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His Grace Regrets
When the Duke of Rothington abandoned Cressida Grenville on their wedding day she was completely brokenhearted. How could a love - and a man - she had believed in so completely have been a lie? Morgan disappeared without a word, leaving her to pick up the pieces.
Three years later, Cressida is ready to put the past behind her once and for all. She is about to embark on a new life when she marries Lord Robert Fairlie.
But then Rothington returns and the placid tenor of her life is turned upside down for the sight of him stirs up unwelcome memories. Of love, how it could be. Of passion barely restrained. But more than that, it makes her look for answers to the question that has plagued her for years. Why did he leave her? And why oh why has he come back...
Three years later, Cressida is ready to put the past behind her once and for all. She is about to embark on a new life when she marries Lord Robert Fairlie.
But then Rothington returns and the placid tenor of her life is turned upside down for the sight of him stirs up unwelcome memories. Of love, how it could be. Of passion barely restrained. But more than that, it makes her look for answers to the question that has plagued her for years. Why did he leave her? And why oh why has he come back...
194 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 7, 2013
29 people are currently reading
84 people want to read
About the author
Kate Harper
120 books50 followersLike most writers I've always read and I've always got something going on in my head, story-wise. Mostly dialogue - at least, I hope that's dialogue and not something more serious - which inevitably makes demands on me.
I can recall lying under my bed when I was nine with a candle, a piece of scrap paper and a pencil, rewriting a disappointing ending to a book that had been pretty good up until those final pages. I'd 'borrowed' a highly unsuitable romance from an elderly lady and had gobbled it down in a day. I took away three things from that first sojourn into making up my own, far more satisfactory world. 1/ the hero really needs to end up with the heroine, no matter how irritating she is cause that is what romance is all about. Happy endings, even if they're unexpected. 2/ I liked storytelling so much that maybe it was something I could do on a regular basis. My people could behave as they were supposed to. And... 3/ burning a candle under a pile of highly combustible bedding is a really stupid thing to do. Or so my mother pointed out. I'm lucky I'm not toast.
Writing is a wonderful escape and nothing says run away with me better than romance. So that's what I pursue... historical (particularly Regency... oh man, Regency. Where the men wore breeches and the women appreciated the fact), suspense and contemporary. You can always check them out on Amazon or at www.kate-harper.com. On a more personal note, I live with my partner (no breeches), my kids and a hoard of animals that shed fur into my coffee on a regular basis. We live in a particularly beautiful part of Victoria, in Australia and feel pretty lucky to do so.
I can recall lying under my bed when I was nine with a candle, a piece of scrap paper and a pencil, rewriting a disappointing ending to a book that had been pretty good up until those final pages. I'd 'borrowed' a highly unsuitable romance from an elderly lady and had gobbled it down in a day. I took away three things from that first sojourn into making up my own, far more satisfactory world. 1/ the hero really needs to end up with the heroine, no matter how irritating she is cause that is what romance is all about. Happy endings, even if they're unexpected. 2/ I liked storytelling so much that maybe it was something I could do on a regular basis. My people could behave as they were supposed to. And... 3/ burning a candle under a pile of highly combustible bedding is a really stupid thing to do. Or so my mother pointed out. I'm lucky I'm not toast.
Writing is a wonderful escape and nothing says run away with me better than romance. So that's what I pursue... historical (particularly Regency... oh man, Regency. Where the men wore breeches and the women appreciated the fact), suspense and contemporary. You can always check them out on Amazon or at www.kate-harper.com. On a more personal note, I live with my partner (no breeches), my kids and a hoard of animals that shed fur into my coffee on a regular basis. We live in a particularly beautiful part of Victoria, in Australia and feel pretty lucky to do so.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
November 23, 2015
This is a Regency romance with an interesting premise: three years earlier, the heroine, Cressida, was about to marry Morgan, Duke Hot-but-Mysterious, except that he failed to turn up for the wedding. Then he vanished, and no explanation was forthcoming. Now, she’s engaged to Mr Robert Nice-but-Dull. And guess what? Oh - so you knew Duke Sexy-Pants was going to turn up again? Well, so did I, of course, but this could still be an intriguing story, if only…
But wait a minute. This is a Duke here, one of only a handful of the top people in the country. A man with vast estates to run, and hordes of minions to do his bidding, and known to absolutely everyone in society, and he just disappeared? How is that even possible? There are only a handful of Dukes, and they’re not just rich and (apparently) devilishly handsome, but they also help to run the country. If one vanishes, half the army would have been sent to find him.
