Written by: Mary Jo Putney
ISBN: 978-1-4201-0328-1
Zebra/Kensington Publishing
340 Pages
$5.99
5 Stars
Putney pens a vibrant historical romance with “Loving a Lost Lord.” Sensual and full of imagery, “Loving a Lost Lord,” completely submerses the reader in 1812 England.
The story opens with Mariah Clarke and her father taking possession of Hartley Manor, a residence Mariah’s father has won in a respectable gambling match. Hartley is in Cumberland, near Scotland. Shortly after taking over, Mariah’s father goes back to London. Mariah learns her father has been killed by highwaymen. George Burke, the previous owner of Hartley Manor enters Mariah’s life and offers to marry her. Mariah shivers at the thought of marrying such a gambling scoundrel.
Enter the exotic and mysterious Adam. He washes up on the shores of Hartley, the victim of a ship explosion. Mariah finds him and brings him back to her. As she tends to his wounds, both her and Adam realize he has memory loss. Wanting to give Adam hope and a will to live, she lies to him and tells him they are married.
As Adam recovers, he chases Burke from Hartley. He also helps Mariah turn the neglected mansion into a thriving one complete with a garden.
Mariah and Adam slowly fall in love over the course of several weeks. During a picnic, one intimate caress leads to another and Adam makes love to Mariah, discovering she’s a virgin. Mariah is then forced to reveal the truth – that they aren’t married and apologizes for her lie. The next day, Adam’s friends arrive and announce that he’s a Duke. Can Adam forgive Mariah’s lies and give them a chance to find the happiness they deserve?
Putney’s plot moves well with plenty of unexpected twists and turns. Adam’s memory loss was handled well and realistically.
Putney’s characters were very distinctive. Mariah embodied the English look physically, but also the British sense of adventure. Adam is a character readers can relate to. He’s half Indian as evidenced by his exotic looks. He’s loyal and steadfast, a perfect English gentleman who keeps his Indian heritage alive in his heart in a way that’s true to him.
Mariah expresses sincere remorse over lying to Adam. She never meant for her lie to take on a life of its own. She realizes it might have cost her true happiness with Adam.
Putney uses a good economy of words which allow the reader to vividly picture the setting of the book in their mind. Her love scenes are tasteful and well done. Overall, “Loving a Lost Lord” captures the reader’s imagination and takes them on a grand adventure.
Book Review For "Loving a Lost Lord"
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