and his last memory of her is of a dowdy sickly woman... well duh! She was grieving. She doesn't expect him to be faithful but he is so flagrant with his lovers that the news of it gets back to Jolly old England even from as far away as Canada.
So when he gets back, expecting her to if not jump for joy, at least welcome him home, he's needs to think again!
The sickly woman he left behind years ago, is now a woman of confidence and inner strength and has been single-handedly running his estate in his absence. He is intrigued but has to tread lightly. But he's kind of too much of a charmer to tread lightly. Still they hash it out and she demands to know the extent of his infidelity.
If only he had been entirely honest...
So it's a good read. Good characters, and nice prose. I thought Jack was a bit of an idiot, and too much the (boyish) charmer, but I did think he came to love Elizabeth deeply in his own fallible way. I can't honestly say I totally forgave him, but almost. I do think he will stay faithful.
My biggest pet peeve was the usual way author's try to balance the scale in these stories where the H is unfaithful. There's always some contrived reason for the h to have to apologize as well. It was unnecessary to the story and put a crimp in an otherwise lovely grovel.
But it wasn't that big a deal when all was said and done.
There's one place where she smacks him down well by pointing out that she wasn't that thrilled with the marriage at first either. Jack wasn't as tall or good looking as her first husband!
I liked how she would give as good as she got... and Jack's chickens had surely come home to roost!
July 17, 2014
3 stars
"The rules of fair play do not apply in love and war."
-John Lyly
If there is one thing John Armstrong knows, it's war. He's wanted to be a soldier all his life and has done his best to become the best he could be. But, love... Love might be harder to gain. Especially since he's been married for 5 years to a woman he barely knows as a result to a pledge made to his dying friend. Fortunately he's spent those five years away at war. Unfortunately, he now has to get back to his ball and chain.
Elizabeth Armstrong doesn't know the first thing about war. The one fought with guns and swords, at least. When it comes to the battle of wills she is most definitely an experienced contender, to John's grief. And she has a lot to be angry about. First she loses her beloved husband to an illness, then she has to marry a man she doesn't know and THEN he has the gall to go off to war and behave scandalously. Really, if he couldn't or wouldn't stay faithful he could at least have been discreet. This way, she became an object of pity and gossip everywhere she went.
One thing's for sure: John's homecoming might not be exactly as he expected it to be.
The moment I read the synopsis of this book, I was intrigued. It sounded interesting and emotional and different. Sadly, it didn't all come true for me. The thing I had the most problem with was the shifting of emotions. It was all so unreal and fast-or so it seems to me. We see Elizabeth grieving and then a few pages later we're two years away and she reads John(Jack)'s letter and she concludes she loves him. I mean, I'd like to see her actually falling in love. I'd like to see why and how and all the rest.
The same thing happened with Jack. He reluctantly comes home resenting his wife and then he sees her and all of the sudden he wants her in his bed, in his arms and she's more or less in his heart. As I said, it was too much for me.
Basically the shifts and emotions that should've given the characters, and the story, depth were done in the way that made it all seem less realistic.
BUT, their time together after they accepted everything was sweet. And I liked the historical detail regarding Waterloo and the rest. It fit well in the story.
All in all, this was an enjoyable read that had the potential to be much more.
ARC provided by Carina Press via NetGalley
"The rules of fair play do not apply in love and war."
-John Lyly
If there is one thing John Armstrong knows, it's war. He's wanted to be a soldier all his life and has done his best to become the best he could be. But, love... Love might be harder to gain. Especially since he's been married for 5 years to a woman he barely knows as a result to a pledge made to his dying friend. Fortunately he's spent those five years away at war. Unfortunately, he now has to get back to his ball and chain.
Elizabeth Armstrong doesn't know the first thing about war. The one fought with guns and swords, at least. When it comes to the battle of wills she is most definitely an experienced contender, to John's grief. And she has a lot to be angry about. First she loses her beloved husband to an illness, then she has to marry a man she doesn't know and THEN he has the gall to go off to war and behave scandalously. Really, if he couldn't or wouldn't stay faithful he could at least have been discreet. This way, she became an object of pity and gossip everywhere she went.
One thing's for sure: John's homecoming might not be exactly as he expected it to be.
The moment I read the synopsis of this book, I was intrigued. It sounded interesting and emotional and different. Sadly, it didn't all come true for me. The thing I had the most problem with was the shifting of emotions. It was all so unreal and fast-or so it seems to me. We see Elizabeth grieving and then a few pages later we're two years away and she reads John(Jack)'s letter and she concludes she loves him. I mean, I'd like to see her actually falling in love. I'd like to see why and how and all the rest.
The same thing happened with Jack. He reluctantly comes home resenting his wife and then he sees her and all of the sudden he wants her in his bed, in his arms and she's more or less in his heart. As I said, it was too much for me.
Basically the shifts and emotions that should've given the characters, and the story, depth were done in the way that made it all seem less realistic.
BUT, their time together after they accepted everything was sweet. And I liked the historical detail regarding Waterloo and the rest. It fit well in the story.
All in all, this was an enjoyable read that had the potential to be much more.
ARC provided by Carina Press via NetGalley
November 9, 2012
I loved this book! It's one of those books where the more I think about it, the more I love it: the hero and heroine, the story, the tone, how everything is dealt with. I could go on AT LENGTH, so I'll just make a short list of two of my favorite things:
1. I love the hero and heroine. Normally part of the
wish-fulfillment fantasy of a romance for me (as a reader AND a writer) is imagining myself as a more heroic and dramatic PERSON, if that makes sense--like, "What if I were as fabulous as this heroine?" But I just felt like I could BE Elizabeth. So I got to directly experience the fantasy of "What if I, myself, were in this exciting situation?" Because I loved both of them to death but there was nothing "heroic" about their flaws. (Or maybe that's WHY I loved them so much!) Jack was just a guy who was insecure and afraid of confrontation and one time he said mean things about his wife behind her back. And Elizabeth was a good, competent person with a tendency towards self-righteous stubbornness. And it was AWESOME.
2. It's hard to resist the temptation to make the Duchess of
Richmond's ball (the big party thrown on the eve of Waterloo and attended by Wellington and many of his senior staff) as a metaphor for something: a last hurrah, an unforgiveable inability to take danger seriously, the British aristocracy's stiff upper lip, whatever. One thing I loved about this author's take was that the ball just felt the way it must have to the people there: a kind of weird event that you weren't sure how you were supposed to react to. In the whole Waterloo section I feel like she really captured how difficult it is for someone in the middle of a huge event to wrap their mind around HOW huge it is and how much it's really affecting them.
Sidenote: Infidelity is a huge squick for me, but the author handled it in a way where it didn't bother me at all (or at least, it bothered me that the hero did that, but the STORY didn't bother me--like I didn't see the hero as an arrogant jerk who got away with cheating, as I sometimes do. And I felt like the aftermath was dealt with perfectly.)
