Reviewed by Lindsey Gray on
Matthew Larkspur, Earl of Arnsbury, has loved Lily Thornton as long as she’s loved him. When her father threatened to make a match for her, Lily begs Matthew to wed and bed her before he leaves for India with her brother, James. He gives in and they share one night together, before their lives go terribly wrong.
Lily’s father dies shortly after James and Matthew leave for India. While in India, James and Matthew are kidnapped and tortured for over a year. Two years have passed and James and Matthew are finally home, but Matthew is horribly broken and refuses to honor his marriage to Lily. They both knew it wasn’t legal, but Lily always assumed they would make it so once Matthew returned.
Willingham takes this story in several different directions. Matthew deals with horrific post traumatic stress disorder including hallucinations. Lily has to learn to accept Matthew as the man he’s become. With several secondary characters rooting for and against the couple, the stakes have never been more dangerous. I was sobbing at points in the story about the torture Matthew endured in India and what he continued to battle once he was back home.
This was my first experience reading Willingham and thankfully she has dozens of novels I can sink my teeth into. Even with the box of tissues I went through with this story, the ending was worth it all. If any of her other novels are this good, I will be filling my bookcase with more Michelle Willingham novels as soon as possible.
Reading updates
- Started reading
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- 24 October, 2017: Reviewed