Northumberland, 1815
At long last, Britain
is at peace, and General Jack Armstrong is coming home to the wife he barely
knows. Wed for mutual convenience, their union unconsummated, the couple has
exchanged only cold, dutiful letters. With no more wars to fight, Jack is ready
to attempt a peace treaty of his own.
Elizabeth Armstrong is on the warpath. She never expected fidelity from the
husband she knew for only a week, but his scandalous exploits have made her the
object of pity for years. Now that he’s back, she has no intention of sharing
her bed with him—or providing him with an heir—unless he can earn her
forgiveness. No matter what feelings he ignites within her…
Jack is not expecting a spirited, confident woman in place of the meek girl he
left behind. As his desire intensifies, he wants much more than a marriage in
name only. But winning his wife’s love may be the greatest battle he’s faced
yet.
Jack Armstrong comes back to England
from Canada
where he’s spent years and finds his childhood best friend, Giles, on his
deathbed. Giles had just married a mere
10 days earlier so when Jack comes to visit, Giles is determined to have his new
wife taken care of. Giles makes both
Jack and Elizabeth promise that they will get married after Giles dies – which they reluctantly
do. Elizabeth
is mourning Giles but must marry Jack in just a few days time as his leave is
almost over and he must head back to Canada. Jack promised Giles but he’s more than pissed
off about it. Elizabeth is not the type of women he
normally goes for – what he sees is a shy, mousy girl with no backbone and he’s pretty happy to be heading back to Canada.
from Canada
where he’s spent years and finds his childhood best friend, Giles, on his
deathbed. Giles had just married a mere
10 days earlier so when Jack comes to visit, Giles is determined to have his new
wife taken care of. Giles makes both
Jack and Elizabeth promise that they will get married after Giles dies – which they reluctantly
do. Elizabeth
is mourning Giles but must marry Jack in just a few days time as his leave is
almost over and he must head back to Canada. Jack promised Giles but he’s more than pissed
off about it. Elizabeth is not the type of women he
normally goes for – what he sees is a shy, mousy girl with no backbone and he’s pretty happy to be heading back to Canada.
Jack and Elizabeth try to do as well as they can the first two years together,
despite their strange marriage, via letters.
Jack finds himself liking Elizabeth’s
letters and looking forward to them. Elizabeth starts to fall
in love with her husband a bit as his letters show him to be quite a
character. Then a woman in Elizabeth’s village who like to cause trouble comes to visit with nothing but vile
intentions and lets Elizabeth know what Jack is
up to with all his many women in Canada. Elizabeth
is hurt and for the next 3 years their letters are cold and terse, with Jack not knowing why the change has occurred..
despite their strange marriage, via letters.
Jack finds himself liking Elizabeth’s
letters and looking forward to them. Elizabeth starts to fall
in love with her husband a bit as his letters show him to be quite a
character. Then a woman in Elizabeth’s village who like to cause trouble comes to visit with nothing but vile
intentions and lets Elizabeth know what Jack is
up to with all his many women in Canada. Elizabeth
is hurt and for the next 3 years their letters are cold and terse, with Jack not knowing why the change has occurred..
Jack finally comes home when the threat of war ends and
finds a completely different woman than the one he left 5 years earlier. She’s strong willed, confident and he is more
attracted to her as each day passes. Elizabeth makes no bones
about why she’s pissed off and isn’t sure she can forgive Jack. They eventually come together and fall in
love but the past has a way of jumping up and biting you in the ass when you
least expect it and this is exactly what happens to Jack.
finds a completely different woman than the one he left 5 years earlier. She’s strong willed, confident and he is more
attracted to her as each day passes. Elizabeth makes no bones
about why she’s pissed off and isn’t sure she can forgive Jack. They eventually come together and fall in
love but the past has a way of jumping up and biting you in the ass when you
least expect it and this is exactly what happens to Jack.
Let me start by saying that I normally don’t read books that
deal with infidelity. They’re just not my cuppa and I try to steer clear of
them. Despite that I picked this one up
because I had liked the first two books by this author so very much and was
pretty sure she could write the story so that I didn’t hate the hero. She definitely did that but unfortunately
the book didn’t speak to me the way her other two did.
deal with infidelity. They’re just not my cuppa and I try to steer clear of
them. Despite that I picked this one up
because I had liked the first two books by this author so very much and was
pretty sure she could write the story so that I didn’t hate the hero. She definitely did that but unfortunately
the book didn’t speak to me the way her other two did.
After Jack and Elizabeth get married Jack leaves for Canada almost
immediately. The marriage is unconsummated
and as the blurb said Elizabeth
didn’t necessarily expect fidelity but Jack should have shown some decency and
discretion in his sexual exploits. For
him to think that what he did in Canada wouldn’t reach Elizabeth’s ears in
England was just ridiculous and showed that for all Jack’s days in the military
he still hadn’t grown up emotionally.
immediately. The marriage is unconsummated
and as the blurb said Elizabeth
didn’t necessarily expect fidelity but Jack should have shown some decency and
discretion in his sexual exploits. For
him to think that what he did in Canada wouldn’t reach Elizabeth’s ears in
England was just ridiculous and showed that for all Jack’s days in the military
he still hadn’t grown up emotionally.
I was quite happy that Elizabeth
gave him the what-for when he got back to England but I have to say that she
capitulated way before I thought she should.
She definitely should have made him suffer longer. When Jack’s past came back to haunt him later
in the book I wasn’t surprised at all as the story was set up in such a way
that I couldn’t help but know what was coming by the way he thought to himself –
yeah, she’ll never know about that. You know when men say that to themselves in a book that they’re going to be proven
completely wrong. lol
gave him the what-for when he got back to England but I have to say that she
capitulated way before I thought she should.
She definitely should have made him suffer longer. When Jack’s past came back to haunt him later
in the book I wasn’t surprised at all as the story was set up in such a way
that I couldn’t help but know what was coming by the way he thought to himself –
yeah, she’ll never know about that. You know when men say that to themselves in a book that they’re going to be proven
completely wrong. lol
I did enjoy Elizabeth’s
personality in this book and also the battle scenes having to do with the
Battle of Waterloo – those were both huge pluses for me. I didn’t, however, feel the emotional union between Elizabeth and Jack.
It wasn’t his past…I just wasn’t feeling the love. Yes they were close but for some reason I
just wasn’t getting the emotional connection that I think I was supposed to
feel. I know that this author can make
me feel that closeness because I just finished her previous book, The Sergeant’s
Lady, which was excellent. So in the end
while I found this book good and entertaining it just didn’t knock my socks
off.
personality in this book and also the battle scenes having to do with the
Battle of Waterloo – those were both huge pluses for me. I didn’t, however, feel the emotional union between Elizabeth and Jack.
It wasn’t his past…I just wasn’t feeling the love. Yes they were close but for some reason I
just wasn’t getting the emotional connection that I think I was supposed to
feel. I know that this author can make
me feel that closeness because I just finished her previous book, The Sergeant’s
Lady, which was excellent. So in the end
while I found this book good and entertaining it just didn’t knock my socks
off.
Rating: 3 out of 5
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