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Brides of Redemption #2
Surrender to the Earl
A pretend engagement turns into passion between an unlikely pair in the second book of USA Today bestselling author Gayle Callen's new Victorian series.
She wanted a favor, not a fiancé.
Audrey Blake's impromptu plan-asking a visitor to help her take ownership of her rightful property-is unraveling in spectacular fashion. Robbed of her sight by a childhood fever, Audrey has been kept in virtual seclusion by her family. And now the enigmatic Robert Henslow, Earl of Knightsbridge, has complicated her scheme to gain independence, insisting they pretend to be engaged.
Duty brought Robert to Audrey's doorstep. As for what makes him propose marriage…it might be guilt. Compassion. Or something far more urgent and unexpected. Their counterfeit union was supposed to be for Audrey's benefit. Yet it's Robert who yearns to prove to the intriguing Audrey how much they both have to gain by making it real-and convincing her to submit to the most blissful passion.
She wanted a favor, not a fiancé.
Audrey Blake's impromptu plan-asking a visitor to help her take ownership of her rightful property-is unraveling in spectacular fashion. Robbed of her sight by a childhood fever, Audrey has been kept in virtual seclusion by her family. And now the enigmatic Robert Henslow, Earl of Knightsbridge, has complicated her scheme to gain independence, insisting they pretend to be engaged.
Duty brought Robert to Audrey's doorstep. As for what makes him propose marriage…it might be guilt. Compassion. Or something far more urgent and unexpected. Their counterfeit union was supposed to be for Audrey's benefit. Yet it's Robert who yearns to prove to the intriguing Audrey how much they both have to gain by making it real-and convincing her to submit to the most blissful passion.
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 28, 2013
47 people are currently reading
568 people want to read
About the author
Gayle Callen
85 books520 followersUSA Today Bestselling author Gayle Callen writes historical romances for Avon Books. Her twenty-second novel, The Wrong Bride, was published in November 2015.
Gayle’s novels have won the Holt Medallion, the Laurel Wreath Award, the Booksellers’ Best Award, and finaled in the National Readers Choice Awards. She was a nominee for RT Book Reviews Magazine’s Reviewers’ Choice Award. Her books have been translated into eleven different languages. She also writes the contemporary romances as Emma Cane.
Gayle resides in central New York with her husband. Now that her three children are grown, she has time to read, sing, and delve too deeply into historical research. A past President of the Central New York Romance Writers, she is also a member of Romance Writers of America and Novelists Inc. Visit her website at http://www.gaylecallen.com
Gayle’s novels have won the Holt Medallion, the Laurel Wreath Award, the Booksellers’ Best Award, and finaled in the National Readers Choice Awards. She was a nominee for RT Book Reviews Magazine’s Reviewers’ Choice Award. Her books have been translated into eleven different languages. She also writes the contemporary romances as Emma Cane.
Gayle resides in central New York with her husband. Now that her three children are grown, she has time to read, sing, and delve too deeply into historical research. A past President of the Central New York Romance Writers, she is also a member of Romance Writers of America and Novelists Inc. Visit her website at http://www.gaylecallen.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
July 16, 2013
4.5 stars
Surrender to the Earl is a truly charming romance which has been lumbered with rather a clichéd title that I feel is actually quite misleading. While it’s true that the story that involves the heroine changing her mind about her determination never to remarry, there is no question of “surrender” or submission. Both hero and heroine discover new things about themselves and each other and have to put aside preconceptions, but perhaps something along those lines wouldn’t have made a snappy title.
That aside, I thoroughly enjoyed the book, which is the second in Gayle Callen’s Brides of Redemption series. I read and liked the first story, Return of the Viscount last year, so had high hopes for this one – and I wasn’t disappointed.
Audrey Blake ‘s husband was killed in India, in the same incident that killed the commanding officer of Viscount Blackthorne and his friends the Earl of Knightsbridge and the Duke of Rothford. Audrey didn’t have much of a marriage as her husband only married her so he could use her dowry to purchase his commission and left for India immediately after their wedding night. As a result, Audrey is still living under her father’s roof, and is desperate to escape. Not only is she widowed, she is blind – the result of a severe fever as a child - and her family thinks she is a useless invalid. Despite her blindness, however, Audrey is very adept at running the household, which is another reason her father is loath to let her leave so that she can live independently on her husband’s property.
When Robert Henslow, Earl of Knightsbridge comes to visit – albeit two years after her husband’s death – he asks her if there is anything he can do for her. He feels responsible for Martin Blake’s death, and makes the offer out of guilt. He is stunned when Audrey asks him to help her to escape from her family home and is reluctant to help at first, unable to see why she would wish to do such a thing or to think of a way he can take her away without her father’s permission.
Over the next few days, however, he begins to understand Audrey’s predicament. It becomes clear to him that she is frequently overlooked, relegated almost to the position of “poor relation” and regarded as an embarrassment by her brother and sister. Her father constantly belittles her and reminds her of the failure of her first marriage as a way of keeping her under his thumb. At a dinner-party, it is apparent that none of the guests have ever met Audrey before, despite the fact that she has lived there all her life; her father has kept her more or less shut away since the death of her mother some years earlier, and she was the only one who treated her blind daughter as a person rather than a blind person.
Robert quickly realises that Audrey is a very capable and courageous woman and begins to admire her fortitude and determination. He also realises that there is only one way in which he can help her to escape without exposing her to gossip – they must announce their engagement, and he can escort Audrey to her property which is quite close to his own estates. Once she is settled, they can quietly end the engagement and nobody will be any the wiser – and Audrey will finally have achieved her dream of living independently.
When they arrive at Rose Cottage, it’s immediately clear that all is not as it should be. Audrey and Robert assume that it is because the servants – cook/housekeeper, groundsman, footman, maid – have had a cushy time with no master or mistress and are reluctant to see it end, but it’s not long before Audrey realises that the constant ‘little’ errors – cold food, moved furniture – are designed to make her leave and that there must be something more to the staffs’ recalcitrance.
The slowly developing affection between Robert and Audrey was the highlight of the book for me, and was beautifully written. Even though they are not really engaged to be married, Robert is always solicitous and tender, and often playfully affectionate towards her. Audrey is rather more reserved; her memories of her husband’s treatment of her are never far away and she has vowed never to allow herself to trust a man again. But she hates that she is becoming more and more dependent on Robert – or rather, she thinks it’s dependency when it’s clear to the reader that it’s not: she misses him when he’s not around and wants to be with him, but is so prickly about her desire for independence and suspicious that he is motivated by pity for her situation and her blindness that she can’t see that he’s just as “dependent” on her for his happiness as she is on him.
I found both protagonists to be extremely likeable, even though I did find Audrey’s repeated and stubborn refusals of Robert’s genuine proposal rather annoying at times. Robert was a gorgeous beta hero; following an event which pulled him up short and made him realise at the age of twenty, that he was well on the way to becoming an autocrat like his father, he joined the army which he freely admits was the making of him. He has his hidden secrets, but it was rather refreshing to find a hero who didn’t quite need wild horses to drag them from him and who was able to own his mistakes and try to atone for them as best he could. His experiences have given him insight, developed his intuition and turned him into a patient, understanding man who will make Audrey a wonderful, loving husband if she will let him.
Interestingly, the character who grows most during the course of the novel is Audrey’s younger sister, Blythe. When we first meet her, she is self-centred and rather cruel to Audrey, but when she turns up at Rose Cottage in the latter half of the story, and begins to confess to just why she felt and acted the way she did, the sisters begin to rebuild their relationship. I’m not sure I completely bought into Blythe’s change of heart to start with, but when it became clear that she was motivated by a genuine desire to atone for her past behaviour, I began to enjoy watching them become friends and I liked the way that Blythe was not afraid to ask difficult questions or tell Audrey a few home-truths when necessary.
I admit to being a sucker for stories where the hero and heroine become friends before they are lovers (and to liking a “fake-engagement” plot), and Surrender to the Earl certainly delivers on that score. Audrey and Robert are a perfect fit – as friends they are like-minded and genuinely appreciative of each other and there was plenty of romantic and sexual tension in the air when their feelings for each other began to grow into something more.
I’ve read some complaints about the slow pacing in the book, but personally, I didn’t feel that at all. I was so engrossed in watching Robert and Audrey falling head-over-heels in love and enjoying their interactions that the fact that “nothing happened” didn’t bother me in the slightest.
For me, the fact that the developing romance was placed so firmly at the heart of the book was key to my enjoyment, and I’ll certainly be looking out for the next book in the series.
With thanks to Avon and Edelweiss for the review copy.
