Jilting the Duke

It's amazing how things can work out, even if it takes years. Aidan and Sophia were on the cusp of having it all until a mistake, bad timing, misunderstanding, and miscommunication took it all away. Their story really wasn't that complicated. Once engaged to be married, Aidan left for war and Sophia promised to wait for him. That promise was almost immediately broken and she found herself wed to Tom, an incredible man with a huge heart. He saved her from ruin, gave her a title, and made her child his heir. But theirs was a marriage that was never supposed to happen. Her heart still longed for Aidan, and Tom's longed for his own love. Tom's wishes brings Aidan and Sophia together again as co-guardians to her son, Ian. Their first meeting was hard to read. Aidan's anger and need for vengeance on the woman he believed wronged him ran so strong I was surprised Sophia didn't choke on it. His feelings were relevant but he had to suspect something else had happened, right? From that meeting, something felt... Off? Weird? Unsaid? Pick a word but there was something Sophia wasn't saying to Aidan. Finding out what it was close to the end had me wishing it'd been said earlier. The animosity between them would have been pacified but they would have missed out on getting reacquainted the way they did. Their past was the elephant in the room but, thank God, it wasn't what kept them apart. One aspect of this story I hope others appreciate like I did are the premonitions and dreams woven into it. Sophia's late husband plays a huge part in them and they act as guides for both Sophia and Aidan. I enjoyed this story immensely, not just for the romance but for the change in both Aidan and Sophia. She'd changed because of the life she lived, of the love she lost, but Aidan gave her a reason to smile again, to love again. The man I met at the beginning was not the man at the end. Aidan was happier, lighter, braver. He made amends for his mistake and gave back to Sophia what she was always meant to have: his heart. The future was brighter and promising because they found in themselves the willingness to change, forgive, and move on. Received from publisher for an honest review

This is the first story I’ve read by this author and I now intend to read the rest of her stories, she is that good a writer. The historical research she has done is obvious in the depth of her understanding of the social mores of the Regency/Napoleonic era, the political climate of that era and the subterfuge citizens had to engage in to navigate the niceties and stupidities of courtship and marriage rules during that era. This is basically a second chance romance for Aidan, Duke of Forster, and Sophia Gardiner, and it is a rocky one as they wend their way through mistaken errors of the past, vicious relatives, spies out to “do them in,” and their love and devotion for the children in their care…and each other. I LOVE this author’s writing!

A wonderfully written, heartbreakingly sweet story! Sophie, Lady Wilmot (née Gardiner), has returned to London at her deceased husband's urging. She knows she has things that must be done. Her husband has set certain tasks and requests in motion upon his death. This was a fantastically written romance, I laughed, cried and will definitely read this again!