Dearly Beloved

2.5 Stars This book is a re release from 1990 & I first read it many years ago A sheltered life in the countryside has left Diana Lindsay restless to see the wider world, for both herself and the son she is raising alone. Bound by the sins of his youth, Gervase Brandelin, the Viscount St. Aubyn, has spent his adulthood seeking redemption through service to England. Now a spymaster, he can allow nothing to distract him from his duty. The authors books are a must read for me & I think I’ve read all of them whilst this book was well written I found it to be over long & the pace dragged at times so much so that I found myself skipping pages. I probably enjoyed the book when I first read it but this time round it just didn’t 'do it' for me, the book would have been better to have been left on the shelf. I didn’t connect with Gervase or Diana, in fact I didn’t like them at all. If the intention of re releasing this book was to find new followers of the author then it’s missed its mark My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Wow, I feel like I've just been put through a wringer washer! This was such an intense yet fascinating story, with one shock after another, especially at the end. From the very first chapter, you are brought into a situation that leaves you reeling. All Diana Lindsay wants is to find a man who will love her and make her dreams come true and if she needs to become a courtesan to do so, then so be it. She also has a young son that needs a father! When she comes face to face with Gervase Brandelin, the Viscount St. Aubyn, it's immediate attraction and she soon becomes his mistress. Both have dark secrets that can destroy what they have and once they come out in the open, it almost seems impossible that they will be able to overcome it all....but love and passion are very strong emotions and forgiveness is another one. This is not a lighthearted story but one of deep, dark emotions and filled with angst. One must also realize that these things happen quite often and we can't keep our heads buried in the sand and pretend that it doesn't happen. I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

An intensely emotional story that will linger in your mind long after the last page has been turned. A mistaken room and a hasty marriage. A terrible error and he hoped to never see her again. But years later, his "wife" appears and he has no idea who she is as she lures him with her beauty. A story of mistaken identity, anguish, longing and a long journey to love.