1. I love the hero and heroine. Normally part of the
wish-fulfillment fantasy of a romance for me (as a reader AND a writer) is imagining myself as a more heroic and dramatic PERSON, if that makes sense--like, "What if I were as fabulous as this heroine?" But I just felt like I could BE Elizabeth. So I got to directly experience the fantasy of "What if I, myself, were in this exciting situation?" Because I loved both of them to death but there was nothing "heroic" about their flaws. (Or maybe that's WHY I loved them so much!) Jack was just a guy who was insecure and afraid of confrontation and one time he said mean things about his wife behind her back. And Elizabeth was a good, competent person with a tendency towards self-righteous stubbornness. And it was AWESOME.
2. It's hard to resist the temptation to make the Duchess of
Richmond's ball (the big party thrown on the eve of Waterloo and attended by Wellington and many of his senior staff) as a metaphor for something: a last hurrah, an unforgiveable inability to take danger seriously, the British aristocracy's stiff upper lip, whatever. One thing I loved about this author's take was that the ball just felt the way it must have to the people there: a kind of weird event that you weren't sure how you were supposed to react to. In the whole Waterloo section I feel like she really captured how difficult it is for someone in the middle of a huge event to wrap their mind around HOW huge it is and how much it's really affecting them.
Sidenote: Infidelity is a huge squick for me, but the author handled it in a way where it didn't bother me at all (or at least, it bothered me that the hero did that, but the STORY didn't bother me--like I didn't see the hero as an arrogant jerk who got away with cheating, as I sometimes do. And I felt like the aftermath was dealt with perfectly.)
June 4, 2013
Five++ Stars!
I am a big fan of Carla Kelly's historical romances, so I can pay Susanna Fraser no higher compliment than to say that An Infamous Marriage is very Carla Kellyesqe. The plot, the pacing, and the characterization are all excellent. The story of how this marriage of convenience becomes a love match is deep and moving.
Actually, the plot is rather simple. Around 1810 newly knighted Major General Sir John (Jack) Armstrong returns to his family home in Yorkshire after years with the Army in Canada. He finds that his widowed mother has lost her mind and that his lifelong best friend, Giles, is dying. Giles persuades Jack to promise that he will marry Giles's soon-to-be widow, Elizabeth. Neither Jack nor Elizabeth is happy about this, but Jack is determined to keep his word and Elizabeth is a penniless, friendless widow with no options, so two days after Giles's funeral, off to Scotland they go. There is a need for speed because Jack has only a couple of weeks leave before he must return to Canada. By mutual agreement, he leaves with their marriage unconsummated.
Jack spends the next five years in Canada while Elizabeth nurses his mother and runs their horse-breeding farm. They write one another faithfully once a month and in that manner come to know, and indeed like, one another. Elizabeth grows from being a somewhat timid miss into a competent and confident woman. After a couple of years, however, gossip from Canada makes its way back to Elizabeth, and to everyone in her village. Jack has been indiscreetly carrying on with several other women, at least one of them married. Elizabeth is humiliated and virtually withdraws from local society. And then, Jack comes home.
Elizabeth immediately confronts him – a great scene, by the way – and informs him that she very likely wants a separation. The largest part of the book is the story of their eventual, sometimes uneasy, reconciliation. They argue; they hurt one another; they enjoy physical passion. This happens a little too fast for my taste, but the author shows a very realistic progress from a marriage of convenience to a partnership based on mutual respect and love.
Then, Napoleon escapes from Elba, and Jack is recalled to the army. Elizabeth is terrified and doesn’t want him to go, but Jack feels a strong sense of duty and something else: his entire self is wrapped up in being a soldier, and he tells Elizabeth that he finally feels whole again. Elizabeth accompanies Jack to Belgium, where she learns of a secret that Jack had been keeping from her. Yes, it’s that darn old secret-keeping, which really I could have done without.
This review doesn’t really show you what a beautiful, finely-crafted, moving story this is. So I’ll just have to tell you: this is a beautiful, finely-crafted, moving story. You should read it.
I am bewildered by the number of negative reviews of this book that are based almost entirely upon the Jack’s infidelity. Yes, during the five years that he lives 3,000 miles away from the wife he doesn’t love – doesn’t really even know – and didn’t want, he cheats. That is what makes this story of his profound regret and grateful redemption – and Elizabeth’s reluctant forgiveness -- so poignant. That is what makes this truly a love story. As one anti-cheating reviewer wrote, “I don't like infidelity in a romance, but if it has to be there, then this is how it should be done.”
Read this book.
I am a big fan of Carla Kelly's historical romances, so I can pay Susanna Fraser no higher compliment than to say that An Infamous Marriage is very Carla Kellyesqe. The plot, the pacing, and the characterization are all excellent. The story of how this marriage of convenience becomes a love match is deep and moving.
Actually, the plot is rather simple. Around 1810 newly knighted Major General Sir John (Jack) Armstrong returns to his family home in Yorkshire after years with the Army in Canada. He finds that his widowed mother has lost her mind and that his lifelong best friend, Giles, is dying. Giles persuades Jack to promise that he will marry Giles's soon-to-be widow, Elizabeth. Neither Jack nor Elizabeth is happy about this, but Jack is determined to keep his word and Elizabeth is a penniless, friendless widow with no options, so two days after Giles's funeral, off to Scotland they go. There is a need for speed because Jack has only a couple of weeks leave before he must return to Canada. By mutual agreement, he leaves with their marriage unconsummated.
Jack spends the next five years in Canada while Elizabeth nurses his mother and runs their horse-breeding farm. They write one another faithfully once a month and in that manner come to know, and indeed like, one another. Elizabeth grows from being a somewhat timid miss into a competent and confident woman. After a couple of years, however, gossip from Canada makes its way back to Elizabeth, and to everyone in her village. Jack has been indiscreetly carrying on with several other women, at least one of them married. Elizabeth is humiliated and virtually withdraws from local society. And then, Jack comes home.
Elizabeth immediately confronts him – a great scene, by the way – and informs him that she very likely wants a separation. The largest part of the book is the story of their eventual, sometimes uneasy, reconciliation. They argue; they hurt one another; they enjoy physical passion. This happens a little too fast for my taste, but the author shows a very realistic progress from a marriage of convenience to a partnership based on mutual respect and love.
Then, Napoleon escapes from Elba, and Jack is recalled to the army. Elizabeth is terrified and doesn’t want him to go, but Jack feels a strong sense of duty and something else: his entire self is wrapped up in being a soldier, and he tells Elizabeth that he finally feels whole again. Elizabeth accompanies Jack to Belgium, where she learns of a secret that Jack had been keeping from her. Yes, it’s that darn old secret-keeping, which really I could have done without.