And even if (let’s suppose) something terribly urgent and important came up, delaying the wedding, later, when he returns from the terribly urgent and important thing, why doesn’t he simply look up the bride and say: so sorry, old thing, but something terribly urgent and important came up, but I’m free now, so let’s get married? Or he could have, you know, written a nice, long letter, explaining precisely what was keeping him.
But no. So this fails one of my acid tests, where the whole plot would unravel if they just talked to each other right away. And yes, there is an explanation for why he doesn’t explain everything, and no, I didn’t find it terribly convincing.
Then there’s Mr Nice-and-Deeply-Worthy, who is obviously going to get ditched at the end because - well, true love, and irresistible lust and all that, but it would have been nice if the author had at least attempted to make him a player who acts in his own interests instead of nothing but a passive obstacle for true love to overcome, someone to be swept out of sight as soon as the two main characters have stopped huffing around long enough to listen to each other.
In other grumbles, I do wish that authors of Regency romances would at least attempt to bone up on correct forms of address. The daughter of an Earl is always, always Lady Rosalie, and never, ever Lady Wortham. Then there are the incorrect uses of words like ‘doff’ and ‘distaff’ and ‘spencer’ (a rather fetching short-waisted coat, here described as a warm undergarment). So a little research wouldn’t go amiss.
One final grumble: there are typos and even grammatical errors on almost every page. This is such a shame, because the writing style is rather well suited to the period, without being difficult to read (apart from some over-long sentences). I don’t normally comment on these kinds of mistakes, because every book has its share, but sometimes I wondered whether this book had had any proofreading at all.
And despite all of that, I rather enjoyed the book. The settings and events felt realistic, and if the weather was somewhat convenient to the plot, it didn’t bother me. The main characters were quite believable and behaved (mostly) sensibly, if not always quite in keeping with the morality of the Regency period (but that’s not a problem). The minor characters (with the exception of Mr Nice-Doormat) were also realistically helpful and supportive and generally behaved like nice, normal people. The heroine’s family were particularly nice, and I loved the youngest daughter, Daisy. This is my favourite scene, where she’s playing some mysterious game:
‘What are you doing?’
‘Pirates.’ That one word seemed to say it all as far as the youngest Miss Grenville was concerned.
‘You are being rescued by them?’
‘I am the Pirate Queen,’ Daisy returned, apparently offended by the very idea that she would require rescuing. ‘People need rescuing from me.’
Lovely (and I’d totally read a whole book about Daisy). There are quite a few moments like this, where something wonderful shines through. For those who can overlook the implausibilities, this is a fun read. However, I have to be honest and say that what dragged this book down for me was the sheer volume of typos which spoiled an otherwise very readable story. The other problems were relatively minor and easy to overlook, but the poor editing keeps it to two stars.
But wait a minute. This is a Duke here, one of only a handful of the top people in the country. A man with vast estates to run, and hordes of minions to do his bidding, and known to absolutely everyone in society, and he just disappeared? How is that even possible? There are only a handful of Dukes, and they’re not just rich and (apparently) devilishly handsome, but they also help to run the country. If one vanishes, half the army would have been sent to find him.
And even if (let’s suppose) something terribly urgent and important came up, delaying the wedding, later, when he returns from the terribly urgent and important thing, why doesn’t he simply look up the bride and say: so sorry, old thing, but something terribly urgent and important came up, but I’m free now, so let’s get married? Or he could have, you know, written a nice, long letter, explaining precisely what was keeping him.
