A Gentleman’s Promise
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A Gentleman’s Promise
by Penny Hampson
Edition: ebook, ARC
Synopsis: Emma has struggled across a Europe devastated by Napoleon to get her brother back home, but when she arrives she finds her family all but destroyed.
She meets a stranger who claims the estate now belongs to him. Who is this man? Emma doesn’t know. What she does know is that it would be madness to fall in love and surrender her freedom…
Richard never wanted the title and estate he’s now inherited. He hadn’t even known of his connection to the family until his solicitor revealed it to him. But when Emma and her brother turn up claiming to be the estate’s rightful heirs, he can’t ignore his suspicions. Nor can he ignore his growing feelings towards Emma. Could she be the woman he’s been searching for?
Independent and strong, Emma never wants to marry. Richard is looking for a docile, obedient wife. Can their quest to catch a killer teach them that what they both wish to avoid is exactly what they need?
Richard Lacey, having just inherited the title of Viscount Easterby, is certain someone is out to see him dead. When a ragged pair appears on his doorstep, the true heir to the title and sister who had been presumed dead, he promises to get to the bottom of the situation and keep both safe.
From the start, Richard inspires sympathy. He inherited a title he didn’t want, a title which someone appears to be determined to eradicate. Multiple times he is nearly killed, and facts begin to point to an old family skeleton. Opposite him is the Honorable Emma Smythe, who has crossed countries to get her younger brother home safely. She has lost her family and is thrust into a mystery that threatens her brother.
It is easy to read the clues that are revealed, though our main characters are less astute. There are odd flashbacks interspersed through the narrative, to explain some backstory, that is a bit jarring when they occur. There is also acceptance of certain situations that would not have been at the times.
An easy read and one I would recommend to readers who are not sticklers for historical accuracy.
