Review: her betrayal showed an honor he loved
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 28, 2012
Hope's Betrayal: Huntley Trilogy #2 by Grace ElliotIn this new Regency romance, Grace Elliot has tuned out a delightful tale full of taught tension, unexpressed sexual desire and a love so deep it brings to people together from the far reaches of society.Lady Constance Huntley is a mother that wishes nothing more than to see her three sons married and giving her grandchildren. She will plot with every opportunity given and Fate hands her a ripe one. Hope Taylor is a smuggler, from the Isle of Wright where the fishing is not always good and the crops have been failing regularly, the only way to keep her family fed is to join the smugglers. Captain George Huntley, her second son of is a Navel man, but with his ship in dry dock for repairs he has been put to work by the Admiralty as an Excise man hunting down the smugglers in his home area.Needless to say, when Captain Huntley captures Hope it is one searing kiss after another. She is a smuggler, everything he is supposed to despise, but listening to her story he knows he must catch the ring leaders - because to punish her would be very wrong. Hope finds the man that caught her out on the duns one dark night to hold a level of honor she admires, if only she were good enough for him, but she is the daughter of a smuggler, the sister of a smuggler, and yes, a smuggler herself, she would ruin his family name, ruin his chances of advancing.I was caught in this story from the first words; they were woven with a love that is very telling. Ms. Elliot's love for history and her characters comes through the page as brightly as the characters love for each other. I couldn't put this book down until sleep claimed me each night. As the Excise men case the Smuggling ring, and their leaders down, as Captain Huntley chases his female down and tries to keep her, and has the villain makes an appearance on stage, you can almost see the smoking gun and black cape wrapped around him. Yes, a stage is set, and the colors of the costumes vibrate in as the backdrop is placed. The characters move with grace and purpose through their story, leading us to gasping climax that satisfies the most adventure loving of us all.Five stars for this wonder addition to the Huntley Trilogy. This reviewer can't wait to read the rest of them. Thank you, Ms. Elliot for sharing your love of history with us in this delightful way.