Series: The Survivors' Club #6
Author: Mary Balogh
Published September 1st 2015 by Piatkus
Goodreads Synopsis
The Survivors’ Club: Six men and one woman, injured in the Napoleonic Wars, their friendships forged in steel and loyalty. But for one, her trials are not over....
Since witnessing the death of her husband during the wars, Imogen, Lady Barclay, has secluded herself in the confines of Hardford Hall, their home in Cornwall. The new owner has failed to take up his inheritance, and Imogen desperately hopes he will never come to disturb her fragile peace.
Percival Hayes, Earl of Hardford, has no interest in the wilds of Cornwall, but when he impulsively decides to pay a visit to his estate there, he is shocked to discover that it is not the ruined heap he had expected. He is equally shocked to find the beautiful widow of his predecessor’s son living there.
Soon Imogen awakens in Percy a passion he has never thought himself capable of feeling. But can he save her from her misery and reawaken her soul? And what will it mean for him if he succeeds?
Goodreads
Review
Imogen, Lady Barclay, may be the only female member of the Survivors' Club, but she has suffered too. Her husband was tortured and killed in front of her, and being captured by the French, before being released, cause her to need to convalesce at the home of the Duke of Stanbrook in Cornwall. Now in recovery, she has returned to her home, living with her elderly aunt-in-law, when the new Earl of Hardford - a title that should've been her husband's, arrives. Percy Hayes' side of the family never expected they would inherit the earldom, and he has no real interest in the Cornish estate, or a need for the revenue from it, but after turning 30, and becoming bored with his lot in life, he decides to venture down for a visit. He doesn't expect to find a beautiful young widow, nor an elderly aunt and companion, and a veritable menagerie of strays either. Will Percy and Imogen be able to co-exist in peace, or will the chemistry brewing between them become too much.
I was looking forward to Imogen's book, because, if I'm being honest, I've never grown to her in the previous books. She's always been very aloof, and not too approachable - at least in my opinion - and I knew that part of that was due to what she faced during the war. She was never physically hurt during the capture in Portugal, but the mental torture, and ever present threat to herself, and hearing and seeing what her husband was put through, made it almost worse in the long run. She's also wracked with guilt for surviving when her husband did not, and though she is happy her friends are all starting to find love and happiness, she has no intention of looking for it herself. Meeting Percy, they don't hit it off right away, but it's soon clear there is something there, so she allows herself the fun of having some enjoyment, at least until he leaves and go back to London. She tries to guard her heart, but soon it's lost. Percy is the same too. He's very much a city boy, who is bored in Cornwall, but likes to get under Imogen's skin. And when he hears about smuggling may be occurring on his estate, and he soon gets to know the area, the people, he finds the place in life he's been looking for. I will admit, there were some moments that I was a little bored - and parts dragged and were unnecessary - but all in all, it was a solid book, and there's only one more left in the series.
Dates Read:
May 23-25, 2021
Rating
3 Stars