This review doesn’t really show you what a beautiful, finely-crafted, moving story this is. So I’ll just have to tell you: this is a beautiful, finely-crafted, moving story. You should read it.
I am bewildered by the number of negative reviews of this book that are based almost entirely upon the Jack’s infidelity. Yes, during the five years that he lives 3,000 miles away from the wife he doesn’t love – doesn’t really even know – and didn’t want, he cheats. That is what makes this story of his profound regret and grateful redemption – and Elizabeth’s reluctant forgiveness -- so poignant. That is what makes this truly a love story. As one anti-cheating reviewer wrote, “I don't like infidelity in a romance, but if it has to be there, then this is how it should be done.”
Read this book.
October 28, 2018
***TWO STARS***
This story bored me silly. I wasn't fond of the heroine at all. I love this type of story when it's angsty and I can feel the pain suffered from the wife who feels unworthy of her husband. In this case, I couldn't stand the wife enough to care how she felt. For that matter, I wasn't overly fond of the hero either. Wish I had enjoyed this one a bit more.
This story bored me silly. I wasn't fond of the heroine at all. I love this type of story when it's angsty and I can feel the pain suffered from the wife who feels unworthy of her husband. In this case, I couldn't stand the wife enough to care how she felt. For that matter, I wasn't overly fond of the hero either. Wish I had enjoyed this one a bit more.
October 14, 2012
Thank you NetGalley and Carina Press for giving me the opportunity to read AN INFAMOUS MARRIAGE.
First, I need to say that infidelity in a ROMANCE tends to squick me out. I've stopped reading other books that have this element in them.
Having said that, THIS book made both of these characters human in their acts and reactions.
General Jack Armstrong felt badly the first time he broke his vows. And then figured that his wife, Elizabeth, back in England while he was in Canada, would never find out. And other men did it, right? AND in his mind they hadn't consummated their marriage which was based on a death bed promise...and she was a MOUSE and didn't want HIM either.
He didn't take a lot of things into consideration, just like a MAN!
But when he returns, after five long years, and she points out just where he went wrong in his thinking, he learns from his mistakes. He only holds one confession back, and, as a reader, you know that is going to come back and bite him in the behind.
I kept waiting, wondering how that was going to happen. It caused my tension levels to rise. And when the fallout happened? Yes, it hurt just like I thought it would.
I loved that Elizabeth put her thoughts out there. She let him see her anger, she didn't hide it.
There isn't an easy, "Oh, he is so hot, I'll just fall into his arms" trope. No, they have to work through this. And watching as they do made this a very enjoyable read.
First, I need to say that infidelity in a ROMANCE tends to squick me out. I've stopped reading other books that have this element in them.
Having said that, THIS book made both of these characters human in their acts and reactions.
General Jack Armstrong felt badly the first time he broke his vows. And then figured that his wife, Elizabeth, back in England while he was in Canada, would never find out. And other men did it, right? AND in his mind they hadn't consummated their marriage which was based on a death bed promise...and she was a MOUSE and didn't want HIM either.
He didn't take a lot of things into consideration, just like a MAN!
But when he returns, after five long years, and she points out just where he went wrong in his thinking, he learns from his mistakes. He only holds one confession back, and, as a reader, you know that is going to come back and bite him in the behind.
I kept waiting, wondering how that was going to happen. It caused my tension levels to rise. And when the fallout happened? Yes, it hurt just like I thought it would.
I loved that Elizabeth put her thoughts out there. She let him see her anger, she didn't hide it.
There isn't an easy, "Oh, he is so hot, I'll just fall into his arms" trope. No, they have to work through this. And watching as they do made this a very enjoyable read.
June 15, 2016
It was very well written, very simple, yet at the same time very engaging reading.
Unfortunatelly, lack of time, I could finish it in a long time and it caused break the enjoyment. However, with any other books, I would completly lost my intrest.
I like how author picturized the importance of communication and honesty in a relationship. How it helps to building trust and let other person come closer to you and then how they start to love each other.
There wasn't anything artificial about their relationship. I got tired of reading some big feelings, so called chemistry etc. but lack of evidence of actions or progresses in the stories. This book outshines other books about this aspect.
Another part I liked most is about the last war between English and French armies. Particularly, author made me wonder about Duke of Wellington. After the book, I read some short info about his life. That part was quite vivid and she described all the excitement and stress very vell. And of course, it made the romance and HEA after more effective.
Overall, it is one of the very good written, memorable books so far I read. I'm glad to read it and recommend it anyone who wants to read qualified HR book.
Unfortunatelly, lack of time, I could finish it in a long time and it caused break the enjoyment. However, with any other books, I would completly lost my intrest.
I like how author picturized the importance of communication and honesty in a relationship. How it helps to building trust and let other person come closer to you and then how they start to love each other.
There wasn't anything artificial about their relationship. I got tired of reading some big feelings, so called chemistry etc. but lack of evidence of actions or progresses in the stories. This book outshines other books about this aspect.
Another part I liked most is about the last war between English and French armies. Particularly, author made me wonder about Duke of Wellington. After the book, I read some short info about his life. That part was quite vivid and she described all the excitement and stress very vell. And of course, it made the romance and HEA after more effective.
Overall, it is one of the very good written, memorable books so far I read. I'm glad to read it and recommend it anyone who wants to read qualified HR book.
July 25, 2016
Buddy-read with Lyuda. And thanks again for another lovely buddy-read with you!
Since I read this together with Lyuda, and we agreed on actually every point, I'll be referring to her brilliant review a lot. She also provides a very good description of the plot which allows me to be lazy and leave it out. Sorry, love!
An Infamous Marriage is an exceptionally lovely story of two very normal people with normal backgrounds who first meet under sad circumstances and who unwillingly end up in a marriage of convenience. What makes this book so exceptional is its undramatic and quiet take on the problems Elizabeth and Jack face, their three dimensional characterisation, the topic of infidelity which is always difficult to pull off, the rich historical background and a writing style that never bored me. That being said, what connects all these things I've mentioned is the author's uncanny talent to give Elizabeth and Jack the space to talk and express their frustrations. To quote Lyuda: "The characters actually communicated with each other–what a novel concept!
Misunderstandings and non-communication sadly happen, and it's only natural they should be used as plot devices in many romance novels. What many author's often seem to forget, however, is that for a relationship to be believable, the main characters have to overcome them early enough to let their love and dedication for each other grow. This is what happens in An Infamous Marriage. To repeat what I said in another review: Two people talk, share, listen, experience and they fall in love.
