The Soldier

Windham #2

by Grace Burrowes

A New York Times and USA Today bestseller from Grace Burrowes's lush Regency series, featuring the beloved Windham family and a duke obsessed with getting his sons married...

A weary soldier home from war
A beautiful neighbor who could be his salvation

Even in the quiet countryside, Devlin St. Just, the oldest but illegitimate son of the Duke of Moreland, can find no peace. His idyllic estate is falling down from neglect and nightmares of war give him no rest. Then Devlin meets his new neighbor...

With her confident manner, the lovely Emmaline Farnum commands all of Devlin's attention, even when he realizes the previous owner's five-year-old daughter has become a nearly feral fixture on his property. Calling on Emmaline to become the girl's governess, he soon learns that she can nurture him too, in ways no other woman ever has before...

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical, Regency, Historical Fiction, Audiobook, Fiction

410 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 23, 2011

About the author

Grace Burrowes started writing as an antidote to empty nest and soon found it an antidote to life in general. She is the sixth out of seven children, raised in the rural surrounds of central Pennsylvania. Early in life she spent a lot of time reading romance novels and practicing the piano. Her first career was as a technical writer and editor in the Washington, DC, area, a busy job that nonetheless left enough time to read a lot of romance novels.

It also left enough time to grab a law degree through an evening program, produce Beloved Offspring (only one, but she is a lion), and eventually move to the lovely Maryland countryside.

While reading yet still more romance novels, Grace opened her own law practice, acquired a master's degree in Conflict Transformation (she had a teenage daughter by then) and started thinking about writing.... romance novels. This aim was realized when Beloved Offspring struck out into the Big World a few years ago. ("Mom, why doesn't anybody tell you being a grown-up is hard?")

Grace eventually got up the courage to start pitching her manuscripts to agents and editors. The query letter that resulted in "the call" started out: "I am the buffoon in the bar at the RWA retreat who could not keep her heroines straight, could not look you in the eye, and could not stop blushing--and if that doesn't narrow down the possibilities, your job is even harder than I thought." (The dear lady bought the book anyway.)

To contact Grace, email her at graceburrowes@yahoo.com.

Reviews

[ReadKnitHoard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked this book. But…

I've now read two GB books (The Heir and The Soldier), and I have an issue with them. Both have had a strong, promising, 5-star beginning and middle, but a weaker ending. The heroines have a tendency to keep secrets beyond what is reasonable—at least to me as the reader—and it makes me want to whack them over the head with something solid. So it ruins some of the joy of the book for me. But that's just my opinion, and I'm totally going to read what else she produces.

[Miranda Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grace Burrowes writes so beautifully and so wittily, the first half was fantastic, wonderful characters introduced and the hero and heroine's attraction established with wit and emotion. Then everything goes angst-y, churn-y and to me, unappealing. She cries a lot, and I mean a lot, but doesn't explain herself to him. Repeatedly. He wants to understand her issues and proves himself to be honorable. He continues to be a great guy who is suffering his own torments thanks to PTSD, her inexplicable misery and the aftershocks of mind-blowing sex they enjoy after she's been on one of her crying jags. And the cute little urchin becomes a brat, though reasons for it are clearly explained. Still, it's a bummer that what began so beautifully devolved and dragged on. I wish either she had confided to him sooner or waited to fuck him senseless, or an editor had shortened this endless churning so the conflict could've been resolved without the repetitive boo-hoo-I-won't-tell-you-but-I'll-happily-screw-you mind games.

I ended up thinking he deserved better than her; but then, that happens in real life. So perhaps this is the strength of her story and I just prefer more fairy tale in my fairy tale romances.

[OLT · Rating 2 out of 5]

I confess to not being a fan of Burrowes first hit, THE HEIR. It was too long, had way too much lemonade and marzipan, and an exasperating heroine with a Secret that turned out to be so anti-climactic that it left me asking "Is that all there is? What's the problem anyway, lady? Just marry the guy and be done with it."

I have now read THE SOLDIER. It is way too long, has too many baked goods, and an exasperating heroine with another mountain-out-of-a-molehill Secret which causes her to behave like an idiot. And we have an added new annoyance: a 6-year-old kid named Winnie. Now, I like kids. I added some to the world's population and they in turn produced some I now enjoy as a grandmother. But this 6-year-old is unnatural and I could not warm up to her, although everyone in the story seemed to think the world needed to revolve around her.

In addition, Burrowes' menfolk are unnatural. So in touch with their feelings it's incredible, so able to channel their loving, affectionate, emotional feminine side, while at the same time so hunky, sexy, to-die-for. There's a lot of warm fuzziness in this story, with brotherly male bonding, adult-child bonding, male-female bonding, so much warm fuzziness and sweetness that I felt myself in danger of a yeast infection or at the very least a sugar-induced migraine attack.

And there's that big Puzzle to me: Heroine Emmie and her dealings with young Winnie. She's been taking care of the child for quite some time but can't get across basic table manners and personal hygiene? Not to mention the puzzle of her willingness to just up and desert said child.

Hero ex-soldier St. Just is the best thing in the book, but even he doesn't live up to the hopes I had for him when reading the conclusion to THE HEIR. He's excessively sensitive and caring and his struggle with PTSD is not developed as well as it should be. We are told he suffers from terrible rages at times, but I found him to be less cranky and volatile than me and Andy Rooney put together.