But no. So this fails one of my acid tests, where the whole plot would unravel if they just talked to each other right away. And yes, there is an explanation for why he doesn’t explain everything, and no, I didn’t find it terribly convincing.
Then there’s Mr Nice-and-Deeply-Worthy, who is obviously going to get ditched at the end because - well, true love, and irresistible lust and all that, but it would have been nice if the author had at least attempted to make him a player who acts in his own interests instead of nothing but a passive obstacle for true love to overcome, someone to be swept out of sight as soon as the two main characters have stopped huffing around long enough to listen to each other.
In other grumbles, I do wish that authors of Regency romances would at least attempt to bone up on correct forms of address. The daughter of an Earl is always, always Lady Rosalie, and never, ever Lady Wortham. Then there are the incorrect uses of words like ‘doff’ and ‘distaff’ and ‘spencer’ (a rather fetching short-waisted coat, here described as a warm undergarment). So a little research wouldn’t go amiss.
One final grumble: there are typos and even grammatical errors on almost every page. This is such a shame, because the writing style is rather well suited to the period, without being difficult to read (apart from some over-long sentences). I don’t normally comment on these kinds of mistakes, because every book has its share, but sometimes I wondered whether this book had had any proofreading at all.
And despite all of that, I rather enjoyed the book. The settings and events felt realistic, and if the weather was somewhat convenient to the plot, it didn’t bother me. The main characters were quite believable and behaved (mostly) sensibly, if not always quite in keeping with the morality of the Regency period (but that’s not a problem). The minor characters (with the exception of Mr Nice-Doormat) were also realistically helpful and supportive and generally behaved like nice, normal people. The heroine’s family were particularly nice, and I loved the youngest daughter, Daisy. This is my favourite scene, where she’s playing some mysterious game:
‘What are you doing?’
‘Pirates.’ That one word seemed to say it all as far as the youngest Miss Grenville was concerned.
‘You are being rescued by them?’
‘I am the Pirate Queen,’ Daisy returned, apparently offended by the very idea that she would require rescuing. ‘People need rescuing from me.’
Lovely (and I’d totally read a whole book about Daisy). There are quite a few moments like this, where something wonderful shines through. For those who can overlook the implausibilities, this is a fun read. However, I have to be honest and say that what dragged this book down for me was the sheer volume of typos which spoiled an otherwise very readable story. The other problems were relatively minor and easy to overlook, but the poor editing keeps it to two stars.
May 19, 2013
I don't think it was wise to read two Kate Harper books back to back. They are just way too wordy. Pages upon pages I can skip and still totally know what's going on...not good. This one was okay for me and would of gotten three stars until one of my pet peeves was broken. I cannot truly enjoy a book when there is intimate relations outside of marriage. Call me a prude all day, but this is something sacred to me. I also thought for this story it was totally unnecessary. The author waited until the very end and I was like..."what?" Also, does it not bother the author that when this happened the women was still engaged to someone else? Lust is not LOVE. Love is respectful and would of waited.
Rant done. :)
Rant done. :)
April 10, 2013
I rather like this book. It's the second I've read from this author and pretty entertain too. Two people so in love they can't wait until the next morning when they will get married. Next thing everyone knows the groom doesn't show up for the ceremony. There is no clear reason why he's missing and the girl is heart broken and worried. Years later he comes back as she is about to wed another. The love is still there for them both but she now to be someone else bride. Can the past be over come? Fun full of love and being true to ones self.
May 13, 2013
Nice book with a good storyline. I liked the characters, even though I thought some of their reasoning was a bit silly.
February 27, 2021
ok, first up, let’s be clear. The Big Misunderstanding (yes, it’s in capitals coz that’s how I always think of these things) could quite easily have been cleared up by a conversation. However, the reason why that conversation didn’t occur, is explained really well and felt very natural. So, even though normally I dislike Big Misunderstandings that hinge on hero and heroine not talking, I accepted it in this case, and even saw the reason for it.