Ms Fraser does a terrific job here. Elizabeth's and Jack's first encounter after five years is not easy to read. Elizabeth's bitterness about Jack's indiscretions, Jack's surprise that his wife is anything but the dowdy mouse he thought her to be when he married her, his shame, the question if and how they can make their marriage work; all put together in a dialogue that had me on edge. But it doesn't end there. They move forward. Not sure how it will play out, but there are little steps here and there, little gestures and the will to listen to each other.
And it's all down to Elizabeth, in my opinion. Had she been any different, I doubt I would have liked the book half as much. Elizabeth is a great character. A woman in shock when the book starts, mourning the death of her beloved husband. To get back to what Lyuda says in her review: "[...]this woman is ready for a confrontation, for a reunion planned by her rules! Elizabeth is a force to be reckoned with, but not in a loud and feisty way. Her setdown of Jack cuts to the point with a precision that makes him squirm, to say the least. Nonetheless, she shows a practicality and sensibility - combined with her quiet and reserved nature - that reminded me very much of Martha from A Lady Awakened. She knows that her marriage to Jack was the last wish of her dying husband and acknowledges that Jack was just as much frustrated. It's not the infidelity itself that hurts her so much; it's his indiscretion, the fact that his indiscretion lead to her being mocked in pitied in the small community she lived during their separation.
Jack, on the other hand, has to repair the mess he has caused and earn her forgiveness. He does it with enough humility and patience to make him a very likable hero. He's the more flawed character, if it can be called that. But his flaws are within reason. In Lyuda's words: "As imperfect of a hero as Jack was, his remorse and willingness to make amends felt true." Ms Fraser gives enough insight into his character and his motivations to make him simply human. Given the circumstances and context, his actions, although not necessarily romance hero material at first sight, make sense. Even the incredibly slap-worthy mistake he makes towards the end of the book is understandable.
And here we have another criteria of mine that is fundamental to me: make sense, give me a good reason, make me understand. Ms Fraser certainly succeeded in that.
So why 4 stars and not 5? There was a small problem with the pacing shortly after Elizabeth and Jack get together. Not that it became boring, but I knew something else would happen and it dragged a little. The other issue I had was with the last part where the focus shifted a little too much to the Battle of Waterloo while Elizabeth and Jack went through a major crisis. It was still highly interesting; it's just that I would have loved to see more of Elizabeth and Jack together at that moment. But, oh, the heart-melting letter Jack writes to Elizabeth...swoon-worthy!
Since I read this together with Lyuda, and we agreed on actually every point, I'll be referring to her brilliant review a lot. She also provides a very good description of the plot which allows me to be lazy and leave it out. Sorry, love!
An Infamous Marriage is an exceptionally lovely story of two very normal people with normal backgrounds who first meet under sad circumstances and who unwillingly end up in a marriage of convenience. What makes this book so exceptional is its undramatic and quiet take on the problems Elizabeth and Jack face, their three dimensional characterisation, the topic of infidelity which is always difficult to pull off, the rich historical background and a writing style that never bored me. That being said, what connects all these things I've mentioned is the author's uncanny talent to give Elizabeth and Jack the space to talk and express their frustrations. To quote Lyuda: "The characters actually communicated with each other–what a novel concept!
Misunderstandings and non-communication sadly happen, and it's only natural they should be used as plot devices in many romance novels. What many author's often seem to forget, however, is that for a relationship to be believable, the main characters have to overcome them early enough to let their love and dedication for each other grow. This is what happens in An Infamous Marriage. To repeat what I said in another review: Two people talk, share, listen, experience and they fall in love.
Ms Fraser does a terrific job here. Elizabeth's and Jack's first encounter after five years is not easy to read. Elizabeth's bitterness about Jack's indiscretions, Jack's surprise that his wife is anything but the dowdy mouse he thought her to be when he married her, his shame, the question if and how they can make their marriage work; all put together in a dialogue that had me on edge. But it doesn't end there. They move forward. Not sure how it will play out, but there are little steps here and there, little gestures and the will to listen to each other.
And it's all down to Elizabeth, in my opinion. Had she been any different, I doubt I would have liked the book half as much. Elizabeth is a great character. A woman in shock when the book starts, mourning the death of her beloved husband. To get back to what Lyuda says in her review: "[...]this woman is ready for a confrontation, for a reunion planned by her rules! Elizabeth is a force to be reckoned with, but not in a loud and feisty way. Her setdown of Jack cuts to the point with a precision that makes him squirm, to say the least. Nonetheless, she shows a practicality and sensibility - combined with her quiet and reserved nature - that reminded me very much of Martha from A Lady Awakened. She knows that her marriage to Jack was the last wish of her dying husband and acknowledges that Jack was just as much frustrated. It's not the infidelity itself that hurts her so much; it's his indiscretion, the fact that his indiscretion lead to her being mocked in pitied in the small community she lived during their separation.
Jack, on the other hand, has to repair the mess he has caused and earn her forgiveness. He does it with enough humility and patience to make him a very likable hero. He's the more flawed character, if it can be called that. But his flaws are within reason. In Lyuda's words: "As imperfect of a hero as Jack was, his remorse and willingness to make amends felt true." Ms Fraser gives enough insight into his character and his motivations to make him simply human. Given the circumstances and context, his actions, although not necessarily romance hero material at first sight, make sense. Even the incredibly slap-worthy mistake he makes towards the end of the book is understandable.
And here we have another criteria of mine that is fundamental to me: make sense, give me a good reason, make me understand. Ms Fraser certainly succeeded in that.
So why 4 stars and not 5? There was a small problem with the pacing shortly after Elizabeth and Jack get together. Not that it became boring, but I knew something else would happen and it dragged a little. The other issue I had was with the last part where the focus shifted a little too much to the Battle of Waterloo while Elizabeth and Jack went through a major crisis. It was still highly interesting; it's just that I would have loved to see more of Elizabeth and Jack together at that moment. But, oh, the heart-melting letter Jack writes to Elizabeth...swoon-worthy!
avoid
January 15, 2018Infidelity
Cheesecake's Review
Cheesecake's Review
March 19, 2014
I am a bit of a stickler for accuracy in the historical romances I read. To come across some mistake which could have been avoided by a 30 second browse through Wikipedia, or a quick read of one of the many easy guides to life in the past (like Jane Austen's England) strikes me, to be honest, as a bit lazy or sloppy in an author.
Then you come across romances, like this one, provided by the publisher through netgalley, in which the accuracy and detail is not only really solid, but beautifully woven into a lovely story, and it makes me sigh with pleasure.
Rather than have a swaggering hero destroying the ladies of the ton at some Society ball or other after some hypothetical Regency-era battle, this story has you actually, physically located at the Battle of Waterloo and in Brussels, before, during and just after the battle itself. The end reminded me very much of part of Vanity Fair (one of my favorite books BTW, since the heroine is actually an anti-heroine), and the descriptions of what happened and the order of play, as it were, are accurate as far as I can tell, and really well integrated into the story.