And what's the deal with Winnie anyway? During Regency times I'd imagine children were seldom seen or heard and preferably seen only by appointment with their nanny or governess. Eating meals with grown-ups? Ridiculous. Anachronisms abound in this book, from the interaction of adults with children to the idea of a female baker doing such successful business considering her standing in the community to the way the men and women here related to each other with so much ease and familiarity even upon first meeting, to tiered wedding cakes that I don't believe showed up until Victorian times, etc.

The book was overly long and tedious to read, IMO. The love story wasn't good enough to make up for this. St. Just deserved to find a better love than Emmie.

[Sammy Loves Books · Rating 2 out of 5]

***2.5 Unnecessary Drama Stars***




Now that I've finished the 2nd book of this series, I've noticed a trend. The Heroes are attractive, smart, great listeners, honest, loving...otherwise perfect men. The heroines however are smart and independent but make ridiculously poor decisions.





Emma refuses to marry the hero, Devlin St. Just, whom she loves, and tells him she will marry another man. St. Just is the legal guardian of her secret love child, that she pretends is her cousin. I never understood her thought process. I mean why would she choose to NOT marry the man she loved who happens to be the guardian of her little girl??? None of it made a bit of sense!! She could have had raised her daughter and had her beefcake too.


Devlin St. Just is an ex soldier, and has just been given the title of Earl. In addition to the title, he becomes the guardian to a 6 year old wild child, Winnie. She is rude, dirty, stubborn, and curses. She has no manners and acts as if she's been raised in a barn. Emma, who has supposedly been taking care of Winnie hasn't taught her table manners, or basic manners towards adults. St. Just however immediately cleans her and whips her into shape in the coarse of a few days







In addition to my issues with the plot, weak heroine, and the wild child, there were a lot of things that just annoyed me. Devlin brought up the subject of menses to the point of exhaustion. Congratulations!! You know what a period is!! But it's an inappropriate subject to keep discussing in a historical romance. At one point Emma was crying about something and he asked her if she were expecting her menses. I mean... that's just wrong!, LOL





I just don't know if I will continue this series. Each book has started out promising as a 4 star and have digressed to a 2.5 with weak weepy heroines, an unhealthy focus on food, and zero external conflict.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read: 8/20/24
Meh.
This wasn't a bad story, and I liked the MC. The problem was that the book was like a weaker version of The Heir. The stories were too similar to each other, except the h's secret was more obvious in this book.

It's crazy how the titled men on this family are okay with marrying the help. This time, the h was a cook. I guess if you can cook yummy treats and make lemonade, then you are golden in this family! It's not realistic, but that's okay.

Again, I might have liked this book more if I hadn't read book 1. Still, it was a sweet story but a little boring in some places.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

Forget the blurb. This is one of the best (and one of my favourite) historical romances of the year.

I read the first in Burrowes' Duke's Obsession series - The Heir - ages ago and while I enjoyed it, I felt lost throughout most of it. It seemed to feel like there was a lot of character and story arc background missing. Therefore, I picked up The Soldier with fairly low expectations and was ecstatic to discover how well-written and brilliant it was.

Devlin St Just is an absolute dream. I remember being a little starry eyed over him in The Heir as the illegitimate first son of a duke and older brother to the hero. He didn't disappoint me in this at all. He is a character that expects a lot from people but also leads by example. He doesn't suffer fools and isn't easily persuaded by people. He has beliefs and morals and sticks to them but he takes others' feelings into consideration. He literally had me from the beginning when he stumbles across a child intruder in his new home and manages to engage both the child, the heroine and myself in a matter of a few pages.

Emmaline (Emmie) Farnum is our heroine who I had a serious girl crush on up until the 70% mark. She was very self aware, sensible and independent but not to the point of denying assistance from St Just when she required it. I adored watching their friendship blossom and was so excited for it to go further but of course something always has to happen to create drama in these things.

Emmie lost me a little when she decided that the local vicar was a far better catch than St Just. Well not really, but she didn't deny him or put a stop to it when she had the multiple opportunities. And then when we finally find out what was going on with her, I guess I can understand her emotions to a point but again - Things Left Unsaid never help anyone, do they?

All in all a fabulous book that I heartily recommend. Grace Burrowes' writing is utterly entrancing, I love it. So looking forward to the third in the trilogy - The Virtuoso (Valentine's book) - and the new series featuring the Windham sisters! *starry eyes*

[Caz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review from 2016

B for narration; B- for content - 3.5 stars rounded up.

The Soldier is the second book in Grace Burrowes’ eight-book series about the sons and daughters of the Duke and Duchess of Windham and, as with the first book (The Heir), it features a number of recurring characters and family members. That said, the story works well as a standalone; anyone starting with the series here shouldn’t have any particular problems working out the various friendships and familial relationships.

Devlin St. Just is the Duke of Windham’s eldest son, although he was born on the wrong side of the blanket some time before the duke met and married his duchess. In fact, the duke was unaware of Devlin’s existence until he was around five years old, when his mother decided it would be better for her boy to be brought up in the comfort and security a ducal family would provide. Devlin was accepted into the family with open arms, growing up with his legitimate half-brothers and sisters and loved by them and by the duchess who looked upon him as she did her own sons.

