Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
Good conclusion to the series. Lorene has been a key character in all of the books. Years earlier she had sacrificed her own happiness by marrying a much older man. She did so in exchange for him providing for her sisters and half-brother. It was not a happy marriage, as the Earl of Tinmore could be a cruel and controlling man, but Lorene made the best of her circumstances. Then, at Christmas, she defied his order to stay away from her family and walked five miles through the snow to spend the day with them.
At the end of the day, Dell, Lord Penford, escorted her back to her home. She was confronted by her furious husband, who accused her of carrying on an affair with Dell. Horrified by what he heard, Dell tried to reason with Tinmore. Unfortunately, Tinmore was beyond reason and attempted to attack Dell, and instead fell down the steps and died. The butler accused Dell of murdering Tinmore, forcing an inquest. Though the death was ruled accidental, it is pretty obvious that the butler is not going to give up and go away quietly.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Lorene and Dell. It was a lengthy process, due to their circumstances and the challenges that faced them. Lorene had a secret crush on Dell from the time she met him. He was everything that her husband was not - young, kind, handsome. She was very careful not to let any indication of her feelings show. Dell, too, had been drawn to Lorene from the beginning. He was impressed by the sacrifice of her happiness to ensure that of her siblings. I liked the way that, after her husband's death, he wanted to help but also knew that he had to be cautious in the way he did it. I loved how he offered to let her stay in her childhood home and to supervise the renovations. I loved how they followed the customs of the day and that he didn't see her for more than a year after her husband's death.
When they did see each other again, it was obvious to each that their feelings were as strong as ever. But there are also issues holding them back. Lorene is part of the "Scandalous Summerfields" family, tainted by the actions of their parents. She fears adding to the talk by having a relationship with Dell. On his side, Dell still grieves the loss of his family, who died in a fire at their home while he was away at war. He has promised himself that he will never allow himself to care that deeply for anyone ever again, unwilling to risk the pain of losing someone he loves. I liked seeing the friendship between Dell and Lorene deepen as they saw each other more often in London.
Lorene's desire to avoid scandal is upended when her mother shows up on her doorstep, along with the man she ran away with. Hetty immediately takes Society by storm with her outrageous behavior, horrifying Lorene and her sisters. I was a bit torn by this part of the story. Yes, Hetty was outrageous, but I also felt like she was driven to that behavior by her own ghosts. I would have liked to see a bit more regret for the actions that affected her family so badly. But I also liked the way that she stood up for her own wants and needs in spite of what people were saying about her. I ached for Lorene, but I also wanted her to stop letting what other people said and thought dictate her actions. It was sweet to see Dell's protectiveness toward Lorene as he tried to help her cope with her mother's behavior. It didn't take long for the feelings that were simmering under the surface to erupt into unexpected passion. I found Lorene's attitude to be a little hypocritical as she wanted to do as she wanted regarding Dell but denied her mother the right to do the same.
Dell fights his feelings for Lorene. He is attracted to her, and cares for her, but is afraid to love her. Instead, he considers a "suitable" marriage with a woman that won't engage his feelings. I wanted to shake him for even thinking of marrying someone else, but fortunately, he figured it out in time. He, too, was influenced by what people thought, though not as severely as Lorene was. He was driven more by the memories of his family and what he thought they would want. I ached for him and the grief that would frequently overwhelm him. I liked how Lorene saw that grief and wanted to help him through it.
Lorene and Dell's relationship was progressing nicely when their past was made public. The vindictive butler made another appearance, this time selling his story to one of the London tabloids. The resulting scandal was huge, creating all kinds of difficulties for the couple. Lorene reacted in her usual way, by wanting to withdraw. She felt she could protect Dell best by making herself scarce, and removing her influence on people's attitudes toward him. Dell has more backbone. I loved seeing him stand up to the scandal and take steps to counter it. I loved the support he received from his friends. I ached for him over Lorene's departure and his unhappiness over her absence. I liked seeing each of them reevaluate their lives and finally realize that love is more important than anything else.
I liked seeing all of the couples from the previous books and how their lives are going. Their reactions to Lady Summerfield's arrival were an important part of the story, with each one showing different feelings. I especially liked the way that they stood behind Dell against the accusations of murder. The epilogue was terrific, bringing them all together in a most satisfying way.