As for the characters and the story itself, I was in two minds really. The story is extremely good. The marriage on a ridiculously short acquaintance followed by a very long separation is not one which you usually read about in historical romances, at least, not in this context, but feels realistic to me. Likewise, the shifting emotions, the need to actually get to know one another after the long separation, setting and battling expectations, while accepting that there is no way out of what one has settled for, is far more complex and challenging than most of the Regency romances I've ever read.
I did have a bit of a problem with how quickly the hero and heroine were attracted to the other, particularly the hero, but this was the only thing which let the story down for me. The fact that neither the hero nor the heroine were perfect, and struggled to accept their own imperfections, while demanding perfection of the other, felt so real it was uncanny. What marriage or relationship doesn't suffer from that?
Anyway, 4 stars. I very much enjoyed this, although it doesn't knock The Sergeant's Lady from the top spot of my faves by this author.
Then you come across romances, like this one, provided by the publisher through netgalley, in which the accuracy and detail is not only really solid, but beautifully woven into a lovely story, and it makes me sigh with pleasure.
Rather than have a swaggering hero destroying the ladies of the ton at some Society ball or other after some hypothetical Regency-era battle, this story has you actually, physically located at the Battle of Waterloo and in Brussels, before, during and just after the battle itself. The end reminded me very much of part of Vanity Fair (one of my favorite books BTW, since the heroine is actually an anti-heroine), and the descriptions of what happened and the order of play, as it were, are accurate as far as I can tell, and really well integrated into the story.
As for the characters and the story itself, I was in two minds really. The story is extremely good. The marriage on a ridiculously short acquaintance followed by a very long separation is not one which you usually read about in historical romances, at least, not in this context, but feels realistic to me. Likewise, the shifting emotions, the need to actually get to know one another after the long separation, setting and battling expectations, while accepting that there is no way out of what one has settled for, is far more complex and challenging than most of the Regency romances I've ever read.
I did have a bit of a problem with how quickly the hero and heroine were attracted to the other, particularly the hero, but this was the only thing which let the story down for me. The fact that neither the hero nor the heroine were perfect, and struggled to accept their own imperfections, while demanding perfection of the other, felt so real it was uncanny. What marriage or relationship doesn't suffer from that?
Anyway, 4 stars. I very much enjoyed this, although it doesn't knock The Sergeant's Lady from the top spot of my faves by this author.
February 19, 2017
One word review: competent.
Damning with faint praise? A little.
I feel pretty passive about the whole experience of this book, which may say more about my current headspace than the book itself.
This was a pleasant, even, well-written romance with some good sex. It was period appropriate and I liked the heroine a lot. The romance between the H/h developed nicely, starting from a place of animosity and growing into believable love. By the end I was very much sold on them as a good married couple with comfortable dialogue and solid physical and emotional interactions.
However, there was too much tell and not enough show. The characters motivations or thoughts were often articulated when there was simply no need – the reader can get there. The set up for the last minute conflict occurred quite early on in the book and practically came with a banner emblazoned with the words: THIS WILL BE A BIG ISSUE LATER. It felt contrived and made the hero seem like an idiot.
That said, I passed some acceptable hours with this. But, it needed the dial turning up on pretty much every aspect in order to pass beyond the realm of competent into the land of great.
Damning with faint praise? A little.
I feel pretty passive about the whole experience of this book, which may say more about my current headspace than the book itself.
This was a pleasant, even, well-written romance with some good sex. It was period appropriate and I liked the heroine a lot. The romance between the H/h developed nicely, starting from a place of animosity and growing into believable love. By the end I was very much sold on them as a good married couple with comfortable dialogue and solid physical and emotional interactions.
However, there was too much tell and not enough show. The characters motivations or thoughts were often articulated when there was simply no need – the reader can get there. The set up for the last minute conflict occurred quite early on in the book and practically came with a banner emblazoned with the words: THIS WILL BE A BIG ISSUE LATER. It felt contrived and made the hero seem like an idiot.
That said, I passed some acceptable hours with this. But, it needed the dial turning up on pretty much every aspect in order to pass beyond the realm of competent into the land of great.
October 13, 2012
I don't like infidelity in a romance, but if it has to be there, then this is how it should be done.
Very solid 4/5 stars, with a full review to follow.
Very solid 4/5 stars, with a full review to follow.
November 18, 2012
I'll start by saying that the only reason I didn't enjoy this story completely is because of a personal story-reading taste of mine that I think most people don't share -- and the very incident that poked me in this sore spot was later resolved in one of the nicest parts of the whole novel -- so now I think it was all worth it.
An Infamous Marriage has one of my very favorite kinds of romance: the kind in which there's some sort of marriage of convenience that begins when the parties are (at best) not mutually in love, and then the rest of the plot is about how they work together to build a mutually-satisfying relationship. I like these romances best when the parties agree to avoid sex at first, so that their physical relationship develops along with the rest of the ways in which they relate to one another.(Sherry Thomas's Ravishing the Heiress is another 2012 release that does this very well.)
In the case of An Infamous Marriage, the protagonists Elizabeth and Jack have quite a lot to work through. Jack is a career army officer, while Elizabeth doesn't want the anxiety of being a soldier's wife; neither of them really know at first what to make of owning a farm; and then, in the book's central conflict, they have to figure out together how to feel about and react to the early part of their marriage when Jack had other lovers -- not only to the simple fact of this, but to the social consequences of gossip about Jack's behavior reaching Elizabeth and her neighbors.
There are little details that reinforce how much their story is about their mutual decisions about how to live -- as when they're talking about their surprise at coming into some good fortune, and their uncertainty as to how to change their lives to fit: Elizabeth says, "I don't know what to do. I don't know how to be" and Jack says, "Neither do I. We'll work it out together." Or when it suddenly occurs to Jack that it's possible for him to think of the malicious neighborhood gossip who's intimidated him all his life as a person of little significance, and his first reaction is to tell Elizabeth about this insight. "Lady Dryden seemed entirely stripped of her fangs and claws now that Jack and Elizabeth had agreed her opinions no longer mattered."
Given that much of An Infamous Marriage is about the hero and heroine learning to know and trust each other, I'm glad that Fraser decided to have them talk explicitly about deferring sex until they both really wanted it. A lot of marriage-of-convenience plots have the sex start straight away, so that it's sometimes done in anger and sometimes is the only thing that the couple has in common, and both of those feel uncomfortably nonconsensual to me. Here, Elizabeth and Jack agree to wait until they have arrived at an accord in other ways. This agreement adds to their developing sexual tension; it also gives a great deal of emotional power to the one sex scene in which they're not in perfect accord. In this scene, they've just learned that Jack has been given a command in the impending resumption of the Napoleonic war. Jack is exultant; he initiates sex because he feels celebratory and virile. Elizabeth is scared and angry at Jack for being so excited at the prospect of more war and his own possible death. She still wants sex, but for once they're at emotional odds. This scene says so much about their personalities and their relationship; it wouldn't have such a strong effect if they'd been having lust-and-conflict-driven sex the whole time.