A decorated war hero, Devlin has been given the title Earl of Rosemont in recognition of his services, and has inherited the estate of the same name in Yorkshire, which is somewhat dilapidated and in need of some TLC- rather like Devlin himself as it turns out. One of the first people he encounters is a young urchin he quickly discovers is the illegitimate daughter of the previous owner of the estate, the Earl of Helmsley (who was the villain in The Heir). Bronwyn is five years old and was accepted by both her father and grandfather, but with no mother to guide her, she has more or less run wild. The only person to have really cared for her is her cousin, Emmaline (Emmie) Farnham, a young woman who makes her living as a baker. Emmie is good at what she does, but she is working herself into the ground to keep her business going and this means she doesn’t always have much time for Winnie.

Once Devlin realises who Bronwyn is, he also realises that there is something about the little girl’s circumstances that strikes a chord with him and decides to take responsibility for her. She has led an unsettled life, and with no family around her has become very dependent on Emmie, whom she often pushes to the limit of her patience. Even though Devlin was lucky enough to have been brought up in a large, loving family, there is still that little boy within who wonders why his mother didn’t want him; and he knows instinctively that it is important for Winnie to feel loved and accepted and to have some element of stability to her life.

Emmie and Devlin are drawn together initially by their shared interest in Winnie’s welfare, but Devlin is soon surprised to notice the stirrings of desire, something he hasn’t felt since coming home a couple of years previously. The attraction is mutual; Devlin is handsome, kind and protective, and having a man care for her and be concerned for her isn’t something Emmie has ever experienced. Yet she isn’t a suitable match for an earl, even a newly-created one. She is illegitimate and lives on the fringes of society, and is not really accepted by the local gentry, even though she is obviously a lady by temperament. As the story progresses, she and Devlin become closer and their desire for each other is impossible to deny; but there is part of her life that Emmie is determined to keep secret – and while Devlin knows that she is deliberately shutting him out and trying to distance herself, he is at a loss to understand why.

One of the criticisms I’ve often seen levelled at Grace Burrowes’ books is that they tend to be repetitive. I won’t refute that, because it’s true at times – although I will say that there are many authors out there whose work could attract the same epithet, but they are putting out only one book a year compared to Ms. Burrowes’ six or ten, so perhaps that repetitiveness is less obvious. But I can’t deny that the storylines in both The Heir and The Soldier are very similar. In The Heir, the hero – who is the son of a duke – falls for a woman well below his station in life who is keeping A Big Secret. And in The Soldier, the hero – who is the son of a duke – falls for a woman well below his station… you get the picture. That said, however, there is no doubting Ms. Burrowes’ ability to write human emotion and human experience, and she is unparalleled when it comes to writing children that are convincing and actually think and act like children and are not simply convenient plot devices.

Devlin is a lovely hero, a caring, compassionate man who feels things deeply and who is still struggling to come to terms with his experiences of war. Today, we’d recognise his condition as PTSD, but of course, back when the book is set, nobody had heard of such a thing. He has flashbacks and nightmares, and even now, battles with the urge to seek relief at the bottom of a bottle. But with the help of his youngest brother, Valentine, he has begun to overcome his craving, although he still has bad days when it gets the better of him.

The big stumbling block for me in this book is the character of Emmie. Ms. Burrowes’ female characters are normally engaging and sympathetic, but Emmie comes across as indecisive, a bit whiny and, in the later stages of the book, overly weepy. As in the previous book, the secret she is keeping is not much of a secret to readers, and is something that could have been dealt with in a simple conversation. I found it difficult to accept that she could know and love Devlin without understanding that he would not condemn her for it.

James Langton gives another strong performance here, maintaining the same Irish accent he used for Devlin in the previous story, and portraying other, common supporting characters consistently with the earlier book. I was a little surprised, on listening to The Heir, that he had chosen to give Devlin an accent, because the character grew up in an English household, went to English schools and spent most of his life amongst the English aristocracy, so I would have expected him to have lost it. But accent is a useful method of differentiation for any narrator, and Mr. Langton makes a good job of it, so I’m not complaining.

His portrayal of Emmie is also more than decent, and, for the most part, he manages not to fall into the trap of making her sound too high pitched at key moments in the story (which l noted in his portrayal of Anna in the previous book); and I liked his interpretation of Valentine, who sounds appropriately youthful and jaunty. Once again, though, I confess to being less than pleased with Mr. Langton’s characterisation of Douglas, Lord Amery, who, as anyone who has read his story (Lonely Lords #8) will know, is young, handsome and a new father – yet he sounds like he’s in his dotage.

Overall, however, I continue to enjoy this narrator’s easy-on-the-ear voice and his affinity for Ms. Burrowes’ distinctive way with words. While there are some aspects of this performance that are stronger than others, it’s well-paced and expressive, and the positives definitely outweigh the negatives. The Soldier isn’t an audiobook that’s going to set the world alight, but it’s a solid addition to the growing number available from this author/narrator team.

[Luana ☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This family is definitely a touchy one. That is the first thing that really stands out. How much they hug, touch and say I love you.

Like the first book in this series, in this book the heroine was VERY wify. Always thinking about food and how to make others more comfortable.