At the end of the day, Dell, Lord Penford, escorted her back to her home. She was confronted by her furious husband, who accused her of carrying on an affair with Dell. Horrified by what he heard, Dell tried to reason with Tinmore. Unfortunately, Tinmore was beyond reason and attempted to attack Dell, and instead fell down the steps and died. The butler accused Dell of murdering Tinmore, forcing an inquest. Though the death was ruled accidental, it is pretty obvious that the butler is not going to give up and go away quietly.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Lorene and Dell. It was a lengthy process, due to their circumstances and the challenges that faced them. Lorene had a secret crush on Dell from the time she met him. He was everything that her husband was not - young, kind, handsome. She was very careful not to let any indication of her feelings show. Dell, too, had been drawn to Lorene from the beginning. He was impressed by the sacrifice of her happiness to ensure that of her siblings. I liked the way that, after her husband's death, he wanted to help but also knew that he had to be cautious in the way he did it. I loved how he offered to let her stay in her childhood home and to supervise the renovations. I loved how they followed the customs of the day and that he didn't see her for more than a year after her husband's death.
When they did see each other again, it was obvious to each that their feelings were as strong as ever. But there are also issues holding them back. Lorene is part of the "Scandalous Summerfields" family, tainted by the actions of their parents. She fears adding to the talk by having a relationship with Dell. On his side, Dell still grieves the loss of his family, who died in a fire at their home while he was away at war. He has promised himself that he will never allow himself to care that deeply for anyone ever again, unwilling to risk the pain of losing someone he loves. I liked seeing the friendship between Dell and Lorene deepen as they saw each other more often in London.
Lorene's desire to avoid scandal is upended when her mother shows up on her doorstep, along with the man she ran away with. Hetty immediately takes Society by storm with her outrageous behavior, horrifying Lorene and her sisters. I was a bit torn by this part of the story. Yes, Hetty was outrageous, but I also felt like she was driven to that behavior by her own ghosts. I would have liked to see a bit more regret for the actions that affected her family so badly. But I also liked the way that she stood up for her own wants and needs in spite of what people were saying about her. I ached for Lorene, but I also wanted her to stop letting what other people said and thought dictate her actions. It was sweet to see Dell's protectiveness toward Lorene as he tried to help her cope with her mother's behavior. It didn't take long for the feelings that were simmering under the surface to erupt into unexpected passion. I found Lorene's attitude to be a little hypocritical as she wanted to do as she wanted regarding Dell but denied her mother the right to do the same.
Dell fights his feelings for Lorene. He is attracted to her, and cares for her, but is afraid to love her. Instead, he considers a "suitable" marriage with a woman that won't engage his feelings. I wanted to shake him for even thinking of marrying someone else, but fortunately, he figured it out in time. He, too, was influenced by what people thought, though not as severely as Lorene was. He was driven more by the memories of his family and what he thought they would want. I ached for him and the grief that would frequently overwhelm him. I liked how Lorene saw that grief and wanted to help him through it.
Lorene and Dell's relationship was progressing nicely when their past was made public. The vindictive butler made another appearance, this time selling his story to one of the London tabloids. The resulting scandal was huge, creating all kinds of difficulties for the couple. Lorene reacted in her usual way, by wanting to withdraw. She felt she could protect Dell best by making herself scarce, and removing her influence on people's attitudes toward him. Dell has more backbone. I loved seeing him stand up to the scandal and take steps to counter it. I loved the support he received from his friends. I ached for him over Lorene's departure and his unhappiness over her absence. I liked seeing each of them reevaluate their lives and finally realize that love is more important than anything else.
I liked seeing all of the couples from the previous books and how their lives are going. Their reactions to Lady Summerfield's arrival were an important part of the story, with each one showing different feelings. I especially liked the way that they stood behind Dell against the accusations of murder. The epilogue was terrific, bringing them all together in a most satisfying way.
Karin A. (Jerseygirltoo) -
Just fair. I like Diane Gaston but this is not my favorite series of hers. Some of the characters are pretty annoying.