Lastly I want to note that the Battle of Waterloo and the Duchess of Richmond's ball on its eve play an important part in the conclusion of the novel. Even though those events have found their way so many times into literature, I wasn't tired of them in Fraser's account. Rose Lerner's review has a good explanation of this.
An Infamous Marriage has one of my very favorite kinds of romance: the kind in which there's some sort of marriage of convenience that begins when the parties are (at best) not mutually in love, and then the rest of the plot is about how they work together to build a mutually-satisfying relationship. I like these romances best when the parties agree to avoid sex at first, so that their physical relationship develops along with the rest of the ways in which they relate to one another.(Sherry Thomas's Ravishing the Heiress is another 2012 release that does this very well.)
In the case of An Infamous Marriage, the protagonists Elizabeth and Jack have quite a lot to work through. Jack is a career army officer, while Elizabeth doesn't want the anxiety of being a soldier's wife; neither of them really know at first what to make of owning a farm; and then, in the book's central conflict, they have to figure out together how to feel about and react to the early part of their marriage when Jack had other lovers -- not only to the simple fact of this, but to the social consequences of gossip about Jack's behavior reaching Elizabeth and her neighbors.
There are little details that reinforce how much their story is about their mutual decisions about how to live -- as when they're talking about their surprise at coming into some good fortune, and their uncertainty as to how to change their lives to fit: Elizabeth says, "I don't know what to do. I don't know how to be" and Jack says, "Neither do I. We'll work it out together." Or when it suddenly occurs to Jack that it's possible for him to think of the malicious neighborhood gossip who's intimidated him all his life as a person of little significance, and his first reaction is to tell Elizabeth about this insight. "Lady Dryden seemed entirely stripped of her fangs and claws now that Jack and Elizabeth had agreed her opinions no longer mattered."
Given that much of An Infamous Marriage is about the hero and heroine learning to know and trust each other, I'm glad that Fraser decided to have them talk explicitly about deferring sex until they both really wanted it. A lot of marriage-of-convenience plots have the sex start straight away, so that it's sometimes done in anger and sometimes is the only thing that the couple has in common, and both of those feel uncomfortably nonconsensual to me. Here, Elizabeth and Jack agree to wait until they have arrived at an accord in other ways. This agreement adds to their developing sexual tension; it also gives a great deal of emotional power to the one sex scene in which they're not in perfect accord. In this scene, they've just learned that Jack has been given a command in the impending resumption of the Napoleonic war. Jack is exultant; he initiates sex because he feels celebratory and virile. Elizabeth is scared and angry at Jack for being so excited at the prospect of more war and his own possible death. She still wants sex, but for once they're at emotional odds. This scene says so much about their personalities and their relationship; it wouldn't have such a strong effect if they'd been having lust-and-conflict-driven sex the whole time.
Lastly I want to note that the Battle of Waterloo and the Duchess of Richmond's ball on its eve play an important part in the conclusion of the novel. Even though those events have found their way so many times into literature, I wasn't tired of them in Fraser's account. Rose Lerner's review has a good explanation of this.
February 13, 2023
Historical romance of Jack and Elizabeth
This book was ok. Jack is a military dude, he goes to visit his BFF, and is shocked to find him on his death bed. Elizabeth has been married to the BFF for a week, and the BFF basically coerces both of them to agree that they will marry as his death wish. They basically marry like 2 days later, and he immediately leaves for war. They don't consummate the wedding.
A lot of reviewers have issues with his cheating ways, he is not celibate for the 5 years he is living in Canada. Maybe I've had too much wine, but I actually felt like she was more off base than him. Basically, she is angry because her nasty neighbor happens to have a cousin living in Canada...eyeroll... and finds out about his three lovers he has and finds joy in sharing it with the town. I could see why she was embarrassed, but he married her because his BFF begged him to because she was penniless and homeless. I mean she had literally just buried her husband, she had just met Jack, so I found it harder to believe she fell in love with him and had all these hurt feelings when they had spent a few days together, and then he was gone for years.
Call me heartless, but I thought she should have just been appreciative she had a nice house to live in and was set up for life.
My issue was that I thought the plot was unrealistic, and just couldn't get invested in either of them. Their feelings for each other didn't make sense. She was too sensitive, and he lied when he didn't need to. The conflict felt lazy just to give them something to fight about.
This book was ok. Jack is a military dude, he goes to visit his BFF, and is shocked to find him on his death bed. Elizabeth has been married to the BFF for a week, and the BFF basically coerces both of them to agree that they will marry as his death wish. They basically marry like 2 days later, and he immediately leaves for war. They don't consummate the wedding.
A lot of reviewers have issues with his cheating ways, he is not celibate for the 5 years he is living in Canada. Maybe I've had too much wine, but I actually felt like she was more off base than him. Basically, she is angry because her nasty neighbor happens to have a cousin living in Canada...eyeroll... and finds out about his three lovers he has and finds joy in sharing it with the town. I could see why she was embarrassed, but he married her because his BFF begged him to because she was penniless and homeless. I mean she had literally just buried her husband, she had just met Jack, so I found it harder to believe she fell in love with him and had all these hurt feelings when they had spent a few days together, and then he was gone for years.
Call me heartless, but I thought she should have just been appreciative she had a nice house to live in and was set up for life.
My issue was that I thought the plot was unrealistic, and just couldn't get invested in either of them. Their feelings for each other didn't make sense. She was too sensitive, and he lied when he didn't need to. The conflict felt lazy just to give them something to fight about.
November 8, 2012
3.25 Stars.
There was some great parts in the middle, where he was earning back her trust and she was striving forward, but all of the society stuff and battles takes away from it. I couldn't wait for the book to be over.
There was some great parts in the middle, where he was earning back her trust and she was striving forward, but all of the society stuff and battles takes away from it. I couldn't wait for the book to be over.
February 14, 2022
Meh. Not bad.
I related to the heroine and I supported her most of the time. Hero was just ok...not sure when or why he fell in love with his wife...I wish there had been more to it.
I related to the heroine and I supported her most of the time. Hero was just ok...not sure when or why he fell in love with his wife...I wish there had been more to it.
February 11, 2016
I love a marriage of convenience story more than almost anything, and this was a very good one. Major-General Jack Armstrong, has been away from England and his wife, Elizabeth, for five years. They'd married after Giles, Jack's best childhood friend and Elizabeth's husband of only a fortnight, fell horribly ill and made them promise to wed if he should die. Elizabeth had no family to take care of her, and Giles wants his friend to make sure she was secure and safe after his death.
