Review: Fantastic read
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 17, 2014
Having read just one of Bronwen Evans's books in the past, I came to this book without expectations. And it surprised me, in a very good way. There is an overlying mystery coursing through her Disgraced Lords series, and while the plot of this book introduces that overarching mystery, it never strays from telling a moving love story between two people in need or redemption and love.Christian Trent, the Earl of Markham, was wrongly accused or raping the daughter of the duke, and forced to flee from England upon the latter's threats. Christian survived his migration to Canada with the aid of a kind Mr. Pearson, who later died leaving his daughter, Lily, to be Christian's ward. Now, as Christian is making plans for his return to England and needs a governess for Lily...in comes the mysterious Mrs. Cooper for the position.Sarah Cooper is but a false name that never existed. Lady Serena Castleton, however, is seeking escape from an abusive man and a horrifying past. Sensing an escape through taking refuge on Christian's ship, she dons the disguise of a governess only to find herself closer to her fears than ever before as they got closer to England, yet she finds an unexpected champion at her side.In a story heavily governed by the actions of the culprit who repeatedly tries to destroy Christian, I was surprised with how neatly the plot moved concurrently with the development of Christian and Serena's relationship. The two are inverses of each other; Christian with his physical disfigurement from the war believe himself to be too disgusting to deserve love, and Serena, whose internal sufferings are far worse than the scars on her back. In each other they saw a more beautiful version of themselves reflected, the pure, unblemished soul underneath the ravages of war and cruelty, and that transformed their love into hope. In temperament, gentleness, and passion they matched each other, and the force of their love is both a testament of their inner strength as well as their beauty, for even as the world shied away from their tormented selves, those two found something lovely within each other.Plot-wise, I am deeply intrigued with the central mystery of the series, and the next five books will surely unravel the strands of treachery that surrounded the events of this book. All in all, the flow of the story is magnificent, as are the characters, who have admirable depths of complexity. Christian and Serena are resilient, courageous people who have suffered but found hope with each other. Their interactions with each other are sizzling, real, and undeniably lovely. I will be anxiously awaiting the next books in the series, to see more of Bronwen Evans's fantastic crafting as well as the resolution of this intrigue.*Review copy from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review