Reviewed by Katie
In this romantic mystery, Sebastian Alder survived Waterloo,
barely. As he recovers, a woman appears
to inform him that now, he is Lord Somerton. Whisking him off to better chambers and an
increased hope of actual recovery, he finds the legacy a great deal more
trouble than it seemed to be worth.
The Somerton inheritance was a tainted privilege. In some ways he was no better off than he
would have been if he had remained a penniless officer of the line on half pay.
At least then he only had his siblings and himself to worry about. Now he had a
household and an estate, all claiming pennies from a purse that looked
decidedly the worse for wear.... Where
had it all gone and how, in God’s name, was he expected to restore the family
fortunes?
He had thought the matter
through in the tedious hours in the coach and decided that if he thought of the
task ahead as being akin to a sudden promotion to Colonel of a regiment, it did
not seem so daunting.
Sebastian meets the new family, assumes his new responsibility and
intends to make provisions for his brother and sister. As soon as he untangles the financial mess
Anthony Kingsley left behind. There are
hanger's on, wise granny, an aunt and dozens of cousins, plus tenants,
retainers and servants to assess and get to know. Always near by, ready to offer assistance or
subtle guidance, is Isabel. He sees her
wounds, the grief she struggles beneath and that she is trying to reach beyond
the sorrows and anger. Through
Sebastian's eyes we observe Isabel's healing steps, stumbles and set
backs. It was an interesting perspective
because generally the socks are on the other foot.
This story is slightly Gothic in tone, the writing smooth and gently
reflective. There was an old-fashioned
pace I really enjoyed. There was no rush
of the romance, the story or the ending.
The dialog kept you in the period without effort or cliches. Characters were believable, though slowly
revealed. Personally I like that but
others may find the bits and pieces revelation too old skool. Secondary characters weren't two dimensional
though the villains were both over the top once their disguises were stripped
away. I was disappointed by the second
villain's big reveal. For all the
realism it brought to the story, I felt manipulated and a wee bit
resentful.
I liked Sebastian, his siblings and Isabel. I appreciated how the tragic past was handled
as part of the story, not a cudgel to wallow in and create more angst. They were the Ordinary Folks we all think we
are until trials come our way and we learn not only is there more to us, but
less as well. Confronting their own
failings, they have compassion for other's.
Mostly, it was absolutely wonderful to read an Awakening Story that
wasn't all about the sexual attraction or trumped up conflicts that reduce hero
and heroine to argumentative banter based on misunderstandings. They were cautious with each other, kind to
themselves even. Taking time, giving
support and space as needed, Sebastian and Isabel's story advanced even as the
mysteries, debts and confusions mounted to a larger pile.
I had a bit of difficulty with the last couple chapters of this
book. It tied up "too neatly"
for me. I like a bit of conflict left
hanging, things to work through together in happily ever after land. In fairness, the financial situation is
probably Huge Enough, not to mention the "secret" Sebastian has chosen
to keep. I believe that will come back
to bite them both in the end. Of
course, it could simply be the fact I seldom like epilogues and this one was a
bit too sweet for me. That said, I did enjoy 98.7% of the book, the writing
style, characterizations, and well-handles story line. Definitely will look for other works by this
author. I recommend Lord Somerton's Heir for when you're in a Traditional mood,
looking for a meatier story with a gentle romance.