I really liked Cressida’s courage in approaching Morgan on his return and also (ultimately) in being willing to listen to his explanation of why he’d left her. She’s a sensible heroine who thinks through things and accepts her feelings – even anger – in a fairly mature manner.
Morgan was an interesting hero too; he could have been depicted as your standard alpha male, hear me roar – but instead there was a more sympathetic portrayal of him which I really enjoyed. There were some hints of mental health issues too that I would have liked to see discussed more but you can’t have everything of course.
And of course I LOVED the strong female relationships. Not only did Cressida get along with her mother and sisters but she even had a female best friend! I kept waiting for the other shoe to fall (surely a Regency romance heroine couldn’t have four supportive female relationships??) but it didn’t, so yay!
I did find it very strange though that Cressida and Morgan had only been courting for three months, before their wedding day. Had they ‘posted the banns’ then that required 3 consecutive Sundays which meant only two months to fall in love and become engaged. Not inconceivable of course, but highly unlikely. Of course they could have purchased a Common License or acquired a Special License but there’s no mention of that.
And the mis-styling of Cressida’s friend – Lady Rosalie Wortham – bugged me as well. As the daughter of an earl her courtesy title should always be added before her given name, but there were some instances where the author simply wrote Lady Wortham which was her mother’s title.
These are minor irritations though and didn’t stop me enjoying the book.
Ultimately though I guess you want to know – did I feel the HEA was right? Was I left with a warm and fuzzy feeling or wishing I could get my money back?
Yes, I did feel the HEA was right. The two protagonists’ journey to be together seemed very believable and the explanation of why Morgan left Cressida on their wedding day made sense ultimately. I really enjoyed the strong female characters and I certainly hope that Cressida’s younger sister Daisy gets her own book soon.
(Check out my personal blog for more Traditional Regency Romance reviews)
I really liked Cressida’s courage in approaching Morgan on his return and also (ultimately) in being willing to listen to his explanation of why he’d left her. She’s a sensible heroine who thinks through things and accepts her feelings – even anger – in a fairly mature manner.
Morgan was an interesting hero too; he could have been depicted as your standard alpha male, hear me roar – but instead there was a more sympathetic portrayal of him which I really enjoyed. There were some hints of mental health issues too that I would have liked to see discussed more but you can’t have everything of course.
And of course I LOVED the strong female relationships. Not only did Cressida get along with her mother and sisters but she even had a female best friend! I kept waiting for the other shoe to fall (surely a Regency romance heroine couldn’t have four supportive female relationships??) but it didn’t, so yay!
I did find it very strange though that Cressida and Morgan had only been courting for three months, before their wedding day. Had they ‘posted the banns’ then that required 3 consecutive Sundays which meant only two months to fall in love and become engaged. Not inconceivable of course, but highly unlikely. Of course they could have purchased a Common License or acquired a Special License but there’s no mention of that.
And the mis-styling of Cressida’s friend – Lady Rosalie Wortham – bugged me as well. As the daughter of an earl her courtesy title should always be added before her given name, but there were some instances where the author simply wrote Lady Wortham which was her mother’s title.
These are minor irritations though and didn’t stop me enjoying the book.
Ultimately though I guess you want to know – did I feel the HEA was right? Was I left with a warm and fuzzy feeling or wishing I could get my money back?
Yes, I did feel the HEA was right. The two protagonists’ journey to be together seemed very believable and the explanation of why Morgan left Cressida on their wedding day made sense ultimately. I really enjoyed the strong female characters and I certainly hope that Cressida’s younger sister Daisy gets her own book soon.
(Check out my personal blog for more Traditional Regency Romance reviews)
March 12, 2025
I finished this and enjoyed the story but I was really surprised that the author released this without any apparent proofreading. There were so many errors it distracted from the story. I looked it up because I thought maybe this was her first book but it was not. I won’t be reading anymore from her but I hope for other readers that she improves in future books.
October 8, 2017
Kate Harper
I enjoy the majority of this authors work. Well written, great characters and entertainment. I hope you're are still writing. I have about twelve books of yours and I'm rereading them. Again.