Jack takes his word of honor as a soldier and a gentleman seriously, so even though he has no desire to marry the thin, mousy, grief-stricken Elizabeth and she has no desire to marry a total stranger, they go through with the wedding days after Giles' death. Less than two weeks after they meet, Jack returns to his army duties in Canada, leaving his marriage unconsummated and his bride to take care of Jack's invalid mother and the family's farm. During their first two years apart, Jack and Elizabeth write letters back and forth, getting to know and become quite fond of one another. But then a gossipy neighbor tells Elizabeth the news she's heard from a friend in Canada -- that Jack has been carrying on affairs during the years he's been gone. Elizabeth is hurt and betrayed, not because she expected her stranger husband to remain celibate for years, but because he was so indiscreet that he made a laughingstock of her back home. Without ever telling him why, her letters to Jack become cold and distant. His become distant in return, and for three years they barely communicate. And then peacetime forces Jack to come home and face the wife he'd left behind.
One of the best things about this book is that the characters actually talk to each other about the things they're feeling. From the minute Jack walks back into the house after half a decade away, Elizabeth is clear with him about why she is angry, and he's honest with her about how hurt he was by her sudden, inexplicable coldness. As they get to know each other and fall in love, they are truthful and adult in their conversations -- with the exception of one guilty secret Jack keeps to himself, which later threatens to destroy the love, trust, and passion that has grown up between them.
These two characters felt very real and believable to me -- their vulnerabilities, as well as their strengths. Well-written, well-paced, with lovely, honest relationship development; it's a really good book. Some of the other reviewers here on Goodreads said it reminded them of a Carla Kelly novel, and based on the one Kelly book I've read so far, the beautiful The Wedding Journey, I can see why. I highly recommend An Infamous Marriage, especially for those with a soft spot for stories where a marriage begins with duty and ends with devotion.
Jack takes his word of honor as a soldier and a gentleman seriously, so even though he has no desire to marry the thin, mousy, grief-stricken Elizabeth and she has no desire to marry a total stranger, they go through with the wedding days after Giles' death. Less than two weeks after they meet, Jack returns to his army duties in Canada, leaving his marriage unconsummated and his bride to take care of Jack's invalid mother and the family's farm. During their first two years apart, Jack and Elizabeth write letters back and forth, getting to know and become quite fond of one another. But then a gossipy neighbor tells Elizabeth the news she's heard from a friend in Canada -- that Jack has been carrying on affairs during the years he's been gone. Elizabeth is hurt and betrayed, not because she expected her stranger husband to remain celibate for years, but because he was so indiscreet that he made a laughingstock of her back home. Without ever telling him why, her letters to Jack become cold and distant. His become distant in return, and for three years they barely communicate. And then peacetime forces Jack to come home and face the wife he'd left behind.
One of the best things about this book is that the characters actually talk to each other about the things they're feeling. From the minute Jack walks back into the house after half a decade away, Elizabeth is clear with him about why she is angry, and he's honest with her about how hurt he was by her sudden, inexplicable coldness. As they get to know each other and fall in love, they are truthful and adult in their conversations -- with the exception of one guilty secret Jack keeps to himself, which later threatens to destroy the love, trust, and passion that has grown up between them.
These two characters felt very real and believable to me -- their vulnerabilities, as well as their strengths. Well-written, well-paced, with lovely, honest relationship development; it's a really good book. Some of the other reviewers here on Goodreads said it reminded them of a Carla Kelly novel, and based on the one Kelly book I've read so far, the beautiful The Wedding Journey, I can see why. I highly recommend An Infamous Marriage, especially for those with a soft spot for stories where a marriage begins with duty and ends with devotion.
April 26, 2017
There is a lot to love about this book. There was also a lot that bugged me. First, you need to know that this book centers around a couple who have an unconsummated marriage of convenience. They are virtual strangers. Jack leaves right away for Canada and goes on to have several very scandalous affairs while there. Elizabeth never expected faithfulness from a man she barely knows, but she did expect respect and discretion.
Wow, this book is full of angst. I don't know why I read books like this when I really hate a cheater. I guess the fact that they really are strangers makes the bitter pill a bit easier to swallow. And I wanted to see if the author could pull this off.
I loved Elizabeth. She is no doormat. She is strong and kind. When Jack comes home expecting to just hop in bed he's surprised by the new Elizabeth he meets.
I didn't like Jack's internal dialogue. He was a pig. He was only sorry he got caught. I kept reading to see if he would change his thoughts and realize the harm he caused and what he might have lost. And he does change, but only to a certain extent. We don't get to really feel his regret and suffering over his poor choices. We're mostly just told that he feels bad. Sorry, that didn't cut it for me. I needed more emotion from him. He says all the right things and is charming and good. But I needed more.
The ending was a bit boring for me with too much detail about the battle of Waterloo. I do think this book was beautifully written and the author does a good job of redeeming our jerk of a hero. But I can't give it more than 3 stars.
Wow, this book is full of angst. I don't know why I read books like this when I really hate a cheater. I guess the fact that they really are strangers makes the bitter pill a bit easier to swallow. And I wanted to see if the author could pull this off.
I loved Elizabeth. She is no doormat. She is strong and kind. When Jack comes home expecting to just hop in bed he's surprised by the new Elizabeth he meets.
I didn't like Jack's internal dialogue. He was a pig. He was only sorry he got caught. I kept reading to see if he would change his thoughts and realize the harm he caused and what he might have lost. And he does change, but only to a certain extent. We don't get to really feel his regret and suffering over his poor choices. We're mostly just told that he feels bad. Sorry, that didn't cut it for me. I needed more emotion from him. He says all the right things and is charming and good. But I needed more.
The ending was a bit boring for me with too much detail about the battle of Waterloo. I do think this book was beautifully written and the author does a good job of redeeming our jerk of a hero. But I can't give it more than 3 stars.
November 25, 2017
I have always like Fraser's writing. I loved Elizabeth, who she was, how she turned out. There was nothing magical or extraordinary about her. Her beauty was the kind that people find for themselves, in themselves and in those they love. Her faults were real, her virtues those than many possess.
Like many romances, the characters are pushed apart by something that perhaps would have been resolved by talking. But Fraser made me buy it. I knew, I expected it and I still was engaged.
So why only 2 stars? Because I felt truly disappointed by the author's handling of the First Nations and Native Americans mentioned in the text. Despite offering specific meetings/engagements, etc., she did not name a tribe, referring to all as "Indians" at best. Sometimes "red" came in as a descriptor. A woman is referred to as Metis in one place but a half-breed in another. I cannot promise that savage or something similar isn't there, given the tone. It was a huge disappointment and took me right out of the story. I wish she had put more research, effort and sensitivity into that aspect of the text.