Surrender to the Earl is a truly charming romance which has been lumbered with rather a clichéd title that I feel is actually quite misleading. While it’s true that the story that involves the heroine changing her mind about her determination never to remarry, there is no question of “surrender” or submission. Both hero and heroine discover new things about themselves and each other and have to put aside preconceptions, but perhaps something along those lines wouldn’t have made a snappy title.
That aside, I thoroughly enjoyed the book, which is the second in Gayle Callen’s Brides of Redemption series. I read and liked the first story, Return of the Viscount last year, so had high hopes for this one – and I wasn’t disappointed.
Audrey Blake ‘s husband was killed in India, in the same incident that killed the commanding officer of Viscount Blackthorne and his friends the Earl of Knightsbridge and the Duke of Rothford. Audrey didn’t have much of a marriage as her husband only married her so he could use her dowry to purchase his commission and left for India immediately after their wedding night. As a result, Audrey is still living under her father’s roof, and is desperate to escape. Not only is she widowed, she is blind – the result of a severe fever as a child - and her family thinks she is a useless invalid. Despite her blindness, however, Audrey is very adept at running the household, which is another reason her father is loath to let her leave so that she can live independently on her husband’s property.
When Robert Henslow, Earl of Knightsbridge comes to visit – albeit two years after her husband’s death – he asks her if there is anything he can do for her. He feels responsible for Martin Blake’s death, and makes the offer out of guilt. He is stunned when Audrey asks him to help her to escape from her family home and is reluctant to help at first, unable to see why she would wish to do such a thing or to think of a way he can take her away without her father’s permission.
Over the next few days, however, he begins to understand Audrey’s predicament. It becomes clear to him that she is frequently overlooked, relegated almost to the position of “poor relation” and regarded as an embarrassment by her brother and sister. Her father constantly belittles her and reminds her of the failure of her first marriage as a way of keeping her under his thumb. At a dinner-party, it is apparent that none of the guests have ever met Audrey before, despite the fact that she has lived there all her life; her father has kept her more or less shut away since the death of her mother some years earlier, and she was the only one who treated her blind daughter as a person rather than a blind person.
Robert quickly realises that Audrey is a very capable and courageous woman and begins to admire her fortitude and determination. He also realises that there is only one way in which he can help her to escape without exposing her to gossip – they must announce their engagement, and he can escort Audrey to her property which is quite close to his own estates. Once she is settled, they can quietly end the engagement and nobody will be any the wiser – and Audrey will finally have achieved her dream of living independently.
When they arrive at Rose Cottage, it’s immediately clear that all is not as it should be. Audrey and Robert assume that it is because the servants – cook/housekeeper, groundsman, footman, maid – have had a cushy time with no master or mistress and are reluctant to see it end, but it’s not long before Audrey realises that the constant ‘little’ errors – cold food, moved furniture – are designed to make her leave and that there must be something more to the staffs’ recalcitrance.
The slowly developing affection between Robert and Audrey was the highlight of the book for me, and was beautifully written. Even though they are not really engaged to be married, Robert is always solicitous and tender, and often playfully affectionate towards her. Audrey is rather more reserved; her memories of her husband’s treatment of her are never far away and she has vowed never to allow herself to trust a man again. But she hates that she is becoming more and more dependent on Robert – or rather, she thinks it’s dependency when it’s clear to the reader that it’s not: she misses him when he’s not around and wants to be with him, but is so prickly about her desire for independence and suspicious that he is motivated by pity for her situation and her blindness that she can’t see that he’s just as “dependent” on her for his happiness as she is on him.
I found both protagonists to be extremely likeable, even though I did find Audrey’s repeated and stubborn refusals of Robert’s genuine proposal rather annoying at times. Robert was a gorgeous beta hero; following an event which pulled him up short and made him realise at the age of twenty, that he was well on the way to becoming an autocrat like his father, he joined the army which he freely admits was the making of him. He has his hidden secrets, but it was rather refreshing to find a hero who didn’t quite need wild horses to drag them from him and who was able to own his mistakes and try to atone for them as best he could. His experiences have given him insight, developed his intuition and turned him into a patient, understanding man who will make Audrey a wonderful, loving husband if she will let him.
Interestingly, the character who grows most during the course of the novel is Audrey’s younger sister, Blythe. When we first meet her, she is self-centred and rather cruel to Audrey, but when she turns up at Rose Cottage in the latter half of the story, and begins to confess to just why she felt and acted the way she did, the sisters begin to rebuild their relationship. I’m not sure I completely bought into Blythe’s change of heart to start with, but when it became clear that she was motivated by a genuine desire to atone for her past behaviour, I began to enjoy watching them become friends and I liked the way that Blythe was not afraid to ask difficult questions or tell Audrey a few home-truths when necessary.
I admit to being a sucker for stories where the hero and heroine become friends before they are lovers (and to liking a “fake-engagement” plot), and Surrender to the Earl certainly delivers on that score. Audrey and Robert are a perfect fit – as friends they are like-minded and genuinely appreciative of each other and there was plenty of romantic and sexual tension in the air when their feelings for each other began to grow into something more.
I’ve read some complaints about the slow pacing in the book, but personally, I didn’t feel that at all. I was so engrossed in watching Robert and Audrey falling head-over-heels in love and enjoying their interactions that the fact that “nothing happened” didn’t bother me in the slightest.
For me, the fact that the developing romance was placed so firmly at the heart of the book was key to my enjoyment, and I’ll certainly be looking out for the next book in the series.
With thanks to Avon and Edelweiss for the review copy.
February 10, 2022
I had such high hopes for this book as the premise was very interesting and the beginning was good enough to grab my attention.
The hero was the heroine’s late husband’s comrades in war and went to visit the heroine to offer his condolences. The heroine was blind and was treated negligently by her family. She wanted to stay at her late husband’s place and was prevented by the family to do so. She sought the hero’s help in order to achieve independence and the hero came up with the idea of a fake betrothal so that he can whisk her away under the pretense of getting to know each other better as the hero’s place is only a few miles away from the late husband’s place.
I do love the main character with the physical disability trope. This book, however, is bogged down by stilted dialogues and mundane events. The writing style isn’t my cup of tea as well. I just felt emotionally detached from the story. I hate to say this, but the book is just plain boring to me. She is a new to me author and if this book is an indication of her style, I’m going to have to give her other books a miss.
The hero was the heroine’s late husband’s comrades in war and went to visit the heroine to offer his condolences. The heroine was blind and was treated negligently by her family. She wanted to stay at her late husband’s place and was prevented by the family to do so. She sought the hero’s help in order to achieve independence and the hero came up with the idea of a fake betrothal so that he can whisk her away under the pretense of getting to know each other better as the hero’s place is only a few miles away from the late husband’s place.
I do love the main character with the physical disability trope. This book, however, is bogged down by stilted dialogues and mundane events. The writing style isn’t my cup of tea as well. I just felt emotionally detached from the story. I hate to say this, but the book is just plain boring to me. She is a new to me author and if this book is an indication of her style, I’m going to have to give her other books a miss.
May 20, 2013
This is a lovely story of a young widow who is blind and virtually held prisoner in her father's country estate. Until the Earl of Knightsbridge shows up and offers to help her. Seeing a chance to escape, Audrey agrees to a false engagement to the earl, and he whisks her off to her own estate, inherited from her late husband, located only a few miles from his own.
Audrey struggles to establish her independence, despite recalcitrant servants, the occasionally patronizing attitude of the earl, and a sudden unwanted visit from her snooty sister. But her hardest struggle is against the growing affection between her and the earl. She has no desire to give up her hard-won independence to marry again and believes that the earl is helping her only because of guilt over causing her husband's death.
After a few weeks, the earl proposes that he and Audrey make their engagement real. Audrey is very (overly) stubborn, but the earl is persistent and patient -- which is nice in a suitor but it means the second half of the book drags a bit.
As I said it's lovely story, and I enjoyed it. And yet, a month after I read it I had forgotten everything that happened and had to quickly reread to write this review. So, I'm calling this one a 3.5.
Many thanks to Avon and Edelweiss for an ARC of this book.
Audrey struggles to establish her independence, despite recalcitrant servants, the occasionally patronizing attitude of the earl, and a sudden unwanted visit from her snooty sister. But her hardest struggle is against the growing affection between her and the earl. She has no desire to give up her hard-won independence to marry again and believes that the earl is helping her only because of guilt over causing her husband's death.
After a few weeks, the earl proposes that he and Audrey make their engagement real. Audrey is very (overly) stubborn, but the earl is persistent and patient -- which is nice in a suitor but it means the second half of the book drags a bit.