I enjoy the majority of this authors work. Well written, great characters and entertainment. I hope you're are still writing. I have about twelve books of yours and I'm rereading them. Again.
January 6, 2020
Fantastic
I loved the story line. Couldn't wait to see Morgan and Cressida back together. Somehow knew that was going to happen.
I loved the story line. Couldn't wait to see Morgan and Cressida back together. Somehow knew that was going to happen.
December 5, 2019
What would you do if the man that left you in the alter suddenly came back into your life? That’s the exact same question Cressida asks herself when Rothington, the man who left her at the alter, suddenly returns to town. Cressida thought she had moved on from the hurt of being left, but when she runs into Rothington, she realizes that her feelings come back to the surface. What she really wants is answers, but will Rothington give them to her or will she be in the dark forever?
This story is told from both Cressida’s and Rothington’s points of view. The way Kate takes the reader into this magical world is so amazing, because you feel the characters emotions, and you visualize everything in your head while reading. I loved this book, and it made me feel so many different emotions. I laughed, I cried, I screamed, and I cheered. If you love a good historical romance, than you need to read this book as soon as possible!
This story is told from both Cressida’s and Rothington’s points of view. The way Kate takes the reader into this magical world is so amazing, because you feel the characters emotions, and you visualize everything in your head while reading. I loved this book, and it made me feel so many different emotions. I laughed, I cried, I screamed, and I cheered. If you love a good historical romance, than you need to read this book as soon as possible!
April 7, 2016
This was great but heart wrenching to read. A angst filled book that had me shaking my head the whole time. I felt sad for these two from the very beginning. I liked them both and knew something pretty bad was keeping them apart, and when you finally learn what it is you understand, where in a lot of books it's just not a good enough reason. The book flowed well you just have to know that in the kindle form there are no spacers when they are changing scenes it happens from one paragraph to the next. It didn't bother me. This book is in 4 points of view, I loved the little romance between there best friends, it gave the book the lighter feel it needed. This book has a adult feel to it, there were no sexual innuendo's, there was just a knowledge that these two were very attracted to each other. There is a sex scene but it is all behind closed doors, not much detail.
November 12, 2014
This was an engaging and compelling reading, that I almost couldn't put it down. Hadn't it been for NaNoWriMo I would have read it from the start to the end in a single session. Despite being a love story, it's not overly sugary and there's some action in the final part; but even the parts devoted only to feeling analysis made me want to turn the page.
As often happens to me, I fell in love with minor characters. This time they were Julian and Rosalie. I would gladly read more about them.
On the whole it's a novel I will recommend to all of you who loves a good love story and/or like the Regency period.
As often happens to me, I fell in love with minor characters. This time they were Julian and Rosalie. I would gladly read more about them.
On the whole it's a novel I will recommend to all of you who loves a good love story and/or like the Regency period.
March 30, 2013
This could have been greater and story plot far more appealing if the other man had at least a 50% chance with the heroine and not made it to be the typical third party character - boring, a sensible choice etc. Or worse, the third party in the love triangle turns out to be a villain. Such safe route when it comes down to choosing the ending pair.
But setting that aside, this was a good read. I like it when men admit they're in love and proud of it. Hats off to Morgan and his best friend for being that.
But setting that aside, this was a good read. I like it when men admit they're in love and proud of it. Hats off to Morgan and his best friend for being that.
September 8, 2014
An interesting premise that was not developed as well as it could (and should) have been. The storyline was predictable, and the characters were not as well developed as they could have been.
The book would have benefitted from a good copy editor. Several characters, including the hero, changed names; one gentleman's rank changed, then reverted to its former level. Regrettably, the author has no concept of proper forms of address for people with titles, particularly women.
The book would have benefitted from a good copy editor. Several characters, including the hero, changed names; one gentleman's rank changed, then reverted to its former level. Regrettably, the author has no concept of proper forms of address for people with titles, particularly women.
