5 stars The main characters, Captain Francis Grafton (crude) and Mrs. Caroline Harding (prude), make an unlikely pairing. Caroline has been widowed, and now destitute, is barely scraping by as she tries to support her family--her mother and two younger sisters. Captain Grafton is a mercenary, ne'er-do-well (or so it would seem) with a terrible reputation, who also happens to be her landlord. Their initial relationship is not exactly consensual, and it's a little hard to get past that. Grafton is a complicated character who seems intent on maintaining his hard exterior while bits of his compassion keep peeking through. For the most part, Caroline seems to despise him, for good reason, but she slowly comes to the realization that he is not the bastard he wants everyone to believe he is. His actions are driven by self-loathing and his growing affection for Caroline forces him to confront the past. It's an interesting story. I always appreciate a historical romance that features characters from the "lower" classes, and this is even a bit of a second chance romance. It takes characters who might otherwise be seen as having no intrinsic value and turns them into protagonists. It’s memorable because it’s different from other romances. I really enjoyed this story and would recommend it. February 20, 2021
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Elizabeth J ConnorWriter. Editor. Proofreader. Archives
September 2022
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