As I said it's lovely story, and I enjoyed it. And yet, a month after I read it I had forgotten everything that happened and had to quickly reread to write this review. So, I'm calling this one a 3.5.
Many thanks to Avon and Edelweiss for an ARC of this book.
June 10, 2013
Have you ever read a book, where you could see the twist coming, a damn good twist, and you got yourself all excited for the big reveal, couldn't wait until the H/h realized what you knew all along, couldn't wait to see their reactions?
Yeah? Then I bet you'll have that feeling with this book. It'll make you stay up late reading because you want to see what happens. And when the denouement comes, I promise, if you're at all like me, you'll be…
surprised
Audrey Blake is blind. According to her father, that makes her all but useless. She can get around the house and grounds without much help, and she manages his household just fine—which conveniently frees up everyone else to goof off and pretend she doesn't exist. But, well, she’s kind of an embarrassment. Like blindness from a fever is hereditary and somehow reflects on them. So her family keeps her in the house, never lets her go to the village where she might meet people. She has no friends of her own, and her family never introduces her to their guests.
Almost three years ago, to everyone's surprise, Martin Blake offered for Audrey. She accepted despite her father’s warning that the guy was only after her dowry. Heck, she was using Blake, too, to get away from the cage that was her home. She figured she could at least set up her own household at his country manor, maybe make some friends in the nearby village. But after a wedding night that
Blake returned her to her father and used her dowry to buy a commission in the Queen's Army. He left Audrey with child, and she couldn't wait to have this baby to love. The pregnancy went well, but, shortly after the news came that Blake had died, the baby came early and died. She doesn't grieve her dead husband, but Audrey still winces when she hears babies crying. Her little boy would’ve been about two years old by now.
Robert Henslow, Earl of Knightsbridge, served with Blake and feels responsible for his death. Finally returned to England, he pays a call to the widow, hoping to find a way to repay his debt to her. When he asks if here's anything he can do for her, she pounces—if he wants to help her, get her out of her father's clutches. When Blake died without heirs, she inherited his manor, but her father lied and said it went to someone else in Blake’s family. She knows better, but she can’t get away from her controlling father, who has threatened to take her to court to keep his guardianship over her. She, being blind and female, hasn't a chance of prevailing on her own.
After watching the way she manages her impairment, and seeing the way her family treats her, Robert is persuaded to help her out. But there's only one way her father will let her go, and that's if another man, a more powerful man, takes control. Though Audrey is determined to be utterly independent of any man's control, Robert persuades her to pretend they have formed an attachment. If he's her fiance, he can take her to Blake’s manor, which is near his home. They'll be neighbors while they're theoretically firming up wedding plans. Once she's settled in, she can call it off—by then, assuming she's proven her own ability to manage things, it will be harder for her father to drag her home.
Audrey's family takes the news badly. Her father demands that she be left in his care, then holes up in his office and refuses to speak to anyone. Her sister has a hissy fit (interpreted as jealousy since sis wanted Robert for herself). Audrey's brother seems embarrassed by the whole thing. The one thing the whole clan has in common is they don't want her going to the manor. But Robert puts his "Earl" foot down.
And off they go.
They arrive at Audrey's new home without giving advance notice. Her late husband's steward had put a family of servants in charge of tending the place—the father's the groundskeeper and stable man, the mom handles the cooking, the son's a groomsman, and the daughters are maids. Everything looks well-tended, but Robert sees some odd, furtive glances that make him uneasy. Also, one of the maids seems to have gone AWOL.
And the house is a bit odd, too. For one thing, the furniture seems to shift around, and there are odd things like coal buckets left in the middle of the floor, almost as if the servants want Audrey to give up and go home. And there's a fully furnished—complete with toys lying around—nursery, even though there hasn’t been a child here since her husband died.
Are you feeling a little psychic yet?
Then Audrey’s maid/companion/assistant takes a fever, leaving Audrey to fend for herself in this unfamiliar place. They serve up cold meals—if they remember to feed her at all. Audrey is reluctant to fire a whole family, but it's getting harder and harder to ignore the hints that they want her gone. And, by damn, she's not the one who will be leaving, if it comes to it.
Then one day she hears a child crying. Fighting off the twinge of grief the sound evokes, she follows it to its source. Turns out the servants' "missing" and unmarried daughter has a little boy. Who’s about two years old...
So here I am, it's 2 am (and it's a work night) but by this point I'm flipping pages like mad, can't wait until morning to see what happens when she sees what I see. Hell, I was even crying a little, so angry on her behalf, dying to see how she confronted the people who did this…
And then it all comes out. There’s some good stuff here. Callen gives some keen insights into what it might have been like to be a blind woman in Victorian times, and the characters are likeable. I cared how things turned out—and the ending worked.
I’m giving it 3.5 stars.
Yeah? Then I bet you'll have that feeling with this book. It'll make you stay up late reading because you want to see what happens. And when the denouement comes, I promise, if you're at all like me, you'll be…
surprised
Audrey Blake is blind. According to her father, that makes her all but useless. She can get around the house and grounds without much help, and she manages his household just fine—which conveniently frees up everyone else to goof off and pretend she doesn't exist. But, well, she’s kind of an embarrassment. Like blindness from a fever is hereditary and somehow reflects on them. So her family keeps her in the house, never lets her go to the village where she might meet people. She has no friends of her own, and her family never introduces her to their guests.
Almost three years ago, to everyone's surprise, Martin Blake offered for Audrey. She accepted despite her father’s warning that the guy was only after her dowry. Heck, she was using Blake, too, to get away from the cage that was her home. She figured she could at least set up her own household at his country manor, maybe make some friends in the nearby village. But after a wedding night that
Blake returned her to her father and used her dowry to buy a commission in the Queen's Army. He left Audrey with child, and she couldn't wait to have this baby to love. The pregnancy went well, but, shortly after the news came that Blake had died, the baby came early and died. She doesn't grieve her dead husband, but Audrey still winces when she hears babies crying. Her little boy would’ve been about two years old by now.
Robert Henslow, Earl of Knightsbridge, served with Blake and feels responsible for his death. Finally returned to England, he pays a call to the widow, hoping to find a way to repay his debt to her. When he asks if here's anything he can do for her, she pounces—if he wants to help her, get her out of her father's clutches. When Blake died without heirs, she inherited his manor, but her father lied and said it went to someone else in Blake’s family. She knows better, but she can’t get away from her controlling father, who has threatened to take her to court to keep his guardianship over her. She, being blind and female, hasn't a chance of prevailing on her own.
After watching the way she manages her impairment, and seeing the way her family treats her, Robert is persuaded to help her out. But there's only one way her father will let her go, and that's if another man, a more powerful man, takes control. Though Audrey is determined to be utterly independent of any man's control, Robert persuades her to pretend they have formed an attachment. If he's her fiance, he can take her to Blake’s manor, which is near his home. They'll be neighbors while they're theoretically firming up wedding plans. Once she's settled in, she can call it off—by then, assuming she's proven her own ability to manage things, it will be harder for her father to drag her home.
Audrey's family takes the news badly. Her father demands that she be left in his care, then holes up in his office and refuses to speak to anyone. Her sister has a hissy fit (interpreted as jealousy since sis wanted Robert for herself). Audrey's brother seems embarrassed by the whole thing. The one thing the whole clan has in common is they don't want her going to the manor. But Robert puts his "Earl" foot down.
And off they go.
They arrive at Audrey's new home without giving advance notice. Her late husband's steward had put a family of servants in charge of tending the place—the father's the groundskeeper and stable man, the mom handles the cooking, the son's a groomsman, and the daughters are maids. Everything looks well-tended, but Robert sees some odd, furtive glances that make him uneasy. Also, one of the maids seems to have gone AWOL.
And the house is a bit odd, too. For one thing, the furniture seems to shift around, and there are odd things like coal buckets left in the middle of the floor, almost as if the servants want Audrey to give up and go home. And there's a fully furnished—complete with toys lying around—nursery, even though there hasn’t been a child here since her husband died.
Are you feeling a little psychic yet?
Then Audrey’s maid/companion/assistant takes a fever, leaving Audrey to fend for herself in this unfamiliar place. They serve up cold meals—if they remember to feed her at all. Audrey is reluctant to fire a whole family, but it's getting harder and harder to ignore the hints that they want her gone. And, by damn, she's not the one who will be leaving, if it comes to it.
Then one day she hears a child crying. Fighting off the twinge of grief the sound evokes, she follows it to its source. Turns out the servants' "missing" and unmarried daughter has a little boy. Who’s about two years old...