Like many romances, the characters are pushed apart by something that perhaps would have been resolved by talking. But Fraser made me buy it. I knew, I expected it and I still was engaged.
So why only 2 stars? Because I felt truly disappointed by the author's handling of the First Nations and Native Americans mentioned in the text. Despite offering specific meetings/engagements, etc., she did not name a tribe, referring to all as "Indians" at best. Sometimes "red" came in as a descriptor. A woman is referred to as Metis in one place but a half-breed in another. I cannot promise that savage or something similar isn't there, given the tone. It was a huge disappointment and took me right out of the story. I wish she had put more research, effort and sensitivity into that aspect of the text.
May 15, 2016
There js something about two people intentionally or randomly thrown together into a marriage, and what they make of it, that really interests me. I thought that the premise of a dying husband asking his wife and his best friend to marry each other was awkwardly set up, but it did the trick of getting Elizabeth and Jack married so we could get on to the meat of the story.
It was interesting that Jack, a man who keeps his word and who has a strong sense of honor, thought nothing of cheating on the woman he married. The focus was mainly on how the two 'strangers' dealt with Jack's infidelity when he returned after a five year separation. I liked that the heroine showed a strength and will in confronting her returning husband head on about his infidelity. The author did this without having to resort to the "plucky heroine" caricature. Elizabeth was strong but she also had many fears which kept her from living her life to the fullest during her husband's caricature.
This was a heartwarming read. Solid 4 stars.
It was interesting that Jack, a man who keeps his word and who has a strong sense of honor, thought nothing of cheating on the woman he married. The focus was mainly on how the two 'strangers' dealt with Jack's infidelity when he returned after a five year separation. I liked that the heroine showed a strength and will in confronting her returning husband head on about his infidelity. The author did this without having to resort to the "plucky heroine" caricature. Elizabeth was strong but she also had many fears which kept her from living her life to the fullest during her husband's caricature.
This was a heartwarming read. Solid 4 stars.
November 11, 2016
An unremarkable historical romance. Army captain married widow of best friend because said friend made him promise. They got married and guy left to go to war and continued living as if he was single. When he finally had to go home, wife was pissed off because she had heard about his infidelity and was not ready to forgive and forget.
The plot itself is ok, I can see that with a plot like this, the book could have really been something. But the book was rather bland. I flipped through the pages and was bored most of the time. Yeah yeah ok you had to get marry, ok he left and she was thinking of him while he slept around, ok she was very angry, ok he was not exactly prince charming. Such thoughts went though my head as I read along. I flew through this book because nothing was worth mulling over. Nothing exciting, it was like watching a puppet show for me. I don't know what is missing. I just wasn't terribly interested.
The plot itself is ok, I can see that with a plot like this, the book could have really been something. But the book was rather bland. I flipped through the pages and was bored most of the time. Yeah yeah ok you had to get marry, ok he left and she was thinking of him while he slept around, ok she was very angry, ok he was not exactly prince charming. Such thoughts went though my head as I read along. I flew through this book because nothing was worth mulling over. Nothing exciting, it was like watching a puppet show for me. I don't know what is missing. I just wasn't terribly interested.
May 2, 2020
This was an excellent story about two individuals who had a marriage of convenience. Despite a few typos here and there, it was well-written. The author did a phenomenal job developing the relationship between the hero and heroine. I found their story believable, with solid character development. The heroine is a badass and the hero spends most of the book groveling. There is definitely cheating on the hero's part after he marries the heroine. So this book won't be for everyone.
The only boring part of this book is the war coverage, but that's only because I was reading this book for the romance, not for a history lesson. I do, however, appreciate the historical research that the author has done; her note at the end was very interesting.
The only boring part of this book is the war coverage, but that's only because I was reading this book for the romance, not for a history lesson. I do, however, appreciate the historical research that the author has done; her note at the end was very interesting.
July 28, 2018
Well-written w/ engaging storyline which carries into the Battle of Waterloo. But unfortunately, among other things, this is 2nd book this month in which info/statements from the beginning of the book undermined credibility/believability @ the back-end.
Romance too rushed/underdeveloped. Never felt that the H redeemed himself; IMO, he was deceptive, selfish & cowardly for 99% of the book who seemed to confess & apologise for repeated adultery only *after* being found out. What import, that?
Add to that the h, who started out strongly but seemed to turn into a besotted noodle. Is that love?
BUT... liked writing style so probably will give this author another go in future.
Romance too rushed/underdeveloped. Never felt that the H redeemed himself; IMO, he was deceptive, selfish & cowardly for 99% of the book who seemed to confess & apologise for repeated adultery only *after* being found out. What import, that?
Add to that the h, who started out strongly but seemed to turn into a besotted noodle. Is that love?
BUT... liked writing style so probably will give this author another go in future.
February 12, 2022
You know those books where they say I love you at 99% completed and never again with no epilogue. This is not one of those.
Luckily for readers the romance is sweet and not rushed, they actually say I love you multiple times. You see them grow from friends to lovers and it's very believable and passionate. Not once did the heroine not be true to herself. And the hero had the appropriate amount of groveling when necessary. Despite their forced beginning I felt a lot of confidence in their relationship.
The last 40% is all about war with a tiny little bit of drama left in there. It all together a really good read.
Luckily for readers the romance is sweet and not rushed, they actually say I love you multiple times. You see them grow from friends to lovers and it's very believable and passionate. Not once did the heroine not be true to herself. And the hero had the appropriate amount of groveling when necessary. Despite their forced beginning I felt a lot of confidence in their relationship.
The last 40% is all about war with a tiny little bit of drama left in there. It all together a really good read.
September 25, 2022
If you’re looking for a well written book about a British general during the revolution And later the napoleonic last battle, this is for you. The romance was bogged down in the art of war. The h marries his bffs widow ( deathbed promises)and immediately heads to Canada to manage British troops fighting against Americans. He has a lot of mistresses etc. He refers to the h as plain and undesirable. The h stays perfectly chaste for 5 years.He has his fun in Canada for 5 years
Constantly on the prowl. News of his sleazy manwhore ways make it home to his wife and everyone in the village. He finally comes home At the end of the war. He decides he wants an heir so he needs to make nice With his wife..she’s changed…. She has that special something beyond beauty that makes a woman a cut above. He apologizes alot. I skimmed alot. They travel and he gets in the last skirmish with the french. She forgives him for all of his screwing around and they live hea.
Constantly on the prowl. News of his sleazy manwhore ways make it home to his wife and everyone in the village. He finally comes home At the end of the war. He decides he wants an heir so he needs to make nice With his wife..she’s changed…. She has that special something beyond beauty that makes a woman a cut above. He apologizes alot. I skimmed alot. They travel and he gets in the last skirmish with the french. She forgives him for all of his screwing around and they live hea.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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