I liked the hero. He's a very decent guy. But hey, if you come from a place where you suffer your whole life due to being a bastard (I seriously don't understand why the kids suffer that when the parents are the ones responsible) you will do all in your power to not make the same mistakes, right?

And the heroine as well. I just don't understand how someone can make the same mistakes over and over. And her secret I realized what it was right from the beginning. Don't know how it took the hero that long to figure out.

Here we are dealing with 3 bastards. The hero is a bastard, the heroine is a bastard and the late Earl that the hero killed in the last book left his bastard child in the state. So we have this cute yet rebelious 6 year old kid.

I liked that we saw a lot of the family members and interacted with them. But the story dragged a lot. The heroine not deciding what she wanted was a slow process. And the end felt a bit hushed. Well, not hushed but incomplete.

3.5 stars.

[Jan · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. It was OK, but I didn't enjoy this second book in the series as much as Book 1, The Heir. Devlin was much hotter, hunkier and more likeable during his appearances in The Heir than he was in this, his own book. And the h in this book, Emmie? I just didn't really connect with her. Didn't really like her as a h. She seemed too weak and confused for me, and I just wished she had communicated with Dev more clearly earlier on in the book. In fact the plot didn't really work for me. Overall there was too much frustration for the reader as well as for the characters. There were some powerful moments, especially with Devlin attempting to deal with his difficult past. But overall it just wasn't as good as Book 1. I'm still interested in this series though, and I'm going to try some of the other books.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like "The Soldier" so much more than I actually did. It has the potential to be a much stronger story, but alas, there's too much dithering, crying, and menses cluttering up the narrative.

The idea of the story appeals greatly to me - a soldier from Waterloo buys himself an earldom, and goes to rusticate in Yorkshire while licking his wounds. He meets a child on his first day at the estate, and shortly after meets the child's caretaker: a kind woman who is slightly beyond the pale, but who has learned to support herself by baking for the village. It's a gentle romance, which I appreciate, having had rather enough of the over-sexed historicals filling up the genre of late. Unfortunately, the romance never quite gelled for me.

Part of the problem for me, is that Devlin St. Just seems to be in love with his best friend Douglas. There were a number of times where I found myself wondering if this were originally written as a historical m/m romance and was re-written. In fact, I found Douglas better characterized than Emmie, the heroine. She lacks personality - she seems to be a plot foil for the hero more than an actualized character.

The Soldier would also benefit heavily from some editing down of characters - there's obviously a LOT of back story from the previous novel, the Heir, and having not read it I felt constantly adrift. It doesn't help that everyone seems to have multiple titles that they are called by - something I suspect is historically accurate but ultimately confusing to the reader.

There is of course, a Big Secret that anyone with two brain cells to rub together will have guessed by the end, but it does leave you wondering why it took Devlin so long to figure it out. Pregnancy does not leave a woman's body untouched, after all.

And at the end of it all, while I appreciate the touch of realism, I have never gotten so sick of hearing about a heroine's menses. Especially when she keeps announcing its arrival to the hero. Persnickety of me, perhaps, but there it is.

All of those complaints put to paper, such as it were, I will still look for the NEXT Grace Burrowes novel because I do see a lot of promise in her writing. I am hoping with more time, experience, and editing, she may turn out a brilliant romance.

[🐝 Shaz 🐝 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading this story. I liked the interaction between all characters. Needed tissue’s for this one.

[Lady Wesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grace Burrowes is a very talented writer, and she creates characters you come to really care about. This is a good thing, as the first three books in this series are basically the same plot, with different people and settings. The Heir: duke’s heir, burdened by the demands of running the duke’s estates, spends the summer in London and falls in love with a women beneath him in social status who is keeping deep, dark secrets. The Soldier: duke’s illegitimate son moves to his new estate in Yorkshire and falls in love with a woman beneath him in social status who is keeping deep, dark secrets. The Virtuoso: duke’s piano-playing son injures his hand, travels to his new estate in Oxfordshire and falls in love with a woman beneath him in social status who is keeping deep, dark secrets. I enjoyed these books a lot and may even reread them some day, despite the repetitive nature of the major and minor plotlines (each brother makes love exactly the same way, as if, in addition to a fencing-master, they had a f---ing master to teach them the perfect steps; each one likes to brush and braid a woman’s hair; if a woman is pregnant, and they all are before the wedding, she sleeps and cries a lot).

Probably, if you don’t read them one after another, as I did, the repetition is less bothersome. I'm still giving The Heir three stars, but four for the others.

I like dark, brooding, damaged heroes, so this book, for me, was more enjoyable than the other two.

See my review of the Windham series here.

[eyes.2c · Rating 5 out of 5]

2013 & 2023
I think I’m caught in a Burrowes reread trap. Not hard to do.
I’d forgotten how Burrowes can really tug at the heartstrings.
Three damaged souls finding each other. St. Just, Emmie and Wee Winnie.
Now should I follow up with Amery (Douglas Allen), Hadrian’s or someone else’s story? Ah my! and I have a pile of newbies waiting to be read as well?
2025
Reread has me loving Devlin St.Just all over again
And Winnie—precocious and precious
This time around I was somewhat annoyed with Emmie’s dithering

[HR-ML · Rating 3 out of 5]

Regency. I skimmed part of this. 3 stars.