So here I am, it's 2 am (and it's a work night) but by this point I'm flipping pages like mad, can't wait until morning to see what happens when she sees what I see. Hell, I was even crying a little, so angry on her behalf, dying to see how she confronted the people who did this…
And then it all comes out. There’s some good stuff here. Callen gives some keen insights into what it might have been like to be a blind woman in Victorian times, and the characters are likeable. I cared how things turned out—and the ending worked.
I’m giving it 3.5 stars.
January 25, 2020
2020 got off to a rough start for me, so low conflict, comfort reads are really hitting the spot. I stumbled upon The Arrangement by Mary Balogh which lead me to The Captive and now this. Like the others, Surrender to the Earl is a sweet historical romance between two genuinely good people that takes place in the English countryside. It includes a small but obvious mystery.
Audrey Blake, our heroine, is a blind widow who longs for nothing more than to escape her family home, where she is both carefully controlled and neglected. Robert Henslow, Earl of Knightsbridge, served with Audrey's late husband in India and, feeling some guilt over his death, offers her his assistance upon his return to England. Audrey leaps at the opportunity and so the couple fake an engagement to get Audrey away from her domineering family. Troubles at Rose Cottage, Audrey's inherited estate, keep Robert close to her side and soon h/H are questioning whether this fake relationship might turn real.
Both leading characters are admirable, have overcome tough situations in life, and generally treat one another well. I enjoyed Audrey's determination to live an independent life despite her disability and it was even better to see this through Robert's eyes and observe his feelings grow from friendship to perhaps something more. I never actually took that love language test, but have to think I'd be an "acts of service" kinda gal. 'Cause I was swooning over Robert's steadfast support as Audrey settled into her estate and, unlike the heroine, cheering along when he stood up for her.
The issues with the Rose Cottage staff and Audrey's relationship with her sister provided welcome subplots (even though I immediately guessed the "mystery"). As in many novels that use past traumas to delay a couple from a happy future together, the conflict felt contrived at times. It probably didn't help that the relationship is not settled until the very last pages.
Audrey Blake, our heroine, is a blind widow who longs for nothing more than to escape her family home, where she is both carefully controlled and neglected. Robert Henslow, Earl of Knightsbridge, served with Audrey's late husband in India and, feeling some guilt over his death, offers her his assistance upon his return to England. Audrey leaps at the opportunity and so the couple fake an engagement to get Audrey away from her domineering family. Troubles at Rose Cottage, Audrey's inherited estate, keep Robert close to her side and soon h/H are questioning whether this fake relationship might turn real.
Both leading characters are admirable, have overcome tough situations in life, and generally treat one another well. I enjoyed Audrey's determination to live an independent life despite her disability and it was even better to see this through Robert's eyes and observe his feelings grow from friendship to perhaps something more. I never actually took that love language test, but have to think I'd be an "acts of service" kinda gal. 'Cause I was swooning over Robert's steadfast support as Audrey settled into her estate and, unlike the heroine, cheering along when he stood up for her.
The issues with the Rose Cottage staff and Audrey's relationship with her sister provided welcome subplots (even though I immediately guessed the "mystery"). As in many novels that use past traumas to delay a couple from a happy future together, the conflict felt contrived at times. It probably didn't help that the relationship is not settled until the very last pages.
February 9, 2025
A chance encounter via Bookbub for 99p, but this looked unusually interesting. It turned out to be a good read, the Americanisms weren’t too annoying and the sex, while somewhat implausible, was an integral part of the plot. Victorian, rather than Regency, but none the worse for that. Apart from a few references to copious petticoats, one would never guess this was set in 1843.
Here’s the premise: Audrey Blake is a widow, abandoned by her fortune-hunting husband after one night of marriage so that he could join the army, where he promptly gets himself killed. Blind since a childhood illness, Audrey isn’t thought capable of managing her husband’s estate on her own, so she stays at home managing the household, taken for granted by her father, ignored by her brother and resented by her sister. All she wants is to escape, but it doesn’t seem as if there’s any way.
But then Robert, the Earl of Knightsbridge, a former soldier who knew her husband, comes to pay his condolences. Guilty because he feels his actions got her husband killed, he wants to find some way to be of service to her. What could be more fortuitous? Get me out of here, she implores him. But how to get her away from her father? Robert suggests a fake engagement. His own estate is not far from Audrey’s and as her pretend fiance, he can help her settle in. Later, she can break off the engagement. What could possibly go wrong?
Actually, less than you might think. The two successfully make their escape from Audrey’s home, although the journey isn’t without difficulties. A thief breaking into Audrey’s room at the inn provides an opportunity for a semi-naked Robert to rescue her. Now, Audrey can’t see all that well-honed manly flesh, but she can certainly feel it, and compare it with her husband’s less well-proportioned form. And so we’re well away with the beginnings of lustful thoughts on both sides.
This early part of the book, before things really hot up sexually, is beautifully done, and the spiky exchanges between the two are incredibly realistic. She’s fiercely determined to be independent and not be pitied or patronised, so she quite rightly gets cross when he jumps in to smooth the way. He, on the other hand, is an earl and an officer, used to being in charge, and finds it difficult to step aside and let her do things her own way. As he explains to her, she’s his fiancee and that makes him protective of her. ‘It’s what men do,’ he says. The adjustments they both have to make are fascinating.
At Audrey’s small estate, she finds the servants behaving rather oddly, and things happening that seem designed to make her leave. She’s determined to stay, and is smart enough to bring the servants in line and (eventually) to find out just what is going on. Meanwhile, Robert is visiting frequently, helping her meet her tenants and the locals, and generally making himself useful. And (needless to say) the two are slowly falling in love.
And if that were all, this would be a fairly standard traditional romance. But right from the start, even though the engagement is fake, Robert is all over Audrey, first with kisses (and perhaps some of that is necessary to convince everyone that the engagement is real) but later with more passionate interludes, and he tries to persuade her to have an affair with him, even if she doesn’t want to marry. I have to say that I can’t quite approve of Robert’s actions, and there’s a point near the end when he basically seduces her, even though he’s well aware that if she ends up pregnant, she will have to marry him, whether she wants to or not. Not nice, especially when he’s talked so much about patience. A little restraint wouldn’t go amiss, but then she collapses into a puddle of lust at the first kiss, so perhaps it’s not too surprising.
The end of the book tips into a maelstrom of revelations on both sides and multiple changing of minds back and forth, only resolved when Audrey’s sister, who started off as something of a nasty piece of work and magically transformed into a heroine mid-book, bangs their heads together, and they all lived happily ever after, no doubt (including the servants and the rosy-cheeked yokels). Well, one doesn’t look for too much realism in a work like this.
A few Americanisms, but nothing too outrageous, and otherwise very well written and enjoyable from start to finish. The sex scenes are well done if not always plausible (the dining table? Really?). Audrey is perhaps a shade too quick to find her way around a new house, but it’s so nice to see a properly disabled heroine that I’m not going to quibble. Five stars.
I would have bought the other books in the series, but the price was outside my comfort zone, and book 1 hinged on a marriage by proxy (a complete no-no in English law) so I decided to pass. Shame.
Here’s the premise: Audrey Blake is a widow, abandoned by her fortune-hunting husband after one night of marriage so that he could join the army, where he promptly gets himself killed. Blind since a childhood illness, Audrey isn’t thought capable of managing her husband’s estate on her own, so she stays at home managing the household, taken for granted by her father, ignored by her brother and resented by her sister. All she wants is to escape, but it doesn’t seem as if there’s any way.
But then Robert, the Earl of Knightsbridge, a former soldier who knew her husband, comes to pay his condolences. Guilty because he feels his actions got her husband killed, he wants to find some way to be of service to her. What could be more fortuitous? Get me out of here, she implores him. But how to get her away from her father? Robert suggests a fake engagement. His own estate is not far from Audrey’s and as her pretend fiance, he can help her settle in. Later, she can break off the engagement. What could possibly go wrong?
Actually, less than you might think. The two successfully make their escape from Audrey’s home, although the journey isn’t without difficulties. A thief breaking into Audrey’s room at the inn provides an opportunity for a semi-naked Robert to rescue her. Now, Audrey can’t see all that well-honed manly flesh, but she can certainly feel it, and compare it with her husband’s less well-proportioned form. And so we’re well away with the beginnings of lustful thoughts on both sides.
This early part of the book, before things really hot up sexually, is beautifully done, and the spiky exchanges between the two are incredibly realistic. She’s fiercely determined to be independent and not be pitied or patronised, so she quite rightly gets cross when he jumps in to smooth the way. He, on the other hand, is an earl and an officer, used to being in charge, and finds it difficult to step aside and let her do things her own way. As he explains to her, she’s his fiancee and that makes him protective of her. ‘It’s what men do,’ he says. The adjustments they both have to make are fascinating.
