The Regency period is one of my favourite time periods to be in when it comes to historical romance. I’m so familiar with it that it almost feels like a homecoming to enter that world again, but that has its disadvantages, too, because I can be easily pulled out of the story world by little errors in detail. Happily, there was much more of the former than the latter happening with this story.

What most captured me about this story was the overall premise—a military man being suddenly elevated to the peerage after saving the life of the Prince Regent’s godson. This rags-to-riches, fish-out-of-water theme isn’t a new one to the Regency genre, but this still felt like a fresh take on the trope, particularly when you add in the fact that the estate Evan inherits along with the title has been in disrepair for some time. Not only does he find himself suddenly navigating a very different world, but he has his work cut out for him in making his inheritance both habitable and sustainable. And he’s embarking on this new life with a wife who’s a virtual stranger to him!

Being new to the peerage—even to the world of the landed gentry—meant Evan was prone to making social faux pas. Totally understandable, but I found the emphasis given to the social rules and his breaking of them gave the setting a slightly caricatured feel in the opening chapters of the novel. The other thing that niggled me (and yes, it’s a really small point, but it came up over and over again), was Diana referring to Marcus, the second son of the Duke of Haverly, as Mr. Haverly. That would, indeed, have been a social faux pas!* It isn’t a deal-breaker for me, but it did make me twitch each time it came up.

This story had a few subplots, including a very young ward, Evan’s PTSD (dealt with in an era-appropriate way), and the mystery over the memories that are missing from when Evan was injured at Salamanca. There was the occasional development here that felt a bit contrived, but overall, these subplots contributed to an engaging read as Evan and Diana learned to trust and love one another. I’m looking forward to reading Marcus’s story next!

* Not only should he have been addressed as Lord Marcus, but Haverly was his father’s title, not the family’s surname. Likewise, Diana wouldn’t have been Lady Diana Seaton, as Seaton was her father’s title (the Duke of Seaton) not the family surname.