This featured, Devlin, a cavalry officer who became an earl
& Emmie, a governess who became a baker. Dev found a
dirty, hungry girl, Winnie, running loose. Emmie claimed
Win as her late aunt's daughter & Emmie's cousin. Em
had low funds and inability to replace her shabby clothes.

Dev had what we now call PTSD, but he acted too perfect &
accommodating toward Emmie. What man of that rank in
that era would tutor a 6 year old? would help Em make
bread? The author made too many apple tart references,
as if that was the only sweet.

The author telegraphed Emmie's secret early on. I liked Dev
but he was too good to be true. And the vicar took up space.
And Winnie's adventures added to the word count.

[Angelc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I loved this book! This was one of the more heartfelt romances I've read for a long time. Some scenes are real tearjerkers, but there's still a lot of hope and glimpses of the sun peeking through the clouds.

Devlin was, when it's all said and done, the perfect tortured hero. His years at war gave him many emotional scars to heal. But he was still nothing but considerate and caring. Sure he was a little grouchy at times, but he was never less than respectful and loving to his family and loved ones. He even takes a child into his home to raise, who is a complete stranger.

There is so much love between Devlin and Emmie, you can feel the intensity flying off the page. For the most part, they were friends first, and their love developed into something deep and meaningful over the course of the book.

The secondary characters were fantastic, too. Val, Devlin's brother, was adorable and I would love to see the solitary and sensitive musician get his own story.


The first 3/4 of the book was so wonderful that I found myself disappointed in the last 100 or so pages. I just could not understand Emmie's reasoning for her behavior. When a perfect solution presents itself, why fight it for 100 pages?


I absolutely loved this book. It was a real love story with two real, and really scarred, people. I can't wait to read more from this amazing author.


ARC sent by publisher in exchange for honest review

reviewed for http://inthehammockblog.blogspot.com

[Celeste · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmmm. Well, to be fair, the first book in the series was so good, that anything else was bound to pale in comparison. However, I was at least HOPING the next one would be almost, if not as good, as the first one.

I will start by saying I genuinly think Devlin had homosexual tendencies. Not that there is anything wrong with that... but it wasn't what I wanted or expected to read. Nothing actually happened, but I'm sorry, there were WAY too many instances in the book where I would literally exclaim, out loud, over the actions he had with his best friend. What in the heck. You'll know what I mean if/when you read it!

Other than the fact that I thought he had more of a relationship with Douglas than Emmie, it wasn't a terrible book. There were some really good moments (thus my 3 stars). I was just too creeped out by the weirdly close/emotional/touchy-feely realtionship with Douglas to truly enjoy this one!! Sorry! :-{

[Beanbag Love · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was great until about the 75% mark. Then things went to heck. We end up with the same thing as the first book with the heroine being stubborn and clueless. The hero is slightly clueless, but the real problem is Emmie. She really becomes ridiculous and fairly unlikable by the end.

It's a shame because the pacing and story in this one were much better than the previous installment. It could have rated higher if it hadn't gone off the rails for the last 25%.

[Janga · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars
This is still my favorite of the first Windham trilogy. I <3 St. Just.

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Soldier
2 Stars

Psychologically tormented from his experiences in the Napoleonic wars, Devlin St. Just, the oldest but illegitimate son of the Duke of Moreland, only wants to live a quiet life in the wilds of Yorkshire. So, when he is granted the rundown estate of Rosecroft, he travels there posthaste only to discover that it is already inhabited by an unruly 6 year old and her exquisite cousin - both of whom are about to make his life a lot less peaceful.

Devlin’s story has such wonderful potential. Unfortunately, it falls completely flat mainly due to the fact that Emmie is an excessively “woe-is-me” heroine and is constantly running hot and cold with Devlin. The reasons for her rejection of his suit are also convoluted and incomprehensible - The man is a bastard himself. Why would he care if she had a child out of wedlock?!

The tortured hero is usually my favorite trope in any romance genre. Dev has everything going for him in this regard, however, Burrowes’ overly descriptive writing makes it difficult to truly empathize with him as the endless details have the reader nodding off.

Burrowes’ tendency of detailing everything and anything in passage after passage means that nothing actually happens in the story - it is simply page after page of Emmie’s angst, Dev’s nightmares and Winnie’s antics. The result is a tediously long read.

Finally, the familial interactions, which made the first book so engaging, are all but missing from this installment. Dev’s family is relegated to one chapter and his relationship with his step brother-in-law is very strange.

Hoping that Val’s book is better as I already have it and the next two.

[willaful · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars. This sequel to The Heir (Duke's Obsession, #1) has many of the same virtues and flaws as that book. The main virtue is the affectionate, intimate tone: her books are filled with nurturing, and good food, and loving caresses. Emmie, our heroine this time, is a baker, and most of the conversations in the story seem to happen over apple tarts. Which brings to mind one of the book's flaws -- a tendency to repetition. It was lemonade last time -- this time it's apple tart and menses. I'd be much happier if it had just been apple tart.

I really loved the character of Devlin St. Just, who is not just a soldier but has been gallantly soldiering on through confusion, abandonment, and assumed responsibility for much of his life. Now the war is over and he has to deal with its ugly psychological aftermath, but is trying not to get sucked into alcohol and self-pity.

