ARC Review: A Debt of Dishonor (Lords of Sussex #2) by Lillian Marek
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Series: Lords of Sussex #2
Author: Lillian Marek
Published February 11th 2021 by Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.
Goodreads Synopsis
Kate Russell is furious.
It was bad enough that her father had let her grow up in virtual poverty, but now, her dissolute brother wants to use her as payment for his debts. She runs away, determined to make her way so that she will never again be at the mercy of powerful men.
Then she encounters the Duke of Ashleigh.
He has overcome the shame of his parents’ scandalous lives and has a well-deserved reputation for honorable behavior. Then he encounters Kate, the niece of an old friend. There is some mystery about her background.
She is not the sort of well-bred lady of impeccable reputation that he plans to marry someday, but he can’t get her out of his mind.
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.
After losing her mother, who was the only family member who cared for her, Kate Russell is taken to London by her dissolute and degenerate brother, Humphrey, Viscount Newell. When she overhears him and the wicked Earl of Farnsworth discuss her, and the way she will be used to repay a gambling debt, she flees to Sussex, where she believes a maternal aunt lives. Hiding with her aunt Franny, she meets the Duke of Ashleigh, and the attraction between the two of them is clear. However, she's masquerading herself as Miss Darling, the niece of a tradesman, so is wholly unsuitable for Ashleigh, and his perfect reputation. Befriending the Merton's, and Ashleigh's sister, Lady Talmadge, Kate soon starts to feel comfortable in Lewes, but Farnsworth is not one to cross lightly. Will he finds her hiding out in Sussex, and will the new friends she has made be enough to protect her?
I enjoyed this one even more than I did the first one. Both Kate and Peter were amazing characters, and I love them so much. Kate had been brought up in virtual poverty, with only her mother for company, and due to the kindness of the local squire and vicar, she has some semblance of an education. Thinking that she would be guarded and protected by her brother, to hear that he wants to virtually whore her out to pay of his own debts was abhorrent, and she flees, thinking only of getting to safety. When she joined society, or at least what passed for it in Lewes, she wasn't put off by her background, and made some true friends, especially in Clara and Alice. Seeing that was nearly as good as the romance, but the chemistry between herself and Peter was phenomenal. Yes, there was a moment in the middle where there was a misunderstanding, and it seemed all was lost, but I liked how it was resolved. What made the whole book even better, though, was the way in which the whole gang joined forces around Kate, and managed to put a stop to Newell and Farnsworth. I really can't wait to read the next book, but I'm not sure who's story it's going to be. Another really enjoyable Regency read.
Dates Read:
January 31, 2021
Rating
3 Stars
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