At Audrey’s small estate, she finds the servants behaving rather oddly, and things happening that seem designed to make her leave. She’s determined to stay, and is smart enough to bring the servants in line and (eventually) to find out just what is going on. Meanwhile, Robert is visiting frequently, helping her meet her tenants and the locals, and generally making himself useful. And (needless to say) the two are slowly falling in love.
And if that were all, this would be a fairly standard traditional romance. But right from the start, even though the engagement is fake, Robert is all over Audrey, first with kisses (and perhaps some of that is necessary to convince everyone that the engagement is real) but later with more passionate interludes, and he tries to persuade her to have an affair with him, even if she doesn’t want to marry. I have to say that I can’t quite approve of Robert’s actions, and there’s a point near the end when he basically seduces her, even though he’s well aware that if she ends up pregnant, she will have to marry him, whether she wants to or not. Not nice, especially when he’s talked so much about patience. A little restraint wouldn’t go amiss, but then she collapses into a puddle of lust at the first kiss, so perhaps it’s not too surprising.
The end of the book tips into a maelstrom of revelations on both sides and multiple changing of minds back and forth, only resolved when Audrey’s sister, who started off as something of a nasty piece of work and magically transformed into a heroine mid-book, bangs their heads together, and they all lived happily ever after, no doubt (including the servants and the rosy-cheeked yokels). Well, one doesn’t look for too much realism in a work like this.
A few Americanisms, but nothing too outrageous, and otherwise very well written and enjoyable from start to finish. The sex scenes are well done if not always plausible (the dining table? Really?). Audrey is perhaps a shade too quick to find her way around a new house, but it’s so nice to see a properly disabled heroine that I’m not going to quibble. Five stars.
I would have bought the other books in the series, but the price was outside my comfort zone, and book 1 hinged on a marriage by proxy (a complete no-no in English law) so I decided to pass. Shame.
April 17, 2022
Rendben volt, de semmi extra, talán csak a hősnő vaksága adott egy kis kuriózumot a történethez. Egyszer olvasható aranyos kis történelmi románc nagy lángolások nélkül.
May 22, 2013
After coming home from India, Robert has come to Audrey Blake's home, out of duty and obligation to her husband, with whom he worked with as a fellow soldier. What he finds is a confidant young woman, but blind. Audrey once suffered a severe fever, and she lost her sight at six years old. Now she is a pretty much a prisoner in her father's home, and feels smothered. She married her husband, desperate to have freedom. However after she finds herself married, her husband is not what she expected, he used her as well. After he leaves for India, she loses her baby, and then later finds out her husband has been killed. Now back in her father's home, she is desperate to find a way to leave. When Robert Henslow comes for a visit, and offers her a chance to get free once more. Only she will have to have a pretend engagement with the Earl. At first Robert is more than willing to help Audrey, but as their pretend engagement brings them even more intimately closer than he ever would have imagined. Now he desires to make their fake engagement much more real and keep Audrey as his own.
I was given a ARC by Edelweiss and Avon books to give a honest review. It has been quite some time since I have read anything from this author. I have loved all of her other books, and I don't know if I was just distracted with this one, or what, but I had a hard time getting fully into the story, when I have never have had any problems before. I would describe it as an enjoyable read but not the type that gets the blood thumping with excitement. I did enjoy the type of circumstances that this couple is faced with. And once I got about halfway into it, then it started to get really good.
With Audrey, blind, and a virtual prisoner in her father's country estate, she is more than eager to leave. Her father sees her as a invalid, to be put aside and practically forgotten. All the glory and attention should go to her younger sister of course. So when Robert, the Earl of Knightsbridge, returns home to pay his respects to the widow of one of the soldiers he feels guilty over his recent death. When he arrives he is very surprised to find that she is blind, but no where close to invalid status. She is determined to have a life, despite being blind. He finds her courage and tenacity, only makes her even more attractive in his eyes. When they agree to a mutual fake engagement, he is all for it. He feels like he owes her something, and this is the least that he can do. Audrey, is no where ready to take on another husband. But for the first time she feels a fierce desire for Robert, the kind she has never felt before.
Robert, didn't have the best childhood. For the most part he felt isolated but yet he grew up to be a man of honorable intentions. He joined the army, and ended up in India. I found Robert to be the type of hero you want for yourself. He isn't much of a rake, he is bound by duty and obligation. I found him to be very refreshing and I liked the way he treated Audrey. He never sees her blindness as a negative characteristic, but admires her for what she has done despite of it. There is such a passionate connection between the two. I also liked how the heroine was far from perfect. She suffers from being blind, and I just loved this aspect of the story. It added a certain unique aspect that only added to the story even more.
I found Surrender to the Earl a pleasant and steady read. It wasn't the type where you are flipping through the pages, but it wasn't so slow it would take a turtle to keep ahead. I didn't find it to be very significant enough to blow my mind in any form. Although there were certain aspects of the story that I did enjoy. I liked the slow escalation of the love story that develops between this couple. Overall I found it to be a enjoyable romance that leads you into a light read, that is good for any time of the year.
Orginally Posted on my site at http://addictofromance.blogspot.com/
I was given a ARC by Edelweiss and Avon books to give a honest review. It has been quite some time since I have read anything from this author. I have loved all of her other books, and I don't know if I was just distracted with this one, or what, but I had a hard time getting fully into the story, when I have never have had any problems before. I would describe it as an enjoyable read but not the type that gets the blood thumping with excitement. I did enjoy the type of circumstances that this couple is faced with. And once I got about halfway into it, then it started to get really good.
With Audrey, blind, and a virtual prisoner in her father's country estate, she is more than eager to leave. Her father sees her as a invalid, to be put aside and practically forgotten. All the glory and attention should go to her younger sister of course. So when Robert, the Earl of Knightsbridge, returns home to pay his respects to the widow of one of the soldiers he feels guilty over his recent death. When he arrives he is very surprised to find that she is blind, but no where close to invalid status. She is determined to have a life, despite being blind. He finds her courage and tenacity, only makes her even more attractive in his eyes. When they agree to a mutual fake engagement, he is all for it. He feels like he owes her something, and this is the least that he can do. Audrey, is no where ready to take on another husband. But for the first time she feels a fierce desire for Robert, the kind she has never felt before.
Robert, didn't have the best childhood. For the most part he felt isolated but yet he grew up to be a man of honorable intentions. He joined the army, and ended up in India. I found Robert to be the type of hero you want for yourself. He isn't much of a rake, he is bound by duty and obligation. I found him to be very refreshing and I liked the way he treated Audrey. He never sees her blindness as a negative characteristic, but admires her for what she has done despite of it. There is such a passionate connection between the two. I also liked how the heroine was far from perfect. She suffers from being blind, and I just loved this aspect of the story. It added a certain unique aspect that only added to the story even more.
I found Surrender to the Earl a pleasant and steady read. It wasn't the type where you are flipping through the pages, but it wasn't so slow it would take a turtle to keep ahead. I didn't find it to be very significant enough to blow my mind in any form. Although there were certain aspects of the story that I did enjoy. I liked the slow escalation of the love story that develops between this couple. Overall I found it to be a enjoyable romance that leads you into a light read, that is good for any time of the year.
Orginally Posted on my site at http://addictofromance.blogspot.com/
June 17, 2018
started off okay, a little slow, got marginally better, but then got annoying, more annoying, then kiss and make-up, then immediately end.
ugh.
robert was fine and seemed to have a natural progression from guilt-motivated to falling in love
audrey, on the other hand, went from understandably frustrated with her situation (family treats her like a complete invalid just because she's blind even though she's figured out a way to manage through life) to ridiculously prideful and insufferable, especially toward the end when robert's laying his heart out, but she's too selfish (wanting to shield herself) to be understanding of where he's coming from
not to mention, the whole side story of the servants in her late husband's cottage just dragged on and on and i could care less
ugh.
robert was fine and seemed to have a natural progression from guilt-motivated to falling in love
audrey, on the other hand, went from understandably frustrated with her situation (family treats her like a complete invalid just because she's blind even though she's figured out a way to manage through life) to ridiculously prideful and insufferable, especially toward the end when robert's laying his heart out, but she's too selfish (wanting to shield herself) to be understanding of where he's coming from
not to mention, the whole side story of the servants in her late husband's cottage just dragged on and on and i could care less
March 3, 2018
Ik heb de Nederlandstalige uitgave gelezen : Voel mijn liefde - Candlelight Historische roman 1118 .
Een goed verhaal over een blinde weduwe die haar veel te beschermende familie wil ontvluchten en een man die haar uit schuldgevoel over zijn betrokkenheid bij de dood van haar man daarbij wil helpen .