The plot was hard to follow at first; I had to reacquaint myself with plot points from The Heir, some of which had been confusing in that book too. (There's a lot of backstory that hasn't been fully revealed yet.) And there were some probable language anachronisms that were a bit jarring. But the main reason I didn't like this story quite as much as The Heir was that I really couldn't follow Emmie's logic, and her actions made no sense to me.

Still, it was a warm, tender read that made me tear up a few times, so I would recommend it.

[QuinnReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Fresh Start

I enjoyed revisiting Devlin St. Just, Earl of Rosecroft, Emmaline (Emmie) Farnum, and Bronwyn (Winnie) Helmsley. Even though the romance is for Emmie and Devlin, Winnie is at the heart of everything.

I like their chemistry, and I like the support they offer in loud and quiet ways.

“Kiss me, Emmie,” he breathed against her neck. “Don’t think, just kiss me.”
-- Devlin St. Just

I knew the big secret, but seeing it all unravel again was worth it. On another somewhat related note, I do wish things with Devlin and his parents were able to heal a bit more than this showed.

I read along with the audio book for my second read. The narrator, James Langton, is easy to listen to and enjoy. I like his cadence and accent.

Story: 4 stars
Narration: 3.5 stars
Listening Speed: 1.8x

H = 32; h = 25

[Bambi Unbridled · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Soldier is the second installment of the Windham series, and features my favorite son of the Duke of Windham - Devlin St. Just. The Windhams are a unique family having taken in and raised the Duke's two illegitimate children that he sired prior to his marriage. They are also an extremely affectionate family - often hugging one another and talking about feelings and even crying (I'm speaking of the males here). So that is unique in the historical romance genre for me.

Devlin St. Just is the oldest son of the Duke. His Irish mother asked the Duchess to take Devlin into the household when he was only 5 years old, and he never saw her again after that. This caused Devlin to have some abandonment issues growing up, and he strove to be the perfect everything. The perfect son as a child, and the perfect soldier as a man fighting the Napoleonic Wars. Now that the war is over, Devlin is having issues with PTSD. He has also been elevated to the status of the Earl of Rosecraft after killing the Earl of Hensley to save his sister-in-law. I loved Devlin - he was a bit of a broken hero, so it was great to see him overcoming the psychological aftermath of the war. I loved that he was able to learn more about the decisions his mother made, and clear the air with the Duchess.

Emmaline Farnum is Rosecraft's closest neighbor at his new estate in Yorkshire. Illegitimate herself, Emmie is only marginally tolerated in the small country society in Yorkshire. While her grandfather purchased her a small manor house, Emmie has a baking business to make the income for living and upkeep. She also attempts to keep an eye on her niece, Bronwyn, the illegitimate offspring of the late Earl of Hensley. Bronwyn ("Winnie") is a wild child having been allowed to run around on her own without supervision, education, or the guiding hand of a parent or guardian. Emmie was a self-sufficient heroine, but I wasn't crazy about her. She ran a little too hot and cold and tended toward gloomy sentiment. She has a big secret that the reader easily guesses - but it left me wondering what the big deal was.

The relationship between Emmie and Devlin was not insta-love... there was a lot of hot and cold, mainly on Emmie's part. Devlin treated both Emmie and Winnie very well, and that made me like him all the more. Most of my enjoyment of this installment came from Devlin as a tortured hero - but there were also couple things that threw me off. There are references to backstory that we have not been privy to. I believe that these stories were not released in order, and that makes it confusing. Particularly with regard to Rose (Devlin's other niece) and her family situation. Amery, Rose's stepfather, has played a sizable role in these two books but I don't know how he came to be in the story.

James Langton is a decent narrator. While he does not affect a believable female tenor - he at least makes their voices entertaining. My main complaint with the narration is that he made all the male characters (other than the hero) sound like doddering old men. It was a bit odd. But Langton did keep my attention drawn to the story, so I appreciated that.

I received this audiobook at no cost from Tantor Audio in exchange for an honest review. Full review posted at Bambi Unbridled.

[Dangermousie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Burrowes' books are so quiet, so at-their-own-pace, so peaceful. I know it's a bizarre thing to say of a romance novel, let alone as a positive thing, but I love that quality, the one that makes the books a mood piece, a warm summer day, more than anything else. The hero of the story is a decorated officer of the Napoleonic wars, who comes to stay at his new estate in Yorkshire and the heroine is the village baker. He is haunted by the demons he brought back from the war, she has secrets of her own, but together they form a connection. First off - I loved the hero. He was pretty much utterly amazing in a quiet, competent, trying-his-best-to-cope way. The heroine was...a mixed bag. I liked her well enough for the first 2/3 of the book but then she did something so idiotic, I pretty much lost most of my liking for her (short non-spoilery version - she loves the hero, but she has a secret she thinks might make him not like her, so instead of telling him the truth, she decides to accept someone else's marriage proposal, even as the hero is very explicitly in love with her and offers her marriage. Hello, coward! She comes to her senses way late) Ultimately, I ended up wanting her with the hero because he needed her for his happiness and because she would make a good wife, not because I liked her.

