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Lady Helena's Secret Husband
Her secret husband…
Is back from the dead!
When Lady Helena Snowe eloped with Captain William Harborough six years ago, they had one glorious week together before he went to war…only to die in battle. Yet, the man in front of her now is very much alive! The darkness behind Will’s eyes makes Helena wary of letting him back into her life. With Will’s enemies threatening their chance of a fresh start, can their marriage ever be reclaimed?
Is back from the dead!
When Lady Helena Snowe eloped with Captain William Harborough six years ago, they had one glorious week together before he went to war…only to die in battle. Yet, the man in front of her now is very much alive! The darkness behind Will’s eyes makes Helena wary of letting him back into her life. With Will’s enemies threatening their chance of a fresh start, can their marriage ever be reclaimed?
232 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 29, 2022
4 people are currently reading
14 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Beacon
122 books30 followersELIZABETH BEACON lives in the beautiful English West Country, and is finally putting her insatiable curiosity about the past to good use. Over the years Elizabeth has worked in her family’s horticultural business, become a mature student, qualified as an English teacher, worked as a secretary and, briefly, tried to be a civil servant. She is now happily ensconced behind her computer, when not trying to exhaust her bouncy rescue dog with as many walks as the Inexhaustible Lurcher can finagle. Elizabeth can’t bring herself to call researching the wonderfully diverse, scandalous Regency period and creating charismatic heroes and feisty heroines work, and she is waiting for someone to find out how much fun she is having and tell her to stop it.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 29, 2023
After his mother is brutally murdered Will agrees to be listed as dead, and continues his career as an undercover agent for Wellington. Noww the Napoleonic Wars finally over, Will can return to his secret wife, and make up for the six years they've been apart, although he believes she is still at risk, he knows he has to protect her and the best way to do it is incorrect her himself.
Helena still in mourning for her husband, has decided to go help her widowed friend when her husband suddenly reappears in her life. Although she's furious at the lie about his death and having to mourn him in secret, she's also relieved he's still alive. She agrees to go into hiding with him until the threat is eliminated, but has her doubts about Will's spy master, and the truth of the threat.
I quite enjoyed the plot, although there were some holes in it, I found it a little rambling, and some points only touched upon where more detail could have enhanced it. With all the fuss around Helena's friend struggling with four young children alone, she just disappears from the book. It would have been good to see the spy master get his comeuppance.
Helena still in mourning for her husband, has decided to go help her widowed friend when her husband suddenly reappears in her life. Although she's furious at the lie about his death and having to mourn him in secret, she's also relieved he's still alive. She agrees to go into hiding with him until the threat is eliminated, but has her doubts about Will's spy master, and the truth of the threat.
I quite enjoyed the plot, although there were some holes in it, I found it a little rambling, and some points only touched upon where more detail could have enhanced it. With all the fuss around Helena's friend struggling with four young children alone, she just disappears from the book. It would have been good to see the spy master get his comeuppance.
December 8, 2022
Helena Snowe is surprised when her 'deceased' husband Will comes back after six years, alive. He has stayed away from her all this time because someone has convinced him that Helena isn't safe after the murder of his mother - an event that he was told happened as a warning.
Helena is having none of it and wants to get to the bottom of this threat so that she can just be with her husband.
I felt this story was a bit disjointed. When Will first comes back to see Helena, she is of course surprised but she is also angry without the author taking us on the journey of her thoughts and emotions. Before she knows anything about why he stayed away, she wants a separation or a divorce. Then all of a sudden, she wants her and Will to have a wonderful life together. Huh? I also thought that Helena's suspicions about the villain could have been discussed with her husband before she recklessly went behind his back and undermined his efforts. I felt it would have been better if he could have had a part in the solution himself, even if he'd had doubts as to the truth of Helena's suspicions.
The happily ever did happen and the emotions between them did come to life later on.
Helena is having none of it and wants to get to the bottom of this threat so that she can just be with her husband.
I felt this story was a bit disjointed. When Will first comes back to see Helena, she is of course surprised but she is also angry without the author taking us on the journey of her thoughts and emotions. Before she knows anything about why he stayed away, she wants a separation or a divorce. Then all of a sudden, she wants her and Will to have a wonderful life together. Huh? I also thought that Helena's suspicions about the villain could have been discussed with her husband before she recklessly went behind his back and undermined his efforts. I felt it would have been better if he could have had a part in the solution himself, even if he'd had doubts as to the truth of Helena's suspicions.
The happily ever did happen and the emotions between them did come to life later on.
December 14, 2022
It took me AGES to get through this one. Not a fan, unfortunately.
August 20, 2024
This is the first book I've read from author Elizabeth Beacon. I enjoyed the story and look forward to reading more from this author in the future.
Captain William Harborough & Lady Helena Snowe were secretly married six years ago. They spent one glorious week as a married couple and looked forward to spending a lifetime together once Will returned from the war. But fate steps in and Will dies in battle, or does he?
I adored this couple! They truly loved each other and Will's death destroyed Helena. Having to pretend to be dead and leave his wife wasn't easy on Will either, and I truly felt for him when we learned the reasons why he had to lie to her for so long. When Will reappears they both have a lot to overcome to get back to where they were when they first married. But thankfully their love overcame it all and the epilogue was absolutely the perfect ending to their love story!
Captain William Harborough & Lady Helena Snowe were secretly married six years ago. They spent one glorious week as a married couple and looked forward to spending a lifetime together once Will returned from the war. But fate steps in and Will dies in battle, or does he?