Een goed verhaal over een blinde weduwe die haar veel te beschermende familie wil ontvluchten en een man die haar uit schuldgevoel over zijn betrokkenheid bij de dood van haar man daarbij wil helpen .
December 28, 2020
a great fast read!
May 22, 2013
Three men with three debts of honor to fulfill to the families of their fallen comrades. This premise quickly sets the stage for the books of the Brides of Redemption series and it is always a pleasure to read stories where men of the nobility are truly noble men as they are put to an impossible task. In Surrender to the Earl, Lord Knightsbridge faces an even greater test of his honor when the woman he came to help has true challenges in her life to overcome.
Arriving at the estate of Baron Collins, Robert Henslow intends to offer both his condolences and his assistance to the widow of his fellow soldier Martin Blake. His reception into the home is less than welcoming, but in wandering he finds the woman he seeks at the piano and he gets swept away in her emotional playing. All too soon the moment is broken and Robert must quickly find his footing in the situation when he learns that Mrs. Audrey Blake is blind. They talk for a moment under the eye of Audrey’s father Lord Collins, keeping the conversation light. But in a brief moment of solitude, Robert makes Audrey the offer of assistance. He is shocked when she immediately accepts his help and asks him to remove her from her father’s house where she is being kept as a virtual prisoner by her family.
For the full review, please go to http://www.thewindowseat13.com/2013/0...
Arriving at the estate of Baron Collins, Robert Henslow intends to offer both his condolences and his assistance to the widow of his fellow soldier Martin Blake. His reception into the home is less than welcoming, but in wandering he finds the woman he seeks at the piano and he gets swept away in her emotional playing. All too soon the moment is broken and Robert must quickly find his footing in the situation when he learns that Mrs. Audrey Blake is blind. They talk for a moment under the eye of Audrey’s father Lord Collins, keeping the conversation light. But in a brief moment of solitude, Robert makes Audrey the offer of assistance. He is shocked when she immediately accepts his help and asks him to remove her from her father’s house where she is being kept as a virtual prisoner by her family.
For the full review, please go to http://www.thewindowseat13.com/2013/0...
April 24, 2014
This second book of the Brides of Redemption trilogy in which three friends and soldiers who are returning to England from India in a need of redemption after an incident that all three were involved, we watch Robert Henslow, Earl of Knightsbridge meet his true love.
I loved the first story, ‘Return of the Viscount’ [my review is here] and I was really looking forward to this one.
You know how some books lean more to either heroes or heroines, meaning we have more of a character development of one and not enough of the other? Well in this one I ....thanks for jumping to b2b to finish reading my review...
http://bookworm2bookworm.wordpress.co...
Melanie for b2b
Complimentary copy from the publisher
I loved the first story, ‘Return of the Viscount’ [my review is here] and I was really looking forward to this one.
You know how some books lean more to either heroes or heroines, meaning we have more of a character development of one and not enough of the other? Well in this one I ....thanks for jumping to b2b to finish reading my review...
http://bookworm2bookworm.wordpress.co...
Melanie for b2b
Complimentary copy from the publisher
October 26, 2022
https://my-bo0ks.over-blog.com/2022/1...
3.5/5
Une autrice que je ne connaissais pas encore et que j'avais hâte de découvrir. Car le résumé m'a de suite tapé dans l'œil. Il faut dire que nous avons une héroïne qui change de l'ordinaire puisqu'elle est aveugle. Elle vit un peu comme une prisonnière avec sa famille. Son père tolère tout juste sa présence et lui interdit toutes sorties et son frère et sa sœur semblent eux aussi peu enclins à lui accorder un peu de gentillesse. Alors quand Robert, comte de Knightsbridge et ancien soldat, mais également connaissance de son époux disparu vient lui présenter ses condoléances et lui proposer son aide. Elle saute sur l'occasion pour se libérer de sa famille et partir enfin. Mais prétendre des fiançailles pourrait bien être plus difficile que prévu car le pire n'est-il pas de pas céder à la tentation ?
Quelle bonne surprise avec ce roman ! Audrey notre héroïne à toujours été discrète et sans jamais faire le moindre écart si ce n'est d'avoir épousé un homme qui l'a ensuite abandonné le lendemain de leurs noces. Aveugle à la suite d'une grave maladie alors qu'elle était jeune, Audrey a tout fait pour ne pas être un poids pour ses proches et garder son indépendance. Ainsi, dans la demeure familiale elle se déplace comme si de rien n'était et surtout, elle n'a aucunement besoin d'aide. J'ai apprécié sa force de caractère, son courage et surtout sa détermination à vouloir s'en sortir seule. Bien déterminée à pouvoir aller vivre dans son domaine (hérité de son époux), elle compte bien sur le comte pour y arriver. Mais surtout, elle montre à tous que sa cécité n'est clairement pas tare et qu'elle peut mener la vie qu'elle souhaite ! Quel beau message et surtout, quel vent d'originalité !
Robert, quant à lui, revient de l'armée et se doit de penser à son avenir. Pour autant, dès son retour c'est vers la veuve de Blake, qu'il se rend. Après ce qu'il s'est passé, il souhaite se racheter (un petit mystère!). Et voyant bien le comportement de sa famille avec Audrey, il accepte et prend l'initiative de demander sa main pour pouvoir lui permettre de quitter la demeure familiale. Dans l'ensemble, j'ai trouvé son personnage attachant même si, concrètement, je retiendrais plus Audrey dans cette histoire. Il se montre patient et se rend compte du besoin d'indépendance de notre héroïne au fil des chapitres et surtout de leurs rencontres. J'ai apprécié voir cette relation évoluer à son rythme.
Pour ce qui est de la romance, on est quasiment dans du faux-couple. Puisque nos deux héros vont faire semblant d'être fiancés. Cela dit, ils ne vont devoir faire semblant que peu de temps puisqu'ils vont partir pour le domaine d'Audrey. J'ai apprécié le fait que la relation n'aille pas trop vite et me suis laissée porter par l'histoire de ces deux-là. Même si par moment le rythme du roman était un peu lent et notamment concernant le petit mystère quant aux employés du domaine d'Audrey. Si j'ai apprécié cette pointe de suspense et ne pas savoir si ces derniers étaient des "gentils" ou non, je dois avouer que j'ai trouvé ça un peu trop dans les révélations faites mais également dans le comportement de ces derniers et la volonté d'Audrey a voir ça comme un défi auquel elle se prête malgré elle. J'ai trouvé qu'ils étaient finalement assez détestables dans leur comportement et elle, bien trop généreuse...
Enfin, j'ai apprécié la relation entre les sœurs et son évolution ! Je ne dirais rien de plus à ce sujet, si ce n'est que j'ai trouvé les révélations et rebondissements vraiment chouettes et surtout plein de rédemption. La relation entre nos deux sœurs n'étaient pas du tout au beau fixe au début du roman mais va nous réserver quelques surprises ! J'aurais bien envie de découvrir son histoire à elle d'ailleurs....
En conclusion, j'ai passé un bon moment de lecture avec Audrey et Robert ! Un personnage atypique, des petits rebondissements, un soupçon de mystère et une romance assez mignonne ! Je regrette juste un peu la conclusion un peu trop nette à mon goût et les quelques longueurs par-ci, par-là.
3.5/5
Une autrice que je ne connaissais pas encore et que j'avais hâte de découvrir. Car le résumé m'a de suite tapé dans l'œil. Il faut dire que nous avons une héroïne qui change de l'ordinaire puisqu'elle est aveugle. Elle vit un peu comme une prisonnière avec sa famille. Son père tolère tout juste sa présence et lui interdit toutes sorties et son frère et sa sœur semblent eux aussi peu enclins à lui accorder un peu de gentillesse. Alors quand Robert, comte de Knightsbridge et ancien soldat, mais également connaissance de son époux disparu vient lui présenter ses condoléances et lui proposer son aide. Elle saute sur l'occasion pour se libérer de sa famille et partir enfin. Mais prétendre des fiançailles pourrait bien être plus difficile que prévu car le pire n'est-il pas de pas céder à la tentation ?
Quelle bonne surprise avec ce roman ! Audrey notre héroïne à toujours été discrète et sans jamais faire le moindre écart si ce n'est d'avoir épousé un homme qui l'a ensuite abandonné le lendemain de leurs noces. Aveugle à la suite d'une grave maladie alors qu'elle était jeune, Audrey a tout fait pour ne pas être un poids pour ses proches et garder son indépendance. Ainsi, dans la demeure familiale elle se déplace comme si de rien n'était et surtout, elle n'a aucunement besoin d'aide. J'ai apprécié sa force de caractère, son courage et surtout sa détermination à vouloir s'en sortir seule. Bien déterminée à pouvoir aller vivre dans son domaine (hérité de son époux), elle compte bien sur le comte pour y arriver. Mais surtout, elle montre à tous que sa cécité n'est clairement pas tare et qu'elle peut mener la vie qu'elle souhaite ! Quel beau message et surtout, quel vent d'originalité !
Robert, quant à lui, revient de l'armée et se doit de penser à son avenir. Pour autant, dès son retour c'est vers la veuve de Blake, qu'il se rend. Après ce qu'il s'est passé, il souhaite se racheter (un petit mystère!). Et voyant bien le comportement de sa famille avec Audrey, il accepte et prend l'initiative de demander sa main pour pouvoir lui permettre de quitter la demeure familiale. Dans l'ensemble, j'ai trouvé son personnage attachant même si, concrètement, je retiendrais plus Audrey dans cette histoire. Il se montre patient et se rend compte du besoin d'indépendance de notre héroïne au fil des chapitres et surtout de leurs rencontres. J'ai apprécié voir cette relation évoluer à son rythme.
Pour ce qui est de la romance, on est quasiment dans du faux-couple. Puisque nos deux héros vont faire semblant d'être fiancés. Cela dit, ils ne vont devoir faire semblant que peu de temps puisqu'ils vont partir pour le domaine d'Audrey. J'ai apprécié le fait que la relation n'aille pas trop vite et me suis laissée porter par l'histoire de ces deux-là. Même si par moment le rythme du roman était un peu lent et notamment concernant le petit mystère quant aux employés du domaine d'Audrey. Si j'ai apprécié cette pointe de suspense et ne pas savoir si ces derniers étaient des "gentils" ou non, je dois avouer que j'ai trouvé ça un peu trop dans les révélations faites mais également dans le comportement de ces derniers et la volonté d'Audrey a voir ça comme un défi auquel elle se prête malgré elle. J'ai trouvé qu'ils étaient finalement assez détestables dans leur comportement et elle, bien trop généreuse...
Enfin, j'ai apprécié la relation entre les sœurs et son évolution ! Je ne dirais rien de plus à ce sujet, si ce n'est que j'ai trouvé les révélations et rebondissements vraiment chouettes et surtout plein de rédemption. La relation entre nos deux sœurs n'étaient pas du tout au beau fixe au début du roman mais va nous réserver quelques surprises ! J'aurais bien envie de découvrir son histoire à elle d'ailleurs....
En conclusion, j'ai passé un bon moment de lecture avec Audrey et Robert ! Un personnage atypique, des petits rebondissements, un soupçon de mystère et une romance assez mignonne ! Je regrette juste un peu la conclusion un peu trop nette à mon goût et les quelques longueurs par-ci, par-là.
May 8, 2025
2/2.5 Stars
So, in some ways this book was better than book one.. Atleast in regards to it being more interesting. At first, that is.
While I found this book unique in plot and with a FMC being blind but very capable, it also fell short in more meaningful ways. For me those areas of lacking left me feeling disappointed and underwhelmed by how it all progressed and ended.
I found I didn't like nor dislike either MC. Tbh I felt indifferent towards both much of the book, despite moments of lets say them showing or doing things that aroused more likeability in both. I struggled with both for various reasons. Robert for his sort of sad sap attitude regarding his guilt driven quest to assist Audrey, and sort of for his uninspiring personality? 😆 And Audrey with her very intense and singular focus on being independent. Although Audrey in particular had every reason to desire said independence, it was also her deep stubbornness regarding her life. Particularly every marrying again, or trusting another man. Which, hey, I understand she essentially got played by her first husband and he ran off with her dowry but truly her behavior was extreme imo for someone who didn't even seem to like her husband. Especially when said first husband didn't do anything to make her like him aside from courting her before marrying her. So I'm not sure her sort of man hating, I can't trust what a man ever says to me or his intentions sort of attitude was entirely justified.. Atleast in regards to her relationship with Robert because after the first couple of weeks with Robert she should have atleast been able to trust in his intentions as a man who kept his word. He did everything he promised he'd do by helping her leave her father's household, and still suck around to help her. They became friends imo before he introduced his passion for her, so to my mind I couldn't quite grasp her need to cling to such an excuse especially towards the end when she was constantly pushing Robert away or undecided about if she wanted a future with him.
Robert also was problematic for me. There were times I felt his pursuit of Audrey a bit too aggressive, to the point my cringe radar dinged a bit when it felt like he wasn't taking her rejection or no seriously. And yes, obviously she was pushing him away but also the way he went about making it known he didn't accept her decision and was set on changing her mind just felt a bit ick to me. Like nothing obvious or anything but it just became another issue for me with this book.
Otherwise I felt this book was rather forgettable. I hated how it ended. It was all over the place and so unsatisfying. Robert never once considered he might love Audrey but not till almost the very end after the reader has been told by Audrey she'd fallen in love with him that Robert admits he'd fallen for Audrey, also to the reader. I can believe he cared for her but he had plenty of time to acknowledge deeper feelings for her to himself and the reader much earlier on imo. It felt so random and like it was just admitted because the book was almost over. Which yeah, the random abrupt endings in this series are just laughably bad. No closure, nada.
So, in some ways this book was better than book one.. Atleast in regards to it being more interesting. At first, that is.
While I found this book unique in plot and with a FMC being blind but very capable, it also fell short in more meaningful ways. For me those areas of lacking left me feeling disappointed and underwhelmed by how it all progressed and ended.
I found I didn't like nor dislike either MC. Tbh I felt indifferent towards both much of the book, despite moments of lets say them showing or doing things that aroused more likeability in both. I struggled with both for various reasons. Robert for his sort of sad sap attitude regarding his guilt driven quest to assist Audrey, and sort of for his uninspiring personality? 😆 And Audrey with her very intense and singular focus on being independent. Although Audrey in particular had every reason to desire said independence, it was also her deep stubbornness regarding her life. Particularly every marrying again, or trusting another man. Which, hey, I understand she essentially got played by her first husband and he ran off with her dowry but truly her behavior was extreme imo for someone who didn't even seem to like her husband. Especially when said first husband didn't do anything to make her like him aside from courting her before marrying her. So I'm not sure her sort of man hating, I can't trust what a man ever says to me or his intentions sort of attitude was entirely justified.. Atleast in regards to her relationship with Robert because after the first couple of weeks with Robert she should have atleast been able to trust in his intentions as a man who kept his word. He did everything he promised he'd do by helping her leave her father's household, and still suck around to help her. They became friends imo before he introduced his passion for her, so to my mind I couldn't quite grasp her need to cling to such an excuse especially towards the end when she was constantly pushing Robert away or undecided about if she wanted a future with him.
Robert also was problematic for me. There were times I felt his pursuit of Audrey a bit too aggressive, to the point my cringe radar dinged a bit when it felt like he wasn't taking her rejection or no seriously. And yes, obviously she was pushing him away but also the way he went about making it known he didn't accept her decision and was set on changing her mind just felt a bit ick to me. Like nothing obvious or anything but it just became another issue for me with this book.
Otherwise I felt this book was rather forgettable. I hated how it ended. It was all over the place and so unsatisfying. Robert never once considered he might love Audrey but not till almost the very end after the reader has been told by Audrey she'd fallen in love with him that Robert admits he'd fallen for Audrey, also to the reader. I can believe he cared for her but he had plenty of time to acknowledge deeper feelings for her to himself and the reader much earlier on imo. It felt so random and like it was just admitted because the book was almost over. Which yeah, the random abrupt endings in this series are just laughably bad. No closure, nada.
September 5, 2025
This is the 2nd in a trilogy of stories about 3 men who served together overseas in the 1800’s in India and Afghanistan, They were involved in an action that resulted in the death of their commander and fellow soldiers, leaving them guilt-ridden. As the men return home, they endeavor to help the family of the fallen soldiers however they can. We are privileged to observe what transpires in each of their cases.
In this story, Robert Henslow, the Earl if Knightsbridge, comes to the widow of one of the fallen, Mrs. Audrey Blake, to offer to help in any way he can. He finds a lady that is blind, which her fallen husband had never disclosed to his compatriots. When Robert offers his help in whatever way she might need, Mrs, Blake asks for his help in escaping the constricted life in which her father has placed her. She asks his help in moving to the property she inherited from her deceased husband. He accepts the challenge.
The story is well constructed, and the characters well developed. I enjoyed seeing how the author solved the problems Audrey faces, which are believable. As she is blind, she finds it hard to discern if Robert’s attentions are true, or if it is only pity he feels for her. Further, Audrey’s family contribute to making this life change difficult for her.
The 2 main characters from book 1 appear near the end of the story, but this book stands well on it’s own. There are some mature scenes that occur when Robert and Audrey’s relationship deepens and moves towards marriage. Having read the first 2 books, I am eager to see how the 3rd returning soldier works out his guilt for having survived an attack that killed their fellow soldiers and commander.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
In this story, Robert Henslow, the Earl if Knightsbridge, comes to the widow of one of the fallen, Mrs. Audrey Blake, to offer to help in any way he can. He finds a lady that is blind, which her fallen husband had never disclosed to his compatriots. When Robert offers his help in whatever way she might need, Mrs, Blake asks for his help in escaping the constricted life in which her father has placed her. She asks his help in moving to the property she inherited from her deceased husband. He accepts the challenge.
The story is well constructed, and the characters well developed. I enjoyed seeing how the author solved the problems Audrey faces, which are believable. As she is blind, she finds it hard to discern if Robert’s attentions are true, or if it is only pity he feels for her. Further, Audrey’s family contribute to making this life change difficult for her.
The 2 main characters from book 1 appear near the end of the story, but this book stands well on it’s own. There are some mature scenes that occur when Robert and Audrey’s relationship deepens and moves towards marriage. Having read the first 2 books, I am eager to see how the 3rd returning soldier works out his guilt for having survived an attack that killed their fellow soldiers and commander.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 19, 2022
I picked this up for the disability rep.
Twenty-five year old Audrey is tired of her family confining her to their home and almost ignoring her because she is blind. She lost her vision after contracting Scarlett fever at seven but her mother was the only one who tried to make things normal for her whilst her father, brother and younger sister show disdain and leave her out of gatherings.
She is also a widow and wants to claim her estate that her late husband, Martin Blake owned thus she seeks the help of Henry, Earl of Knightbride to help her escape. I believe he is twenty-nine and just returned from India as a calvaryman. He feels guilty for being the reason why Audrey's husband died and thus wants to help her in any way he can.
I liked reading about how Audrey learnt to be self sufficient and can run her family's household on her own. It was sad to see that her father only uses her when he needs her and her younger sister, Blythe is jealous because Audrey seems to upstage her at every turn. Her marriage to Balke was loveless because he left her to join the army soon after their wedding.
Both of them have secrets. I liked how they experience awkwardness and tension: Audrey is sensitive about being controlled and Robert just wants to take care of her. That felt realistic. He realises his privilege in comparison to a female with a disability.
While some parts were enjoyable and unique, the pacing was odd at times.
TW: Lost of baby at childbirth
Tropes: Fake engagement
Twenty-five year old Audrey is tired of her family confining her to their home and almost ignoring her because she is blind. She lost her vision after contracting Scarlett fever at seven but her mother was the only one who tried to make things normal for her whilst her father, brother and younger sister show disdain and leave her out of gatherings.
She is also a widow and wants to claim her estate that her late husband, Martin Blake owned thus she seeks the help of Henry, Earl of Knightbride to help her escape. I believe he is twenty-nine and just returned from India as a calvaryman. He feels guilty for being the reason why Audrey's husband died and thus wants to help her in any way he can.
I liked reading about how Audrey learnt to be self sufficient and can run her family's household on her own. It was sad to see that her father only uses her when he needs her and her younger sister, Blythe is jealous because Audrey seems to upstage her at every turn. Her marriage to Balke was loveless because he left her to join the army soon after their wedding.
Both of them have secrets. I liked how they experience awkwardness and tension: Audrey is sensitive about being controlled and Robert just wants to take care of her. That felt realistic. He realises his privilege in comparison to a female with a disability.
While some parts were enjoyable and unique, the pacing was odd at times.
TW: Lost of baby at childbirth
Tropes: Fake engagement
April 24, 2025
Audrey is a blind lady whose husband was killed while fighting in India. Her marriage was loveless, and her husband used her for her dowry and then left after their wedding night. She has been living in forced reclusion in her father's home ever since, unable to move into her husband's property by her controlling father.
The hero, Robert was an officer in the regiment where Audrey's husband served. He feels duty-bound to visit Audrey because he feels partly responsible for the events leading to her husband's death.
Audrey asks Robert to help her take full ownership of her husband's estate, and move away from her father. He proposes a fake engagement.
The slow-burn romance was well-developed but toward the end, there was just so much unnecessary angst from the heroine over whether she could move forward with a true marriage or not, that I was irritated.
This book contains descriptive love scenes.
The hero, Robert was an officer in the regiment where Audrey's husband served. He feels duty-bound to visit Audrey because he feels partly responsible for the events leading to her husband's death.
Audrey asks Robert to help her take full ownership of her husband's estate, and move away from her father. He proposes a fake engagement.
The slow-burn romance was well-developed but toward the end, there was just so much unnecessary angst from the heroine over whether she could move forward with a true marriage or not, that I was irritated.
This book contains descriptive love scenes.
May 18, 2021
Audrey is used to overcoming challenges in her life. Blinded at a young age she's accepted that her life will not be normal but the luxurious prison of her childhood home is still a prison. She had thought she had finally found a way out when she married but when her husband was killed in action she was again left in dire straights. Robert does not know much about Audrey except his own guilt for the death of her husband. He was surprised not only by her blindness but by her poise and beauty. When she asks for his help in accessing her inheritance he welcomes the chance to be a fake fiancé and help her achieve her independence. But when he starts to fall for her Robert needs to change his strategy and help Audrey realize that marriage is not a new prison, but a chance at a new life. Another great read in the Brides of Redemption series, excited for the conclusion!
February 18, 2025
This is the first book I've read from this author following a recommendation from a reviewer I trust. It was indeed an enjoyable read. I particularly liked the way blindness is depicted and the stigma which any disability carried at the time. The delicate boundaries between helping and taking over and between pity and love are clearly and successfully explored. The element which did not sit so well with me was the apparently sudden change of character of Blythe. From a spiteful, jealous sister, she becomes a loving supportive sibling. I suppose we are to think that this was due to the fact that she was no longer under her father's negative influence; but it was not really convincingly shown. I also thought Molly's character which had been at first such a support to Audrey was conveniently side tracked.
However, these minor quibbles were not enough to lose a star. The book is easy to read; it is steamy in parts, but done well. I would recommend it and have already bought the next instalment in the series.
However, these minor quibbles were not enough to lose a star. The book is easy to read; it is steamy in parts, but done well. I would recommend it and have already bought the next instalment in the series.
July 2, 2019
Audrey Blake almost died from scarlet fever as a child. As a result of her illness, she has been blind since she was 7 years old. Robert Henslow, the Earl of Knightsbridge, visits her family to tell her about her husband's death. Audrey asks Robert to help her escape her father's house. He treats her like an invalid, and she wants to live in the comfort of her late husband's estate.
The first quarter of the book started out okay, but I really struggled with the rest of the book. Audrey acts like a martyr and thinks that Robert is only interested in her because he feels pity for her. I didn't understand Robert's attraction to Audrey. The resolution at the end of the book felt rushed and unrealistic.
The first quarter of the book started out okay, but I really struggled with the rest of the book. Audrey acts like a martyr and thinks that Robert is only interested in her because he feels pity for her. I didn't understand Robert's attraction to Audrey. The resolution at the end of the book felt rushed and unrealistic.
August 23, 2018
I really wanted to love this. Audrey was such a good character and had so much pride in her abilities and then opposite her was Robert, who was such a flat character and garnered no sympathy or love from the reader. He was just...blah. And the story never built up to something more. From the beginning you could pretty much piece out what scandal Mr. Blake had left behind and nothing else occurred which made the story exciting.
May 5, 2022
It was a quick read for the most part. The beginning was good but it kind of got bogged down in the middle. I liked the sister's progression and the hero's as well. But the heroine kind of annoyed me for a bit. I get that she was afraid but it just got a bit repetitive. It also felt like some of her reactions to situations weren't realistic (overreacting to some things and not enough to others). So it was just a decent read, nothing spectacular.
July 28, 2017
Oh, it was lovely. But a more angst-filled climax wouldn't hurt. :p Nonetheless, the story was very sweet and endearing. I liked it.
September 28, 2017
A random pick and it turned out to part of a series of which I had read another book recently. I was thinking I have read the same somewhere when I realized it is a 3-part series.It was a good read with the heroine being blind adding the much needed difference to the story.
October 3, 2018
3.5 stars
December 7, 2019
It's one of those books where once is enough.
February 10, 2020
I enjoyed reading.
August 16, 2020
I have yet to find a book that portrays blind women in a way which pleases me.
June 7, 2021
A good read that I finished in one day.
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