My Lady's Honor

The Spymaster #3

by Julia Justiss

Upon meeting the young lady who'd bedazzled his best friend, Gilen de Mowbry was surprised to find her hauntingly familiar. But surely this demure ton miss couldn't be the violet-eyed Gypsy who had danced for him in the firelight—and still taunted his dreams...

Desperate to save herself and her brother from her odious cousin's schemes, Gwennor Southford spirited him away by night—in a Gypsy caravan! Now they were in her aunt's care, and only one thing stood between her and the safe haven of a proper marriage—one unforgettable evening with Gilen de Mowbry...

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical, Harlequin, Adult

304 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 1, 2002

About the author

Julia Justiss grew up breathing the scent of sea air near the colonial town of Annapolis, Maryland, a fact responsible for two of her life-long passions: sailors and history! By age twelve she was a junior tour guide for Historic Annapolis, conducting visitors on walking tours through the city that was a hotbed of revolutionary fervor. (Annapolis hosted its own tea party, dispensing with the cargo aboard the "Peggy Stewart," and was briefly capital of the United States.) She also took tourists through Annapolis's other big attraction, the United States Naval Academy. After so many years of observing future naval officers at P-rade and chapel, it seemed almost inevitable that she eventually married one.

But long before embarking on romantic adventures of her own, she read about them, transporting herself to such favorite venues as ancient Egypt, World War II submarine patrols, the Old South and, of course, Regency England. Soon she was keeping notebooks for jotting down story ideas. From plotting adventures for her first favorite heroine Nancy Drew she went on to write poetry in high school and college, then worked as a business journalist doing speeches, sales promotion material and newsletter articles. After her marriage to a naval lieutenant took her overseas, she wrote the newsletter for the American Embassy in Tunis, Tunisia and traveled extensively throughout Europe. Before leaving Tunis, she fulfilled her first goal: completing a Regency novel.

Children intervened, and not until her husband left the Navy to return to his Texas homeland did she sit down to pen a second novel. The reply to her fan mail letter to a Regency author led her to Romance Writers of America. From the very first meeting, she knew she'd found a home among fellow writers--doubtless the largest group of people outside a mental institution who talk back to the voices in their heads.

Her second goal was achieved the day before her birthday in May, 1998 when Margaret Marbury of Harlequin Historicals offered to buy that second book, the Golden-Heart-Award winning novel that became THE WEDDING GAMBLE. Since then, she has gone on to write fourteen novels, three novellas and an on-line serial, along the way winning or finalling for historical awards from The Golden Quill, the National Reader’s Choice, Romantic Times, and All About Romance’s Favorite Book of the Year.

Julia now inhabits an English Georgian-style house she and her husband built in the East Texas countryside where, if she closes her eyes and ignores the summer thermometer, she can almost imagine she inhabits the landscape of "Pride and Prejudice." In between travelling to visit her three children (a naval officer son stationed in Washington, DC, a textiles and design major daughter who cheers for University of Texas at Austin, and a mechanical engineering major son also at UT Austin) keeping up with her science teacher husband and juggling a part-time day job as a high school French teacher, she pursues her first and dearest love--crafting stories.

To relax, she enjoys watching movies, reading (historical fiction, mystery, suspense) and puttering about in the garden trying to kill off more weeds than flowers.

Reviews

[Lauren]

Note to self:
Honestly, I can't remember the story except that I archived the book (not a good sign). Need to try again.

[Sam C]

It is really hard to rate this book, you see, I found myself glued to my iPad as I read and I honestly couldn’t put it down until it was over because I needed to know what was going to happen, so that would make it a five star book in my world but the thing is, the male lead in this was deplorable! Even though he was quite charming and you could see yourself falling for his charms easily, his attitude towards the heroine was the worst and for the life of me I can understand how could she forgive him. He’s the worst Harlequin hero I’ve read so far, so for that reason I decided to rate it with three stars.

Entertaining but not trascendental.

[Seema]

Extremely annoying hero

[Mnms]

A daring and provocative take on the regency romances. Quite original and entertaining.

[Tonileg]

Historical English romance which mostly is set outside of London, but with people that are part of the titled wealthy society.
So we start out with the evil guardian that is forcing the young heroine to get married to his friend to pay off his debts, but we quickly leave that old used up trope because Miss Gwennor Southford is a smart girl filled with lots of common sense so that she can care for her simple younger step-brother. Gwennor escapes by traveling safely with a gypsy group that she knows her whole life because her deceased father let them stay at their estate every summer so she is protected and completely anonymous. So Lord Gilen de Mowbry meets Gwen as she is disguised as a gypsy and then mistakes the sensual dancing and costume for wantonness when Gwen is actually an innocent well born lady. This mistake follows the whole story until the very end without any other plots to push forward the story which is why I would only give this story 3 stars.
Well written and edited, but not enough original content to make me look into more by this author.
290 pages and bought at a library sale
3 stars

[Penny Hampson]

I enjoyed this book despite some aspects of the story. The hero's attitude towards the heroine was morally repugnant and I wondered how the author was going to pull off the task of making him a worthy character by the end. However, she did manage. just. Also some anachronisms that jarred (a mention of wolves, extinct in England since around 1500's); however, the story was engaging and the characters well rounded. I would be happy to read more from this author.

[R]

Just not interested enough to keep reading. Actually, it kind of annoyed me, and the plausibility is sketchy at best.

[Teresa]

Eh. Nothing spectacular.