I adored this couple! They truly loved each other and Will's death destroyed Helena. Having to pretend to be dead and leave his wife wasn't easy on Will either, and I truly felt for him when we learned the reasons why he had to lie to her for so long. When Will reappears they both have a lot to overcome to get back to where they were when they first married. But thankfully their love overcame it all and the epilogue was absolutely the perfect ending to their love story!
November 2, 2025
I would say this is between a 2 and a 3. A cute story, but a lot of it was spent traveling, in an uninteresting way. I did like the two main characters, but there were continuity issues sometimes. For example, the main character is supposed to be riding a horse, but she stubs her toe on a rock and somehow is limping, all while she is on the horse.
If you are looking for a quick, cute little story that you don't need to take too seriously, this is the book.
If you are looking for a quick, cute little story that you don't need to take too seriously, this is the book.
January 19, 2023
Lovely book great female lead and good story.
May 4, 2023
Good book. It opened with a prologue where the young Lady Helena Snowe eloped with a nearly as young Captain William Harborough because her family disapproved of their romance. They had a one-week honeymoon before Will returned to the war and was shortly thereafter reported as killed in action. Because they had married secretly, Helena could not show her grief and had to keep it buried.
Six years later, Helena is still unmarried, though not through the lack of her mother's effort. Helena has no intention of marrying again and instead plans an extended stay with a recently widowed friend. Those plans come to a screeching halt when she receives a summons to her brother's home and finds her assuredly not-dead husband waiting for her. To say that she was angry that he'd been alive all that time without telling her would be an understatement. She barely recognizes the cold, stone-faced man in front of her and, in a fit of temper, talks about a legal separation.
However, it doesn't take long for her to realize that the Will she knew is still inside the stranger she's married to and still loves. I ached for her as he explained his reasons for the deception (to protect her) and that there was still danger from the enemies he had made. After years of independence, Helena is no longer the naïve young woman he married and refused to be packed off somewhere safe while he deals with the threat. I loved watching her stand up to Will, insisting they stay together.
What follows is their journey to his lands in Wales, taking every precaution to keep danger off their trail. Will is convinced that the threat is real and has already cost his mother her life. Helena has the advantage of being on the outside looking in at the events and has her doubts.
I enjoyed watching the rekindling of their relationship. Neither Will nor Helena has forgotten the intense attraction from their honeymoon, and the sparks are just as intense now. Both have changed a lot over the six years they've been apart, and getting to know each other again is filled with challenges. Will is haunted by what he has seen and done and refuses to burden Helena by sharing them with her. Helena has spent years helping her brother with his estates and refuses to be treated as a frail flower. Their chemistry is explosive, and Will struggles to maintain the control he needs to stay aware of their surroundings. I laughed out loud at their first night back together as Helena created a very amusing scene upon their arrival.
Their power struggle continued during their journey, and I laughed at several places where one or the other would get the upper hand. But through it all, Helena saw more of the old Will emerge from behind the shadows in his eyes. I liked their arrival at his property and seeing them settle in. But trouble is on the horizon, as Helena has taken steps to prove her belief that there was no danger following Will. I ached for Will as he learned the truth, and I understood his feelings of betrayal. Knowing he'd been deceived was terrible enough, but for Helena not to have told him her suspicions hurt even more. I hurt for both as harsh words were exchanged, and Will stormed away. It takes some serious self-examination for them to see the mistakes made and promise to do better. I loved Will's return and seeing him ready to move forward with Helena.
The epilogue was terrific, and I loved catching up with them a few years down the road.
Six years later, Helena is still unmarried, though not through the lack of her mother's effort. Helena has no intention of marrying again and instead plans an extended stay with a recently widowed friend. Those plans come to a screeching halt when she receives a summons to her brother's home and finds her assuredly not-dead husband waiting for her. To say that she was angry that he'd been alive all that time without telling her would be an understatement. She barely recognizes the cold, stone-faced man in front of her and, in a fit of temper, talks about a legal separation.
However, it doesn't take long for her to realize that the Will she knew is still inside the stranger she's married to and still loves. I ached for her as he explained his reasons for the deception (to protect her) and that there was still danger from the enemies he had made. After years of independence, Helena is no longer the naïve young woman he married and refused to be packed off somewhere safe while he deals with the threat. I loved watching her stand up to Will, insisting they stay together.
What follows is their journey to his lands in Wales, taking every precaution to keep danger off their trail. Will is convinced that the threat is real and has already cost his mother her life. Helena has the advantage of being on the outside looking in at the events and has her doubts.
I enjoyed watching the rekindling of their relationship. Neither Will nor Helena has forgotten the intense attraction from their honeymoon, and the sparks are just as intense now. Both have changed a lot over the six years they've been apart, and getting to know each other again is filled with challenges. Will is haunted by what he has seen and done and refuses to burden Helena by sharing them with her. Helena has spent years helping her brother with his estates and refuses to be treated as a frail flower. Their chemistry is explosive, and Will struggles to maintain the control he needs to stay aware of their surroundings. I laughed out loud at their first night back together as Helena created a very amusing scene upon their arrival.
Their power struggle continued during their journey, and I laughed at several places where one or the other would get the upper hand. But through it all, Helena saw more of the old Will emerge from behind the shadows in his eyes. I liked their arrival at his property and seeing them settle in. But trouble is on the horizon, as Helena has taken steps to prove her belief that there was no danger following Will. I ached for Will as he learned the truth, and I understood his feelings of betrayal. Knowing he'd been deceived was terrible enough, but for Helena not to have told him her suspicions hurt even more. I hurt for both as harsh words were exchanged, and Will stormed away. It takes some serious self-examination for them to see the mistakes made and promise to do better. I loved Will's return and seeing him ready to move forward with Helena.
The epilogue was terrific, and I loved catching up with them a few years down the road.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews