Release date: October 24th, 2016

Faith was heartbroken when Stephen joined the army and left England without even a goodbye note. As far as she knew, they were more than friends and shared a bond that in her heart she dared call love. Stephen apparently didn’t see things that way.
He was a rake of the first class. He pretty much refused to carry the title of a Duke by being a rake of the worst class and by providing fuel to the endless gossip and tales that people liked to create about him. Four years later, Stephen returned claiming to be a changed man, ready to settle down and asking Faith for a second chance.

So, our hero wounded our heroine and now he’s trying to make amends. Faith sounded a smart woman, resolute in refusing Stephen advances because she knew the kind of man he used to be and of course she didn’t want her heart crushed once again. Also, the fact that he brought home some unwelcomed people didn’t help much his cause.
As I was reading I kept asking myself, can a rake truly change? Can you learn to believe in him again? Particularly in this instance when he kept saying one thing but actions expressed something completely different. He was open and honest with Faith (I mean, I was reading his side of the story) but she didn’t know that so she relied on what she saw to make a decision. The good thing is that he never gave up on her and in the end she realized that either she took a risk or she could lose him forever.

Although the story was a bit slow-paced for me it was still enjoyable. In truth, I think it was more a matter of lack of communication that delayed the HEA than anything else. It is part of a series but can definitely be read as a standalone and I recommend it to historical lovers that like light stories with a bit of heart tugging.

** I requested and received this book from the author at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher. **