[Sally Jask-eh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had great potential and interesting supporting characters. But plot was left on repeat until I almost did not finish. The mule as a pet was cool. The little Winnie girl was a space cadet and mostly annoying. The H made me want so much more. I love a scarred war hero with a heart❤️ But the important lesson to learn from this book is NEVER trust a skinny baker🥧🧁

[*The Angry Reader* · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

Devlin is on his new country estate - healing emotionally from soldiering - when he meets his neighbor Emmie and her ward Winnie. Winnie is attached to Devlin’s new home - so she and Winnie end up living with Devlin. Everyone has a lot of scars and issues related to war and abandonment and family drama. So together they crawl out of the hole in which life has tossed them.

Not gonna lie - I don’t like the name Emmie. And it must have been used 6000 times in this book. Plus I thought her holdout over being with him was stupid. Still loved the book. Grace Burrowes remains magical.

[Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Redemption, in its most loving form, works its magic for Devlin St. Just, new Earl of Rosecroft in Yorkshire, as well as for Emmaline Farnum, even though they both think they are beyond it. Getting to share this emotional experience with them is a special treat for the reader. Grace Burrowes creates another enthralling tale just as captivating as The Heir.

Emmaline (Emmie) Farnum saw her mother and aunt used by men but does not plan for it to happen to her. The old Earl, grandfather of the despicable (now dead) Helmsley had protected Emmie as best he could. He gave her a house away from Rosecroft so she would not be easy prey for the grandson. She now makes her way by baking for the town’s people who do not really know her, yet think they do. She is considered a base-born woman but her beauty, intelligence, independence, education, and strength make many of the town’s women envy her. They whisper that they are sure she is “no better than she has to be” just like her mother and aunt. They feel she should bow her head in shame over who she is but she doesn’t.

Emmie, a good judge of character, especially male character, recognizes the barbarian element under the smooth sophistication of the new Earl of Rosecroft. She also sees his wounded spirit and the strong defenses he has erected to keep people at bay. She finds he carries old hurts from childhood and horrors of war that set him apart from others—even from his family that loves him unconditionally. Emmie, just like Devlin, guards herself against others. She holds her secrets tightly, making sure they cannot hurt little five-year-old Bronwyn (Winnie), her only kin.

Winnie, the illegitimate daughter of the despicable Helmsley, considers Emmie her best friend but runs away at times and roams the estate alone since the death of Emmie’s aunt and Helmsley. Emmie takes care of Winnie as best she can but has no authority over her.

Devlin St. Just, now Earl of Rosecroft, arrives in Yorkshire to find his “gift” from the king is a rundown earldom that had been used and abused. Devlin’s post traumatic stress syndrome from his years at war makes his temper flare easily and his nightmares drive him to the edge. The ‘do-nothing’ steward at Rosecroft sets Devlin’s nerves on edge. His rage boils when the steward says the child who acts like a little feral kitten: all, claws, teeth, and hissing anger, is Helmsley's illegitimate child and is now Devlin’s responsibility. He remembers his own mother who abandoned him when he was five. Granted she left him in the care of his father, Duke of Moreland and his Duchess that loved Devlin just as much if not more than all the other children. Yet, he had always felt flawed because his own mother did not want him. He grew up the protector of his siblings and went to war to protect his country and its people, but he found no peace for himself. Devlin connects with the insecure little Winnie and works gently to tame her. Like most kittens, she responses well to cuddling and comfort.

When Devlin and Emmie join forces in the best interest of Winnie, they each recognize secrets and self-esteem problems in each other, problems that thwart their finding peace, security, and love. With a few secondary characters like the Vicar and Lady Tosten with her marriage-age daughter causing even more conflicts, the new Earl of Rosecroft finds Emmie slipping away from him and Winnie even though he is sure she love them both.

If you have read other stories about the Moreland clan, you will get to catch up on what is going on in many of their lives—such fun to see that all is well with them. It is great to see that Val, with his piano talent, unstinting love, and good humor, keeps his strong tie with Devlin and brings joy to the fierce little Winnie. He is a bright spot in the story while Devlin’s brother-in-law Amery is a steady, positive companion for Devlin as he begins to put Rosecroft in order.

Devlin, Emmie, and Winnie all three fight their separate wars. They are survivors who heal together as they move along, stumbling often, toward a happy-ever-after.

Grace Burrowes takes the reader into the depths of the characters’ beings showing the horrible hurts, the bit by bit healing, and the heartfelt happiness that emerges victorious. Ms. Burrowes’ character development, use of imagery, and her ability to create a strong sense of place make The Soldier a breathtaking love story that lingers in the mind and heart.

originally posted at http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.c...

[Laura V. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dos hermosas estrellas por el maravilloso casi romance entre Douglas y Devlin ♥
¡Que bien desarrolló esta relación!
Me hacía suspirar de los tiernos que eran, esperaba con ansias sus escenas. *O*
Todo lo interesante de este libro se perdió cuando él tuvo que volver a su casa. Era tan lindo de leer que estos chicos sean tan cercanos, y se abracen sin preocupaciones, que tengan esa hermosa confianza de poder llorar en el hombro del otro.
¡De tocarse, mon dieu! Parece una tontería que eso me alegre, pero ¡no se lee todo los días!
¿Y la relación de Devlin con Val? Estos chicos son tan abiertos en sus sentimientos >>u<<
Que lindos, que lindos
Igual es raro, porque en este libro ni en el anterior nombraron a las cuatro hermanas ni han aparecido siquiera. Pero la relación entre los tres Gayle, Devlin y Valentin, se complementa muy bien con lo que sabemos de estos chicos. Tan atentos, tan compañeros, tan amigos, apoyándose el uno al otro cuando más les hace falta.
Ni hablar de los vistazos de Devlin con la niña. Son para abrazarlos. Él es tan bueno con ella. Winnie lo quiere tanto. Él ha sido más padre para ella que Emmie con su condición de pariente lejana.


