Exiled to a lonely estate in north Yorkshire, Dora Harper finds life satisfying, if appallingly routine—until an escaped Scottish prisoner begs for her help. Despite her misgivings, Dora takes him in, feeds and clothes him, and is amazed at his transformation into a very handsome, virile gentleman, who claims he is an earl. No matter who he really is, his very presence in her house could ruin her reputation for good. Trouble is, Dora might not mind that at all.
Phineas “Finn” MacDonald, the Earl of Aberfoyle, is on the run from a troop of soldiers bent on hauling him to London to be transported for a minor infraction. Dora’s miraculous appearance is a godsend for him, in more ways than one. The pretty young English woman is kind, compassionate, and willing to help him in his attempt to seek justice and evade the troop that is quickly closing in on him.
With their close proximity over several days, Finn’s desire to escape wanes, even as thoughts of Dora fill his mind. So when Dora suggests she pose as his wife to throw the soldiers off Finn’s trail, Finn wonders if he can persuade her to make the ruse a reality—before the army finds him and banishes him from Britain forever.
Jenna has been reading and writing historical romance since she was a teenager. A romantic herself, she has always loved a dark side to the genre, a twist, suspense, a surprise. She tries to incorporate all of these elements into her own stories. She lives in Virginia with her family and a small menagerie of pets. When not reading or writing, she indulges her passion for the theatre, working with local theatres as a director. She often feels she is directing her characters on their own private stage.
She has equated her writing to an addiction to chocolate because once she starts she just can’t stop.
Didn't think all of the. "Scottish accent" was needed
I liked the 1st book in the series, but not so much this one. I don't know that I can say why, other than the accented words made a difficult read at times. I was ready to end the book after the first few chapters.
They put the hero in a dress as a disguise at one point. I started skimming at 66%, just see what would happened with the dad and the villain. The villain was vanquished with a letter from a superior. There was no real follow up or closure or punishment. The villain just vanished. The horrible father got zero retribution as well. The resolution was fast and over the top. I actually rolled my eyes. I didn’t love it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
The story could have been half the length, easily. I thought I was almost finished only to discover I was only 40% in. There was absolutely no need for the bullshit that happened later. Then, a Duchess was introduced and everyone called her “duchess” instead of “your grace” and I just gave up. It was difficult enough to read Finn’s “Scottish” accent. Add to that the stupidity that the plot had become at that point (60%), and it’s a DNF.
Wonderful story. She goes from shy subservient daughter to a strong willful woman. All because she found a man on the side of a road. Hope there’s a story somewhere with the Duchess, she was hysterical and fierce.
I started this book and got a few chapters in before I had to quit. I mistakenly thought it was a Christian book, but it wasn't; I don't appreciate swearing in my books. I won't read this author again.
So much fun. I loved the banter between Dora and Finn. I personally wanted to punch Scarlett. I can't help but wonder if we will get a book with Dora's aunt.