* A huge Thank You to Lotte R. James for sending me a copy of her book in exchange for an honest review.
A Governess to Redeem Him by Lotte R. James.
Synopsis
Eighteen years ago Juliana Myles fled her home and built a new life as a governess, believing her childhood sweetheart had been sentenced to death. Now Sebastian Lloyd is back from the dead—and he wants Juliana’s help in proving his innocence…
Sebastian has spent a lifetime running from an unjust verdict. But he’s tired of being haunted by his past. Yet working with Juliana to capture the true culprit also means being confronted by searing memories of their passionate history. And the temptation to bring their love story back to life…
My review
Eighteen years ago, Sebastian Lloyd was accused of a double
murder and theft. Believing he was executed, his childhood sweetheart, Juliana
Myles, (who featured in Lotte’s book The Marquess of Yew Park House) fled her
home and built a new life as a governess, mourning her love and not allowing
herself to move on. Now Sebastian is back; he’s full of anger and resentment;
and after feeling abandoned by Juliana, he wants her help getting justice. With
his fine new clothes, and a mind hell-bent on revenge, Sebastian reminded me of
The Count of Monte Cristo – which I love!
As well as Sebastian’s tragic storyline, Juliana has a
harrowing past of her own which we explore when the characters return to their
hometown to conduct detective work.
Instead of picking up their love story where they left off,
I appreciated how the author let the characters figure out their feelings for
each other - it felt more authentic. Juliana and Sebastian fell in love as
teenagers, and in the eighteen years since, they have changed and grown as
individuals. As well as proving Sebastian’s innocence, the pair have to get to
know each other as adults. Their passion for each other has been reignited, but
are they only in love with the memory of what they once had? Or is there a
chance they can still have the happy ending they once planned for?
From the first page, we are treated to Lotte’s deliciously
descriptive gothic elements, which set the scene of the book perfectly.
Something I love about this author’s work is that the houses in her books have
so much personality - they are almost characters in their own right! Lotte R.
James gives us so much more than a one-dimensional historical romance: we have
an exciting storyline; the characters have depth and grow as the storyline
progresses, and although we have passion and spice, it’s not without reason
(sometimes, I find authors plonk spicy scenes in a story to bulk out the book).
R. James is easily one of my favourite Historical Romance authors - she has
perfected the genre!
Get your own copy here.
Available now in the UK, and 1 April in the US.
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