February 22, 2015
Great Title
I've recently discovered Kate Harper and, what good luck for me, she has a lengthy back list. I can't think of another author who can pack such emotion in such a short book unless it was Mary Balogh when she was writing her Signet stories in the 90s. star crossed lovers, snarky spy's, wonderful, local best friends. This one has them all. Buy it and sink into a great read. Enjoy.
I've recently discovered Kate Harper and, what good luck for me, she has a lengthy back list. I can't think of another author who can pack such emotion in such a short book unless it was Mary Balogh when she was writing her Signet stories in the 90s. star crossed lovers, snarky spy's, wonderful, local best friends. This one has them all. Buy it and sink into a great read. Enjoy.
December 13, 2016
A sad disappointment
Sad is the operative term. While I did manage to finish the book it was mostly from sheer stubbornness. I wanted to know (although I could guess) what ha happened to the hero. All of the major characters spend most of the book in misery. It is very tiresome. In addition, if there was any Editting, it was very badly done. What "his grace regrets", if anything, is that this story has been told.
Sad is the operative term. While I did manage to finish the book it was mostly from sheer stubbornness. I wanted to know (although I could guess) what ha happened to the hero. All of the major characters spend most of the book in misery. It is very tiresome. In addition, if there was any Editting, it was very badly done. What "his grace regrets", if anything, is that this story has been told.
April 17, 2024
lovely story.
Enjoyed this, apart from lady Rosalie being called Lady and her surname. Only her mother and paternal grandmother would be called by their surname after the title Lady. A daughter had the honorary title Lady, plus her forename - thus Lady Rosalie, or in reference, Lady Rosalie and her surname. Otherwise you might have several Lady Browns, for example, if a family had many daughters. Sry confusing. Hence using their forename…
Enjoyed this, apart from lady Rosalie being called Lady and her surname. Only her mother and paternal grandmother would be called by their surname after the title Lady. A daughter had the honorary title Lady, plus her forename - thus Lady Rosalie, or in reference, Lady Rosalie and her surname. Otherwise you might have several Lady Browns, for example, if a family had many daughters. Sry confusing. Hence using their forename…
March 17, 2013
I just loved this Kindle book. It is a well written brilliant plot, with sad, emotional parts, but a HEA ending.
I've read most if not all Kate Harper's work, and this comes out on top!
I've read most if not all Kate Harper's work, and this comes out on top!
March 31, 2013
I truly enjoyed this book. Very sweet. The characters were fleshed out well. I enjoyed the scarlet pimpernelesque quality.
March 31, 2013
Quick, easy enjoyable read, but a pity the reader wasn't kept in suspense as to why Morgan failed to turn up on his wedding day.
May 3, 2013
This was a pleasant regency story with nothing particular to make it stand out. The characters were engaging and the story line predictable, but not boring . I will read more by this author.
June 17, 2013
Lots of editing issues. Good storyline that doesn't quite get there.
September 1, 2016
3.5 a
October 16, 2014
Can I give this book more than five stars? It was excellent.
historical
January 8, 2019When the Duke of Rothington abandoned Cressida Grenville on their wedding day she was completely brokenhearted. How could a love - and a man - she had believed in so completely have been a lie? Morgan disappeared without a word, leaving her to pick up the pieces.
Three years later, Cressida is ready to put the past behind her once and for all. She is about to embark on a new life when she marries Lord Robert Fairlie.
But then Rothington returns and the placid tenor of her life is turned upside down for the sight of him stirs up unwelcome memories. Of love, how it could be. Of passion barely restrained. But more than that, it makes her look for answers to the question that has plagued her for years. Why did he leave her? And why oh why has he come back.
Three years later, Cressida is ready to put the past behind her once and for all. She is about to embark on a new life when she marries Lord Robert Fairlie.
But then Rothington returns and the placid tenor of her life is turned upside down for the sight of him stirs up unwelcome memories. Of love, how it could be. Of passion barely restrained. But more than that, it makes her look for answers to the question that has plagued her for years. Why did he leave her? And why oh why has he come back.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews