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stuffandwhatnot's review
3.0
Non-stop angst and hurt/comfort. The villain dies a year before the actions of the novel, and he's so evil I wanted someone to dig him up and scatter his bones for vermin to gnaw upon. Literally everyone in this story failed the heroine again and again. There's a sweet second chance romance in which the hero does everything he can to help the heroine heal from eleven years of torturous hell. But mostly I wanted to dickpunch everyone who failed to help her.
niaforrester's review against another edition
3.0
Since I'm on a Regency kick lately, I decided to give this book, which I've had for over a year a try.
The Earl of Daventry is contemplating marriage to his lady-friend of the moment because he needs an heir when he receives a letter from his cousin, Leo who has been dead for a year. In the letter, which Leo penned with instructions for delivery a year after his death, Leo tells Daventry that he has betrayed him, and has done so with malice.
Eleven years earlier on the eve of his wedding, Daventry stumbled upon his bride-to-be and love of his life Diana Cavanaugh in bed with Leo. Heartbroken, Daventry calls off the wedding and Diana is forced to marry Leo to avoid a scandal. Leo's letter reveals that Diana was drugged, and not at all a consenting party in the scene Daventry witnessed. And further, Leo gleefully recounts in the letter that he has spent the last decade abusing Diana so that she "can no longer bear the touch of a man". As if this is not bad enough, Leo's letter says, Diana has a son, and he may in fact be Daventry's.
It is with this shocking revelation that The Letter begins. Daventry, armed with the knowledge that not only may he already have a son, but the woman he thought betrayed him is in fact a victim sets out to find Diana and her son and bring them to his country estate. Finding Diana and her son in a state of destitution, Daventry takes charge of them both. Before long, and despite his best efforts, he begins to feel more for the boy who might be his son, and for the woman who once held his heart.
The characters were interesting and sympathetic, the interpersonal challenges they faced realistic and the period details okay, though minimal compared to other books of this genre that I've read. I particularly loved the slow growth of Diana's character from a woman scarred (emotionally and physically) from years of abuse to someone who wants to take charge of her life. And though I'm a huge fan of well-placed scenes of intimacy, I found many of the ones in this book to be a little odd given the characters' insecurity about each other. For instance, Daventry at one point masturbates in Diana's presence and begins to make frequent sexual overtures toward her even though he believes her to have been sexually terrorized by his cousin, her now-dead husband.
There was also some intrigue involving his former lady-friend, a mysterious American and a friend of Daventry's with a dangerous past that seemed to be blatant set-ups for future books, but which added little to this particular story. Without those additions, I would have been content to see the interpersonal relationship between Daventry and Diana unfold, and would not have enjoyed the book any less. Still, this book was a fun diversion and if asked, I would recommend it as a light read.
[a:Nia Forrester|6447432|Nia Forrester|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1344386635p2/6447432.jpg]
The Earl of Daventry is contemplating marriage to his lady-friend of the moment because he needs an heir when he receives a letter from his cousin, Leo who has been dead for a year. In the letter, which Leo penned with instructions for delivery a year after his death, Leo tells Daventry that he has betrayed him, and has done so with malice.
Eleven years earlier on the eve of his wedding, Daventry stumbled upon his bride-to-be and love of his life Diana Cavanaugh in bed with Leo. Heartbroken, Daventry calls off the wedding and Diana is forced to marry Leo to avoid a scandal. Leo's letter reveals that Diana was drugged, and not at all a consenting party in the scene Daventry witnessed. And further, Leo gleefully recounts in the letter that he has spent the last decade abusing Diana so that she "can no longer bear the touch of a man". As if this is not bad enough, Leo's letter says, Diana has a son, and he may in fact be Daventry's.
It is with this shocking revelation that The Letter begins. Daventry, armed with the knowledge that not only may he already have a son, but the woman he thought betrayed him is in fact a victim sets out to find Diana and her son and bring them to his country estate. Finding Diana and her son in a state of destitution, Daventry takes charge of them both. Before long, and despite his best efforts, he begins to feel more for the boy who might be his son, and for the woman who once held his heart.
The characters were interesting and sympathetic, the interpersonal challenges they faced realistic and the period details okay, though minimal compared to other books of this genre that I've read. I particularly loved the slow growth of Diana's character from a woman scarred (emotionally and physically) from years of abuse to someone who wants to take charge of her life. And though I'm a huge fan of well-placed scenes of intimacy, I found many of the ones in this book to be a little odd given the characters' insecurity about each other. For instance, Daventry at one point masturbates in Diana's presence and begins to make frequent sexual overtures toward her even though he believes her to have been sexually terrorized by his cousin, her now-dead husband.
There was also some intrigue involving his former lady-friend, a mysterious American and a friend of Daventry's with a dangerous past that seemed to be blatant set-ups for future books, but which added little to this particular story. Without those additions, I would have been content to see the interpersonal relationship between Daventry and Diana unfold, and would not have enjoyed the book any less. Still, this book was a fun diversion and if asked, I would recommend it as a light read.
[a:Nia Forrester|6447432|Nia Forrester|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1344386635p2/6447432.jpg]
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