Series: Lords of the Armory, #1
Traits & Tropes: war hero; titled for service; best friend's brother; bonded over grief; suspense
Publication Date: 02.25.20
Genre/Setting: Historical; Regency; London, England, 1816
Heat Level: 3
Rating: 4/5
Narration Rating: 4/5
General Marcus Braddock has finally returned from war and been named Duke of Hampton in recognition of his service. He is still mourning the death of his beloved sister, Elise, two years previously while he was away. As he learns more about the circumstances surrounding Elise’s accident, Marcus begins to suspect it was no accident at all and seeks the truth with ruthless determination, starting with questioning her best friend, Danielle.
Danielle Williams has her own potentially deadly secrets. She has spent the last four years working on her charity, Nightingale, devoted to removing women from abusive situations. When she learns that Elise was working on her own vanishing mission the night she died, Danielle is overwhelmed with guilt. Soon that same work puts Danielle’s own life in danger and Marcus is determined to keep her safe, no matter how much she insists she doesn’t need to be rescued.
I’ve read this series out of order thus far, but I liked this book more than the second book in the series. Marcus made an excellent hero, and I liked the mystery elements at play here. What frustrated me was Danielle and her blind determination to help women, even if it meant she made foolish decisions that resulted in injury or peril for herself or others. She was so determined to be independent that she often failed to stop and think things through, especially if it was Marcus attempting to talk sense into her. Danielle’s intentions were of course very good, but she wound up coming off as naïve much of the time, especially given how she was supposed to have set up this elaborate and complicated network. The resourcefulness required to establish such a system didn’t quite jive with her idealistic characterization. Other than that, I think this was a great story with enough suspense to keep me intrigued and very well-done steamy scenes between our MCs. I liked the way the villain was handled enough to make this story feel complete while simultaneously setting up the villainous element for the rest of the series. Marcus was an excellent lead and Dani a good match for him once she finally saw sense and let him into her world. I look forward to more books set in this storyline.
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/2462158606
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3134559172
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