Lo que sí no me gustó fue ella. Emmie. Argh. Que criatura detestable. Su romance no tiene encanto. Había más química entre Devlin y su caballo, que entre ella y él. Posta. Sus últimas partes las leía a medias, no me atraían en absoluto. Devlin es un personaje muy lindo. Muy carismático. Muy leal, comprometido, excelente padre, hermano, amigo, amante. Esta mujer definitamente no lo merece y no merece a la niña. Esa maña de rechazarlo, de despreciar sus sentimientos, de vivir martirizando a todo el mundo con el "Voy a irme, voy a abandonarlos". Puees vete de una vez mujer ¬_¬ ¡Ojalá hubiera aceptado la proposición del reverendo! *aunque él también merecería a alguien mejor*.

En definitiva, las mejores escenas se dieron con todos menos con la protagonista. Val es encantador. La niña es una mocosa linda. Douglas es demasiado atento ♥. Devlin es tan buen chico :D. Si cortamos de raíz la participación de Emmie en esta historia le daría 4Estrellas. Una por cada uno de ellos ♥

[Blodeuedd Finland · Rating 3 out of 5]

As always, a little OCD book reading order speech. Trust me, you can easily read this one without having read book 1 in the series. But if you want to do it right then yes read book 1 first, or read this one and then book 1.

Now on to the book. Devlin St. Just is the illegitimate son of a Duke and now by something he did (I will not tell you what) he has a new estate and a title to go with it. He is a soldier and he is still plagued by the war, battle wounds are hard to get over. Still what was there not to like about him, he was kind and that is the best quality in a man. The heroine Emmaline is a baker who lives near the estate. She has secrets and all she wants is to protect Winnie who is now Delin's responsibility. Since I guessed Emmaline's secret at once I had time to contemplate over her choices and I grew to understand her. I liked her because I knew what urged her on. Of course I wanted her to stop running and just live but I knew it was hard. But she deserved love.

This book is about Devlin taking on new responsibilities, how he becomes very fond of his young charge and how he falls in love. What I like about this book and book 1 is that when the man realizes that he is in love he will do anything. It is the woman who is troubled and not ready to be loved, or feels like she deserves to be loved. But the men are strong and do not care about status or power. Only love matters.

Worth mentioning are some horrible townspeople with their noses in the air, Devlin's halfbrother Valentine (book 3) and the Vicar who is courting Emmi. And I liked the Vicar, I hope he gets to live a bit and fall in love. I do hope he gets a book of his own too.

Conclusion:

A lovely book about how love truly conquers all.

Rating:

Nice

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Books I Own. HR. Tropes: Regency Romance, Class Difference, Disabled MC, Friends to Lovers, Extended Family and Friends, Illigitimacy, Matchmaker, Pregnancy, Single Parent and Children.
MC's h Emmaline (Emmie) Farnum, 22, cousin (Mother) of Bronwyn (Winnie) Farnum 6, H Devlin St. Just, illigitimate son of Duke of Windham, now Earl of Rosecroft, Soldier in Royal Army, war hero, suffers from PSTD.

Windham Family 10 children (5 boys, 5 girls)
Parents - Percival (Percy) Duke of Moreland & Esther Duchess of Moreland
Sons
1. (Soldier, the)- Devlin St. Just ( illigitimate) raised by Duke & Duchess,- marries Emmie Farnum ( Winnie)
2. Bart ( died in the war)
3. Victor ( died of disease after the War)
4. (Heir, the)- Gayle, Earl of (Westhaven) Heir to Dukedom- married to Anna Seaton (daughter of the Earl of Rosecroft)
5. (Virtuoso, the)- Valentine - brilliant Musician concert Pianist & Ellen Markham
Daughters
1. (Lady Maggie's Sectert Scandal)- Maggie ( illigitimate daughter) & Benjamin Hazlit
2. (Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish) - Sophie & Vim Charpentier ( abandoned baby)
3. (Lady Louisa's Christmas Knight)- Louisa & Sir Joseph Carrington
4. (Lady Eve's Indiscretion)- Eve & Lucas Denning, Marquis of Deene
5. ( Lady Jenny's Christmas Portrait) - Jenny & Elijah Harrison

I enjoyed this story. While there were some similarities in the plot and everyday country life to the first book "The Heir", each of the MC's were vividly portrayed and only pride and grave secrets kept this couple apart except for a little girl matchmaker, who wanted a mother and father.
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[Christine · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book made no sense. It might have made sense if the heroine's closely-held secret weren't a.) Completely obvious and b.) intrusively hidden from the reader even when closely within the heroine's point of view. But actually, it probably wouldn't have made sense even then, because as I said, I thought her secret was glaringly obvious, and her subsequent actions in light of what I knew were...weird. Honestly, these two should have gotten together by the midpoint of this story. There wasn't anything holding them back, not even a quest for the three magic words. Only a secret that was at once obvious and strangely obfuscated.